Scatterbrain Perspective with Raf Gonzalez

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Speaker 1
[00.00.14]
Hello and welcome to Scatterbrained Perspective, the show where I get to have an insightful conversation
with a guest about all things pop culture. I’m your host, Raf Gonzalez. Amigos. Yo soy Rafael. Um,
and that’s just me is the best I could do with my Spanish because, uh, I think, uh, so this special topic I’m
going to bring up is about being Latin American and or Latino, as I refer to myself as, or more
specifically, I am what is called a Salvi, which is a young Salvadoran. Sure, I’m in my 30s, but that can’t
still. Um, joining with me is Eduardo, who is also helping with the the tech here. So how are you doing it?
Speaker 2
[00.01.02]
Um. Very well. Uh, Ralph, thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 1
[00.01.06]
Yeah, because I wanted to bring. Uh, normally I would just bring in, like, a fellow Salvadoran that I
know, but this is a short notice. And I thought maybe just gradually, if I do like a follow ups, then I can
talk to other people about this. Uh, and, uh, but I thought maybe just having a different perspective would
be good to help, because I come from what is like because I’m a first gen Australian living and born and
raised here, but my family were migrants, so I learning from them what it was like. But I don’t have that
attachment to my culture as much as my family does, like my parents specifically. But what the in your
case, what’s your situation? So that way, just so so I can get a better understanding.
Speaker 2
[00.01.50]
Well, I grew up in Peru, uh, mostly in Lima, the capital city, which is. The biggest city, uh, very
cosmopolitan, uh, very western. Um, but receives a lot of migration from all over Peru. I see. And I come
from a family of migrants. You know, internal migration. Um, you know, my on my dad’s side, uh, I
have indigenous ancestry. Um, and I remember, you know, my granddad having some shamanic
knowledge, uh, doing some ceremonies.
Speaker 1
[00.02.30]
So what, he had been referred to as a granddaughter.
Speaker 2
[00.02.33]
Granddaughter? That’s right. Yeah. The shaman, the the I guess the the doctor. The traditional doctor,
you know. So, uh, he would do cures whenever I, you know, I was having anxiety or I couldn’t sleep or,
you know, for whatever reason. And, um, he would do these cures, these rituals in Quechua, which is the
indigenous language of Peru.
Speaker 1
[00.02.56]
I mean,
Speaker 2
[00.02.57]
Peru has three main languages. The the dominant is a Spanish, which is my, my mother tongue. And then
minority languages is Quechua. And then even a smaller population speaks um Aymara. But that’s in the
frontier with Bolivia.
Speaker 1
[00.03.14]
All right. I guess I say in, in my situation, because of course, as people can hear me. English is my
obvious language. But, uh, when it comes to Spanish, I know only I’m a semi bilingual. So I’m semi
bilingual. That’s the best I can be. At this point, the only time I’m really fluent is when I’m cursing like or
so. For the what I’m going to list. So people are going to hear me. It’s like I come up as like I’m going in
gibberish, but it’s like I’m stupid. It’s like, that’s a very stereotypical thing. But that’s what I picked up
from my dad, because especially when I used to know. But back in the day, with when dad was dropping
me off to school, like from when we were on the freeway, and if we’re dealing with a lot blocked up and
there’s these people, like cutting him, I was like, hey, man, go on. And then like, hey, stupid bro. And I
was like, that’s where I picked it up from. But as far back, he taught me some of these words too, so no
one should. He’s not to blame. He’s like he was trying to get me to learn. That’s how we we often do it
because it’s between English and Spanish for me. But it was just that I think from what I know with my
Spanish and El Salvador, is that we also have a bit of Bible and not what? In our dialect. Because that’s
the because where in in because where my family’s from El Salvador. So it is within the bill side of the,
of the Mayan community because I think where Bill and Lenka are the. But I did like a few years ago, I
did a ancestry DNA test to kind of know where my where my genes come from. And like, obviously, I
knew obviously Spanish. That was the obvious one. And I thought maybe possibly because I, I think
what we know is for us Latinos is like we’re mestizos, so we’re mixed breeds. But I know I’m a glorified
mutt in this case. No such thing as pedigree, pure pedigree here. But it’s just that, uh, surprisingly, I, I
thought I would have more Spanish in my, in my or Iberian Peninsula. So there was a bit of Portuguese,
which I thought, okay, that’s obvious. And I thought, but then it turns out, oh, I have a little bit more like
of, uh, Mesoamerican like more. I was like, oh, okay. Because. I think it’s because I didn’t really know
much about El Salvador. So much.
Speaker 2
[00.05.49]
Yeah. I mean, I recently discovered that, um, uh, my great great grandmother was from China, and my
great great grandfather was from a country in Africa, you know, but because records are so
Speaker 1
[00.06.04]
poor. Yeah, that’s probably the other factor, because unlike what they show on ancestry, I was like, oh,
you can find all these records like it’s hard for some other areas, like especially Spanish or. Yeah.
Because my dad thinks he can far back as his ancestor. It would be from Valencia. That’s where he is,
where he believes. Because I would like to believe that too. But unless we have concrete evidence, but I
couldn’t. I could go to El Salvador to find out. But I need to have good Spanish, which I don’t, but also
some of those. Yeah, you’re right, those are the records that could be very scarce. Hard to
Speaker 2
[00.06.41]
find. And do you have family? Like
Speaker 1
[00.06.43]
Salvadorian family? Yeah I do. Um, so I have because my dad is the youngest of 12 kids. Well, 11
because one died at the age of two. Uh, name was Guillermo. Uh, but, uh, I have, like. Well, at the time I
remembered was like we had about first and second cousins. So me and my sisters, where the youngest of
the first cousins and and then by the time I was there, when I went there the first time, which I was 18
and, uh, yeah, 18 and I to get to learn my roots and I, we I this my second cousins were my age basically
most of them there is a few younger ones. But as I’m now visualizing now as I just realized, they’re now
older now. But um, now there’s like I think we now got third cousins now. So even because again, by the
time my dad was born, my oldest aunt, she was probably in her 30s, 40s, and she already had a son, um,
named David, who was about maybe 1 or 2 years older than my dad. They grew up like brothers, even
though they’re technically uncle and nephew. Yeah, but, um, no. And David, he I think he’s he bounces
between El Salvador and San Francisco, and he’s really lovely. Yeah, a very twisted sense of humor, but
he’s lovable
Speaker 2
[00.08.06]
in my case. I also come from a very extended family with, you know, like a lot of age spans. And I
remember my having an aunt. Who I thought was my cousin because she was younger than I. Yeah. So
that that’s, uh, you know, how, uh, the, the generations and the stage of, you know, the span of ages. You
know, my my auntie was like, two years younger than I. Yeah, but she was my auntie. Yeah. Um, yeah,
it’s the same because I have so many cousins who are, like, in their 40s and 50s, and yet they’ve already
got kids and they have started to have kids themselves. So it’s like, I mean, I have, but, uh, there’s a few
most of my cousins are in El Salvador. I also have several. I have one family living in Toronto in Canada.
I have several families in Texas. I have one cousin, um, Alicia or Alicia. But Alicia that I know her is.
She lives in Farmers Branch in Dallas, and I have three cousins who are from one uncle, and they have
kids themselves, and they have kids and some have kids themselves. So it’s three generations, uh, in
living in Houston. But that’s my dad’s side. And also I have family in San Francisco. But then there’s my
mom’s side, who’s I’m not going to go into detail of because, um, due to this situation with her dad, with
her biological father, but she has a few half siblings on her dad’s side and a few on her mom’s side who
are who she’s more close to then her dad’s side and some that are living in Europe. Like even I have an
auntie living in Spain who is actually coming over to visit us in a couple of months, which will be nice
because I’ve seen her before and so unfortunately she doesn’t really speak much English, but she
understands. But it’s like that means I have to brush up on my Spanish.
Speaker 1
[00.10.03]
Um, okay. So that’s I mean, that’s again, that’s sort of the interesting similarities there. Uh, the thing is, I
think it’s in my time, I’ve been trying to be invested in learning about like, even parts of the indigenous
side of, uh, you know, of El Salvador, like learning, knowing about the mine history. Because we do have
what we, you know, Salvador, we have what’s called our answer to Pompeii or Oya. This set in, which is
like a well-preserved Mayan village that was buried in volcanic ash. And they found so many things
there, including what looks like ingredients to make pupusas, which for those listening, it’s a very a very
popular staple in El Salvador. Sure, they have it in Honduras too, but it’s more prevalent in El Salvador.
What is a pupusa? So for those familiar with what I guess the idea is from the Mexican version, it is the
toasted tortilla corn tortilla, um, with with toppings inside, like basically a mexicano calzone. But for us,
we don’t have that. It’s sort of close to an arepas in from Colombia. And, uh, but it’s like it’s a, it’s a corn
tortilla filled with ingredients inside. So mostly cheese or queso and uh, there’s, there’s a song, there’s a
very popular song from us. It’s a cumbia called Los Lobos. So Army magazine proposes Conquer the
Army and proposes. A cafe. And the guests are referred to as the chicharron. Uh, so the usual flavor
fillings apart from cheese, uh, from queso is frijoles. Because, see, for me, I don’t usually say beans I or
baked beans. Yes, but if I’m referring to black beans or red kidney beans, I just o frijoles, because that’s
what I grew up saying.
Speaker 2
[00.12.06]
And you know, that song that you just sang makes reference of, uh, having the pupusas with coffee,
which is, I don’t know, like, reminds me of, um, a traditional breakfast in Lima, which, um, you know,
we have tamales with
Speaker 1
[00.12.22]
coffee. Oh, yeah, we have tamales as well. Yeah. We, uh, but I don’t know how. Because I think there’s.
My mom does three varieties. Uh, there’s that classic one, which is with chicken. It’s a and but the thing
is, uh, with chicken, potatoes and sometimes olives. Yeah. Not for me. Green olives specifically. So. No,
thanks. But she does a version called, uh, tamale verde, where she adds, like, a bit of green into the mix
to give it a green color. And she would put in frita, which is refried beans and, uh, into a base with some
feta cheese and some egg and, uh, yeah, that’s that’s a good meal. And we often make plenty.
Speaker 2
[00.13.03]
Yeah. But there are many, like, versions of this dish with the same name. I mean, the tamales in Peru.
Well, it’s kind of like moist, um, dishes
Speaker 1
[00.13.14]
and wrapped in banana leaves wrapped in
Speaker 2
[00.13.16]
banana leaves and, you know, made of corn.
Speaker 1
[00.13.18]
Yes. That’s the same in El Salvador. Yeah, the same and also the same in Mexico. But because they use
different beans, because we usually use black beans. Uh, but, uh, what do I remember? Because another
one my mom does sometimes is, uh, a lot, which is like actually actually cut up corn and mashed and
with batter. And it’s a good one. It could be served with sour cream. And it’s
Speaker 2
[00.13.44]
a classic breakfast. I mean, at least, you know, you can have that any time of the day. But yeah. Yeah, it’s
just like this really succulent breakfast with a coffee. And, you know, that’s what this song made me think
about.
Speaker 1
[00.13.55]
Yeah. I guess for me, because I can it’s the same with my speaking Spanish. I’m also very tough with my
Spanish when I’m singing, because the only time I used to do it was in church, and what I used to
regularly do well, my dad was, was like we would always go to church on Saturday nights and we had to
do the Spanish service. So and most of our because the thing is, uh, we don’t know many other Latinos
outside of the Salvadoran community, and I’m guessing that’s the same one you’re into.
Speaker 2
[00.14.26]
Yeah. I mean, it’s of I mean, Peruvians, it’s a very small community, and I don’t think I know many
Peruvians. I have made a few over the years. But, um, I think we had a very spread out and, um.
Speaker 1
[00.14.37]
Yeah. Yeah. But also coming here, it’s a different reasonings because in my case, because El Salvador,
my family came here in 89. So but we came in the 1st of April, 1989, and my family came here. It was
like the during the peak of the civil war in El Salvador. So it was out of desperation. But my family and a
few others came here as legal migrants. So we were given official, um, what was it we were like we were
given permission to come so. And for good, we could have been refugees because that was how bad it
was. Because. As the tally stood at 19 1992, 75,000 people died and you were either depending if you
were if you were with the government, it was you were killed by the rebels. If you were with the rebels,
you were killed by the death squads. And because gossiping was also a key factor. Families were wiped
out. And on all of that, the gains that were happening in LA who were from Salvadoran origin, were
forced back to a country that probably some of them were not even raised in. And after the war that led to
the gang violence that escalated. That’s all we often hear about when we’re hearing back from El
Salvador. Even my parents are like, yeah, when we hear about the who’s the new president? Who was
like, mm. Depends on what their stance is, because we we don’t exactly trust the politics they are. They
Speaker 2
[00.16.10]
call the maras the the gangs. Uh,
Speaker 1
[00.16.13]
there’s some I can refer to some names because even I want to protect my family, like in all cases. But it’s
like we know a few of them, like. Yeah, I mean, some of them I know, but we can never make reference
to them. I think there’s Ms13 or DSA as there are two different rival gangs, but they’re the most
prominent. Some of them started off in LA and they were kicked out of LA, and then they brought the
violence over back then.
Speaker 2
[00.16.39]
I mean, it’s a similar experience because, you know, when I grew up, you know, I was born in the early,
early 80s and, uh, you know, so by the time, you know, it’s 1989, 1990, it’s the peak of the internal
conflict in Peru. I mean, it’s the government against, um, a couple of guerrillas. Yeah, Shining Path and,
uh, ma, um, and, uh, you know, I remember a lot of blackouts. I remember a lot of, uh, violence and, you
know, like, uh, uh, my my. You know, my dad grew up in that. In the town where Shining Path was born,
so many of his friends became Guerreros and many of his friends would be in jail or appeared on TV.
And it was kind of confronting for him, you know? Um, yeah. But it was a it was a time of, uh, a lot of
violence and, you know, it was like really palpable. I could see it, you know, um, on the streets. I could
feel it whenever there was a a power outage, you know, um, and, you know, like, it was a very dark time
because it was a war between the government and, uh, the, the Guerreros and both made a lot of, uh,
human rights abuses. Yeah. So, uh, it’s kind of like a painful memory to carry, you know, and just just
like I imagine it is for your family
Speaker 1
[00.18.03]
and, uh, a little bit. My dad used to be a doctor. Um, but. And then it was like. And during the peak of
those that times, it was like even he was, like, taking bullets out of certain victims, like those that were
still breathing. He recently told me a story of how he actually saved someone from the guerrillas because.
Or from the government, actually. And they they brought him into the hospital and like dad, duty was to
help. But the thing was, he wanted to know what how did it happen and such. They were not even giving
any details. And this was also things where like there was no trust between any parties. Like even there
are times they they would some of the government would go and raid his home and or their home, their
home, because I was not born there, but it was like they raided their homes in case of, oh, do we have any
information of any of the guerrillas? So I was like, my dad was not even involved in any of that. And
because also we have an. I had an uncle named um, Felix or Theo Felix. And he used to be, uh. And he
was married to my dad’s sister, Maria. And he used to be a university professor. Or he was the dean of
the university in El Salvador. And he was one of the few victims of the civil war. Like he was gunned
down because he was against the government or he spoke vocally against it. So again, it’s like, that’s why
even we when I talk about my to my parents, like we don’t, we’re not sure where to stand with the who.
The current leader is the current one. Right now. He’s done a little bit proactive approaches, which is
that’s cool, that’s great to hear. But that means he has to watch his back because he’s he’s trying really
hard to trying to change El Salvador’s image really. And I’m happy to know that. That’s good to know.
But maybe because I grew up with people who are very weary and because, again, you’re right, still the
trauma, Those scars. See, I didn’t grow up with that. And I think I’ve often imagined how grateful I am
that I didn’t get that because I had my own other problems. But the thing was, I often asked my parents
what would have been like if we’d stayed and I was born there. What would have my life been like in El
Salvador at the time? My parents, both unanimously straight like it would have been worse, especially
because they didn’t have the information about autism at the time. Now that’s a subject I will talk about in
another time. But if because there they didn’t exactly know. They would have thought I would have been
a difficult child or it had been strange. And I don’t know, I don’t want to get too mushy about it, but it
was just that I. And the thing was, I would have been treated like an outcast or like I would have been
treated, oh, he’s that problem child that they don’t want to deal with. But now that they are now a little bit
aware of autism now or autism, it’s like, okay, there’s a little bit more, but. They would have been too late
for me then, because at least here in Australia, at least I had the interventions. Yeah, but the one problem
was I now had to not exactly speak. I can’t speak Spanish too much.
Speaker 2
[00.21.11]
Do you read in Spanish?
Speaker 1
[00.21.12]
I can read, but I if the thing is, if I’m trying to read something out and it’s like if my parents are in earshot
and it’s like they’ll they’re like, no, no, no. They’re correcting me. It’s a nag. It’s a casual nag, but at least
it’s helping me. But there are times I’ll try to remember it and I’ll forget it
Speaker 2
[00.21.29]
because let me know. I don’t really have the chance of talking Spanish with anyone. I mean, I speak to
my mum or my dad. Yeah, and I feel like I’m forgetting a few words. You know, because I love, I love
language. Yeah. Um, when I was in Peru, I used to read a lot. A lot of poetry. Um, so I, I thought I have a
good grasp of, of Spanish. But now, after so many years living abroad, some words that I’m looking for,
you know, escape me. But I still read. I have a few books in, in Spanish, mostly poetry that I like reading
aloud. You know, I have found a couple of, um, bilingual translations of, uh, you know, um, Cesar Viejo,
which is a, uh, an incredible Peruvian poet or, uh, Pablo Neruda, another Chilean poet I like very much,
or Jorge Luis Borges from Argentina. All of them are incredible, uh, writers. And there’s a lot of, of
course, poetry online, but nothing like having a book, you know, and, uh, spending time with, with the
words. Um, but, you know, there is also, um, a new genre of mixed, you know, English and Spanish and
Speaker 1
[00.22.45]
poetry. Spanglish. Spanglish. Yeah. Um, yeah. So I picked up on a little bit of that myself. Mostly for
me, what I try to do is mostly just listen to a lot more Spanish music. It’s like, that’s what I’m trying to,
um, keep in touch with because, I mean, I if for me, I’m still taking the learning and like, I’m trying to
because it’s my brain is stuck on English. So it’s like I’m trying to how do I translate this? So I see for me,
I try really hard to when I’m trying to speak in Spanish, I often um, and I this is just for me. It’s because I
often put on an accent. So it’s like code switch. So it’s like to make myself be able to pronounce the
vowels as in more accurately to Spanish like instead of iout as, like, so like I try to go that route. And
yeah, it’s because the thing is, I didn’t really have much representation in, um, on the Latin Americans,
like, especially in TV. And, and unless it’s like and there are times I often I don’t really and in being here
in Australia, it’s like we’re practically not noticed. I mean, the only time I’m pretty sure if you’re listening
to this and you’re familiar, oh, what you’re familiar with would be o old El Paso, the that company that
does the nachos and the taco stuff. Not all of us are into tacos. Let me tell you that. Um, it’s like some of
us are more. Some of us would be known, like burritos or enchiladas or. Or in my case, your purposes.
Speaker 2
[00.24.21]
Yeah, but, you know, like, uh, a lot of Peruvian food. And I imagine the same with Salvadorian food. A
lot of the ingredients are so unique
Speaker 1
[00.24.30]
to the region. Yeah, there’s some ingredients that are hard to
Speaker 2
[00.24.33]
come by. You just don’t find them and it just doesn’t taste the same. And, you know, like, um, a lot of
these dishes depend on very specific, you know, like kinds of potato, like the, you know, potatoes come
from South America. So there are hundreds of, um, types, and each type has its own texture and flavor.
And, uh, you know, it’s not the same if you use an alternative. But, um, I mean, food is is so big in, in
South America and I guess Latin America. My, my two brothers are chefs. And, uh, at home there is talk
of food all the time. And I guess I, in a way rebelled against that by, you know, being into music and all
that. But, um, you know, uh, it but also, like, there is so much culture behind, behind food. It’s not, it’s not
just a specific dish, but also, um, seasons and locations and, you know, a chain of production and and lots
of memories. You know, like, there is a time for specific dishes and festivities. So it’s really, uh,
pervasive, you know, talking about food, talking about culture, you know, it’s
Speaker 1
[00.25.43]
the same. Yeah. It’s. Yeah. And I think it’s like like you’re right about seasonal stuff. Like, for instance,
my mom would only make soap for holidays, which is black bean soup for those who are listening. Uh,
she only makes it around winter time. That’s when. It’s when it’s cold. I mean, right now, as of recording,
we’re during it’s in July. So here in Australia. So that should be. Oh, this would be one of these days.
She’d be doing that. And then it’s like as soon as we’ve had the, the soup. Then she would put some away
and then others would times she would blend some and make freckly frita. And then we always know
when that happens. That means we might see purposes later down the line. But the thing is, is because
my dad, he’s contribution is making, which is like, uh, a vinegar, uh, coleslaw. So it’s like a yeah, it’s like
like with, uh, which is very good and it lasts long. So it’s like because it’s in vinegar. So therefore we
could use the same batch he would made months prior. That still is still good. So it’s like, oh, at least we
can guarantee we don’t have to worry about it unless we had to make a fresh one. But, uh, yeah, it just
depends really. Because for me, the only dish I’m quite good at is, um. Oh, my God, because I haven’t
done it in so long. Um, because it was, uh, I’m trying to remember the word that means marriage.
Speaker 2
[00.27.07]
Um. Uh oh. Matrimonial.
Speaker 1
[00.27.12]
No, no, it’s a
Speaker 2
[00.27.14]
marriage. Yeah. It’s.
Speaker 1
[00.27.16]
Yes. That’s it, that’s it. Casamento. Yeah. Because it’s, uh, for us, Casamento is basically you’re cooking,
you’re making bean soup, but you’re adding rice into it. And so that’s called casamento. And and that’s the
only time I’ve ever made a, you know, Latin food because I have never really did because I mostly made
either Italian or just casual English food, but. Well, American food. But this was like the one I actually
learned it during the pandemic when I, I thought, oh, because I’m isolated. I didn’t have any connection to
my parents outside of WhatsApp or such. And I thought, well, I miss having that food. So I thought
maybe try and make a go at making it myself. And I thought, well, I’m just going on a limb here. I
preserved this amount and I try to give my parents a sample of what I made. I was like, oh, you just
basically make a Sarmiento. That’s like, what? It’s like. That’s what it means. Marriage is like the
marriage of between beans and rice. Nice. So at least I feel great. I feel glad I haven’t made it in a while,
because I’ve been trying to be on a diet as such and trying to not eat rice, which sucks. Yeah. I mean,
there is something about, um, you know, cooking food that is from your own country, some kind of
learning, you know, learning by doing. And, um, it’s, uh. Yeah. Like really, really going back to to those
origins. I mean, in my case, I don’t cook, but, um, I do like to read. Spanish, like poetry in Spanish, or
listen to music in Spanish. And you know that
Speaker 2
[00.28.50]
speaking the language or singing the language is another way of, um, going, accessing that culture. Yeah.
And for me, in the case of music, for instance, uh, apart from that bit of lost, lost voices that I was just
singing, I only know the lyric, the chorus, that’s all. Because that’s the easiest thing to know. But the only
time I’ve ever seen some songs in Spanish like karaoke too. There’s a band from the from LA called
Ozomatli who do like, they’re like a very mixed, uh, cultured band. And majority of their songs are in
Spanish. Mhm. Okay. And one of their songs is one of my personal favorites from theirs is Akino Sara.
It’s a very slow ballad. Like, it’s like what you could hear with the music. I recommend you look it up.
Cool, cool. Um, but Akino Sara is about the Salvadoran civil war. Yeah. Because, um, the best I could do
with the chorus is a, uh, kino Sara. First canciones. Uh, kino Sara dans. La America and no permit. Tierra
otra intervention in El Salvador. Mm. Well, it’s a really good song, but they have another popular one
called cumbia de Los Muertos. Yeah, but. And then the only other song I actually know in Spanish is
from the late Deanna’s singer, Selena. Oh, yeah. AKA Selena Quintanilla Pérez. But. Solidly people
know as Selina. For those who not know, she was a famous Tejano singer from Houston, from Texas.
And she was like, she was like trying to sing is she’s in the she was because she passed away in 1995 or
she was murdered. And the thing, you
Speaker 1
[00.30.51]
know, she was shot. Really? She was shot by, uh, her the club president of her fan club. And she who ran
who also ran some of her because she Selena also designed clothes. And so she also this person ran her
boutique. Her name was Yolanda Saldivar. And she’s still serving life in prison at the moment. Although
there had been fears of her being on parole, but to this day, I think she’s she knows she’s safer in prison
because there are devoted fans of Selena who would think there’s no way she would set foot. Yeah, yeah.
You know, like, I know of Selena very vaguely, because I guess, you know, when I was growing up, um,
my, my interest was, was in rock. You know, rock and folk and, um, I was usually following bands from
Argentina. You know, and they have an incredible music scene, you know, and, um, two artists, um,
stand out for me. One is, uh, Luis Alberto Espinosa, um, and, uh, Charlie Garcia, who is still alive, um,
you know, both emerged in the 70s, you know, like writing the music of that time, you know, like folk
rock and then more like progressive rock or into jazz. But it’s in the 80s when they have a lot of mass
appeal, especially Charlie. You know, he does a lot of, uh, you know, many classic songs. And, um,
many of them have veiled references to the political turmoil, you know, of, of Argentina transitioning
into a democracy. But it was done, um, in a very subtle way. Um, you know, uh, sometimes I feel protest
songs can be a bit heavy handed, you know? Um, yeah. But, uh, in the case of Charlie and and Luis
Alberto Espinosa, just, just very veiled commentary or veiled references that have so much power and
people, you know, it’s a way of learning that history, you know, um.
Speaker 2
[00.32.59]
Yeah. And of course in Peru we have a great music scene. I when I was growing up, I used to go to a lot
of punk gigs, DIY gigs and, you know, learning about the independent ethos of self, releasing your own
music. And yeah, I guess, you know, a bit like this, like recording your recording yourself and learning
the whole process by doing it, you know, and it make, make come out of it. Um, not perfect, but it’s you,
you know, taking control of it. And in my case, I know my Spanish is not perfect because I do my best.
Because I know I’ll be corrected constantly. Um, like I said, even, like, again, I was not really exposed
much to any Latin American culture outside of my family and my community. Like, if it’s in church, you
know, we listen to the mask I because it was in Spanish. So I often got bored as a kid. Again, I was not
resonating with it. Only later on, as I was getting older, I was trying to read as much of the hymns that
were in Spanish as trying as much as possible, but I was always stuck. But it wasn’t until I went to El
Salvador, which I had brought with me a dictionary. I’d like to kind of remember memorize certain
words, but my cousins were really helpful in trying to. All right. This is how we usually say it. And this
is what we. We say it because that way I knew the difference between Spanish. Spanish. It was Spanish.
It spent espanol, Espanol and Latin. Spanish, which is something that I think needs to be encouraged
because again, Latin Spanish is very diverse because it’s depending on the region. Absolutely. Like
especially I’m pretty sure in Mexico, for instance, they have also incorporating a lot of Aztec words.
Absolutely. And the same with, uh, with my region, because we have a mix of Bible and Nahuatl and the
same in the in Mexico, they also have some na what words? And I say, now what? And normally people
expect oh the el at the end. But based on my parents pronunciation is the l at the end is silent. Yeah, I
Speaker 1
[00.35.05]
didn’t know that. So I, I thought that’s based on our region. That’s how we pronounce it. But uh, so we
say, now what if some people think Nahuatl? But yeah, but it’s. No, it’s not. What? Yeah. Interesting.
And it’s the same with like, even, like learning the traditional pronunciation of, you know, the salamander
creature, the axolotls. Yeah. You see, the traditional pronunciation of that word is associate.
Speaker 2
[00.35.32]
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.35.34]
For example, the x, the x makes a sound.
Speaker 2
[00.35.36]
Yeah. I have a friend whose dog is named after a Mexican god, and you spell the name
Speaker 1
[00.35.46]
x o l o o. Um.
Speaker 2
[00.35.49]
Charlotte. Charlotte. Yeah. Charlotte. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, that’s not how I would read it.
Speaker 1
[00.35.55]
Yeah, same that at the time. But then I started to. Okay. That’s how you would read it. But then I was
like, how would it be pronounced. You pick up on it like there’s an, um, even the most, most famous, um,
Mesoamerican god because although he’s mostly Aztec, but we also know him in, in Mayan and also in
other and even, um, uh, in Guatemala, like in the, in Guatemala, he’s Google Maps and in Mayan is
Cuzco, but he’s more famous by his other name, Quetzalcoatl. Some say Quetzalcoatl. Yeah, yeah.
Which, when I say it like that, it’s like, uh. I prefer Quetzalcoatl because it’s a little bit more easier. Yeah,
sounds a bit more interesting, but, um. And the same again with representation again, I, I mean, the
closest I’ve ever heard is from The Simpsons, the Bumblebee Man, who is actually based off a famous
comedian from Mexico. Um, it was, uh, um, because he was like a comedian who dressed in a red and
yellow costume.
Speaker 2
[00.37.02]
Um. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.37.04]
Yeah, yeah. That one. He was great. Yeah, he was great. He was great.
Speaker 2
[00.37.08]
I used to watch, uh, El chapo. El otro. You know, I mean, these are like comedy series from the 70s, you
know, that are still.
Speaker 1
[00.37.17]
And they were adults playing kids. Yeah,
Speaker 2
[00.37.19]
they’re adults playing kids in a neighborhood. And, uh,
Speaker 1
[00.37.23]
because I think it’s just they’re just using what they know. Yeah. And the thing is that for me, the other
exposure was novelas. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, for instance, here in Australia, there was only one novella
that came on SBS. For those who were wondering, this was our only channel that gave us international
that cater to all internationals. But it was a one novella because I always remember the yellow subtitles
and growing up. And in this case it was De Lobos.
Speaker 2
[00.37.52]
Oh, I remember that name. Yeah. Mexican.
Speaker 1
[00.37.54]
Very famous Mexican novella. It’s with, um, the main. The main character was the villain Catalina Grill,
who was like. She was a like a she was the obvious wicked mother, not a stepmother, a wicked mother
who had an eye patch and the shoulder pads. I
Speaker 2
[00.38.12]
remember vaguely, I mean, Mexico and Brazil were the main novela exporters. There were some in Peru
as well, which I used to follow. Um, but it was like very gendered. If you watch novelas, you you were a
woman, you know, and if you were a boy watching novelas, you will get teased because that’s, uh, you
know,
Speaker 1
[00.38.32]
but, you know, you see, it’s like. But it’s iconic. That’s something you can
Speaker 2
[00.38.37]
never. I used to adore watching novelas. I mean,
Speaker 1
[00.38.40]
uh, but I know who cares?
Speaker 2
[00.38.42]
I mean, they were great. And in the 90s, I think the early 90s was more for one specific artist. Uh, Thalia.
Yes. Thalia.
Speaker 1
[00.38.51]
Oh, I don’t know how, because people are saying how to pronounce her name. Is that Thalia or Thalia?
Speaker 2
[00.38.56]
Thalia. I used to say
Speaker 1
[00.38.57]
Talia. I’d say Thalia. She a singer, singer, actress, but she’s more known for her music now. But in the
90s, it was all novelas. I forgot all about her. I think, um, there’s some, like Marina or. Or the Marias, the
Trilogy of Marias, because she played one character as like, but one I still think of is the most iconic is
Maria del barrio. It’s mostly because she was outshone by her, uh, by her co-star, who played the villain,
who played Soraya Montenegro. It was for that one famous scene, um, for saying. She just. They said it’s
the most ridiculous scene to they. People wrote this in the top ten. This is the most ridiculous scene in a
novella because it makes no sense or it just doesn’t work, but it’s just that it just became iconic and. Yeah,
but, um, for me, it was the Lobos and years. I always resonate with privilege. Here they are more. It’s a
very obviously romantic thing, but I resonated with it because it was the one novella I watched with my
dad, because for me, that was how my Spanish improved actually was because I was listening to how it
was set. I didn’t care about the storyline because sometimes we’re corny. This was the 90s, but I was I
was listening to this in the 2000, but I was mostly watching so that I can hear how it was set, like, oh, it’s
like, are they saying Inca said, it’s like in prison? Or is I like listening to this familiar words, and then I
start picking up, oh, that’s what they meant.
Speaker 2
[00.40.33]
Yeah. Yeah. They were really, uh, over the top.
Speaker 1
[00.40.36]
Oh, very like obviously any scene that has you, a person falling down the stairs and how it was like, that’s
really in fake slow motion.
Speaker 2
[00.40.46]
But I remember, you know, a lot of those lines and expressions would be, you know, adopted by people,
you know, um, in their every everyday parlance, you know, so they had such a cultural influence, you
know, novelas.
Speaker 1
[00.40.59]
Absolutely. And people recognize the villains so much. I mean, in terms of modern music for me, like in
terms of pop music, I think the one name that comes to mind these days that still listened to a lot is
Shakira.
Speaker 2
[00.41.12]
Shakira. Yeah. You know, I remember when Shakira
Speaker 1
[00.41.15]
came out like, I, I, I’m I too am familiar with her. Before For where? Laundry service.
Speaker 2
[00.41.23]
Yeah. Laundry. That was the
Speaker 1
[00.41.24]
first thing. It was her English crossover. Yeah. But before that, I think my favorite, personal, favorite
song of hers was sassy.
Speaker 2
[00.41.31]
Absolutely. I mean, I love that record. The I think came out in
Speaker 1
[00.41.35]
1990. Don’t understand.
Speaker 2
[00.41.37]
I don’t understand. That’s a very some very nice tunes.
Speaker 1
[00.41.42]
Yeah. And this was I think the story was, was that she, uh, like she had these set of songs and they got
stolen. And so she wrote this, and that album was basically her writing about some of my stuff got stolen.
But, um, because a lot of people kind of thought this was what during her period were before she went
blonde, because, like, she was like the Alanis Morissette of Latin America. That’s right. Yeah. But. And
then she crossed over. But she still has such a massive appeal among all Latinos. Oh, I
Speaker 2
[00.42.13]
have, I have lost. Lost her career because I remember liking the early song so much and not liking the
English blonde Shakira at all. So I kind of just abandon it. But, um, the early songs were very
Speaker 1
[00.42.29]
lovely. Well, if you listen to some of her recent stuff, like she’s gone back to really like, I think her recent
album has become successful because it was her after, uh, like a bit of a messy breakup with her husband.
It. Well, she was at this time she was married. She was married to a soccer player, famous popular
football player, and with two sons. But I think in some of her songs, they were like she was going
through a processing the because she was cheated on. Oh, no. Yeah. That’s what we’re what I’m
gathering. But this is what I’ve. And also dealing with the situation in Spain where she was also had to
pay off some debts. Now a lot of it was like oh there’s that but no, it’s like this. This was pushed onto her.
And then a lot of people resonate like, no, she’s not the cause. She was the victim in this. And, you know,
like she did a one of her recent songs, um, is with a collaborator, Cardi B, and a lot of people when they
think of Cardi B, although she just hip hop or such. But like people forget, Cardi B is also Latina herself.
So it’s like. And it’s like people forget when they hear her speaking in Spanish. She’s like, oh, I forgot she
can sing in Spanish. It’s like because people are seeing. She was just just with English rapping. But you
know, it’s good because it’s like hearing some of the contemporary stuff that you usually expect in
English songs and hearing them in Spanish. It’s like, oh, this is cool. Like, for me, this is me trying to get
in touch with the current vibes, but it’s like still acknowledging that I can enjoy this because at least I get
it’s in Spanish. Yeah, yeah. And I find some really good tracks that are some good songs I even have in
my list. But I even looking at listening to, I think if I’m thinking about the 80s, there’s one that I just
started listening to from Spain that
Speaker 2
[00.44.16]
was a yeah, a band.
Speaker 1
[00.44.18]
Yeah, I remember Spain. Yeah, yeah, that’s right. And one of the songs that came up, it was Hijo de de
Luna, like a very it sounded like a with like very whimsy and
Speaker 2
[00.44.27]
such. I remember watching the videos in the early 90s, but I don’t remember the music.
Speaker 1
[00.44.34]
I, I wouldn’t know anyway, but. Circling back is what we were talking about again, circling back to
Selena. Like of all of her Spanish songs, I’m familiar with Ahmad Prohibitory, which is a popular one, or
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom. Uh, but then it was like one song of her and even her only few English songs that
she was able to record before her death. Like her second album was her posthumous album, which it’s
sad, really, that she never got to be alive to know that success. Like my dad told me the story of how my
my cousin, who was living in San Fran at the time he was here, he was telling dad, oh, have you heard
about this singer is she’s really great and people really love her. And it was around the time of her death.
It was like, oh, there’s a lot of her community are really sad at the moment because. Because again, I
didn’t even know about Selena and none of us did here because we were here in Australia. We didn’t
know that stuff. The only time we’ve heard of her was in the movie, the movie that Jennifer Lopez was
in, like she portrayed her and it was said it was made two years after her death, and it was actually
approved by the family, Late, like even J.Lo. This was in her early career. Before she got too famous,
was like she spent time with the actual family and getting to know what was Selena like. And so she was
trying to capture as best as she could, her take. So because J.Lo is a girl, a Puerto Rican girl from New
York, and there was controversy, although she’s Puerto Rican, she’s she can’t play Americana. But she
she managed to purr, you know, so this was the version of Selena that people could still remember and to
acknowledge. Because the thing is, J-Lo didn’t sing. She was lip synching because they wanted to keep
Selena’s voice preserved, because to cherish what was lost. But anyway, of all the songs I know from
Selena that I learned to appreciate, um, in that there’s a very 80s like late 80s song, so it’s worth listening
to. Okay. There’s two versions of it. There’s a one that’s very late 80s, and there’s a one that’s like a more
of a cumbia version that she would perform years later, like prior to her death. But, you know, and she
was a I mean, like, it was a really I think the movie kind of showcases that. She also had a tough. A tough
dad who was her manager as well. Like he was very strict to make sure that they performed and that they
just keep working, keep working until they manage to live off their success. But there’s a TV series they
adapted in Netflix. So again, also approved by the family really, because I think they don’t want other
people to tell that story. Rather it’s coming from them. Yeah, because in that way they don’t want
someone making that’s not how we know Selena and even how the fans know Selena. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.47.23]
So preserving that legacy
Speaker 1
[00.47.25]
image and her legacy in a way. And that’s again, I as someone who did not have that many Latin
Americans to look up to or dealing with the characterizations like, we like, I know a lot of other groups,
like in other like the black communities, the Asian communities often deal with cultural stereotypes like
it. But it’s like, for instance, when I look at Bumblebee Men, at least I try to understand what he’s saying,
but,
Speaker 2
[00.47.54]
oh, Bumblebee, he’s Is he the guy
Speaker 1
[00.47.56]
with the read in The Simpsons? He’s a he’s based in Chapel
Speaker 2
[00.48.00]
Hill. He’s based on the chapel.
Speaker 1
[00.48.02]
It’s like I know me. Oh my God. Yeah. I was like, because, again, my Spanish was not limited, but there’s
a character on family Guy. Consuela. Yeah, she was like a cleaner lady. It’s like, yeah, it’s like we need
more Lemon Pledge. It’s like, no, no dog everywhere. And it’s like, as much as I should feel offended, it’s
like we actually know someone like that. So any of us who do. But the thing is, is that I didn’t really have
that cultural apart from my family. Anyone outside is like, oh, when they see like, oh, Ricky Martin
singing or even the Macarena, like of all the corniest stuff, like people think, oh, the 90s was so corny.
It’s like, oh my God. And I was like, am I kidding? Is still great to it’s easy. Yeah, yeah. And I have no
shame in doing that because at least I know I still remember the moves.
Speaker 2
[00.48.53]
Yeah, but I do remember struggling a bit with, um, you know, like. Having role models, you know, like,
um, a lot of the stuff that was on TV or on the radio just didn’t appeal to me. And I was looking for a role
model. And, uh, I did find them, you know, in, you know, Charlie Garcia or spinet musicians and, um,
you know, like, I remember in Lima, there was this culture for literature, like a lot of books, a lot of talks.
There was, um, a weekly program I used to watch on, you know, just literature. And, um, then I, I, I
thought, wow, this is so against the grain. This is so, um, you know, this is so has so much substance, and
it’s interesting. And it’s just not like the mainstream media, which is all based on very base stereotypes
and, you know, feeding people what, what they want to hear and see. This was the real stuff, you know, it
was like so interesting and, um, you know, but it took me a while to find it. And, you know, it might,
might be the case that at some point you just. Everything that you see around is is like cheesy and corny.
And until until you find it,
Speaker 1
[00.50.12]
you know. Yeah, I made this. And I mean, yeah, there’s some that are still. Some people still feel that
way in certain areas. Like even, uh, I’m pretty sure I can agree that because I think that a lot of people got
cringe too. Is Despacito by Luis Fonsi. I think it’s he’s fine. His version with Daddy Yankee is fine, but
it’s just that they made such a big deal about because Justin Bieber was doing a version with them, and
it’s like, I don’t really it’s not that I, I think it’s just I bit over Justin, but I don’t know. It’s like not all of us
Latinos are into Despacito, for instance. And I think you’re right. I even I’m listening, aware of that, you
know, different Spanish songs or different things that are outside of the usual aesthetic that I, you know, I
think I don’t know the name of this group, but I know, um, or unless it’s the group but say Silencio or
Speaker 2
[00.51.07]
Silencio. They were from
Speaker 1
[00.51.08]
Spain. Yeah, from Spain, rock group from Spain. But yeah. Rock. Yeah, yeah. Rock music like like glam
rock. Like. Yeah. Rock. Big sounds. Yeah. And see, I would not have picked up on that. And because
again, my family’s usually stuck on Goombas or no offense, but it’s like, oh yes, we’ve listened to
mariachi songs like a tradition with birthdays is whenever because my dad always loved doing this. Is
that when it whenever it’s our one of our birthdays, he would put on less money and eat this because it’s
like for someone to someone special, it’s their
Speaker 2
[00.51.39]
birthday. But you know, nowadays Columbia has been um. Like re revalued. I mean, there are some
recordings from the 60s having rereleased and people realise how interesting the arrangements are, like
drawing from psychedelic music and rock as well as more indigenous influences. And it’s such an
interesting genre.
Speaker 1
[00.52.01]
You know, like, I mean, I’m also familiar with famous legends, like even Yma Sumac, like like before. I
think some people prefer it, but I one of her favorites, one of my personal favorites was Dumba. It was
from a movie she did of The Secret of the Incas. It was like when she played a priestess like dance who
did a dances.
Speaker 2
[00.52.22]
Yeah. Sumac was from Peru. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.52.25]
Yeah. So she would have been considered a legend?
Speaker 2
[00.52.27]
Yeah, she was a she’s a legend. And, uh, you know, she’s one of the great virtuosos of she. I
Speaker 1
[00.52.34]
think she also covers like, jazz as well.
Speaker 2
[00.52.36]
Like. Yeah, a lot of, um. I’m not really familiar with her work. I know a few songs and, you know, it’s,
um, really amazing voice.
Speaker 1
[00.52.47]
Yeah, she could go up different octaves as well, even making the, I think what they call it with Mariah
Carey. It’s like that whistle tone. Absolutely. She can go the whistle tone herself. But I think in the in her
early days, I think she tried to incorporate like indigenous With. Yeah. So
Speaker 2
[00.53.04]
yeah, it was a crossover between, you know, indigenous music and film music and
Speaker 1
[00.53.09]
classical music. Yeah. So I, I yeah, I was familiar with Yma Sumac, so at least I was from like there’s
some I’m very familiar, but we also know some of the controversial figures like I know there’s Guevara.
Like most people these days, young people just only assume all these that someone to wear a t shirt about
but they don’t know, like what he’s really like. My parents, I ask my parents, my dad specifically. He has
a mixed opinion about him because I think it’s because he was also like a revolutionary. But it was also
like he also supported, um, Fidel Castro. So I think that’s why it’s a bit like that’s why I have to keep, you
know, on my toes about that, because I was like, sure. He’s one of the most famous photo photographed
Latin Americans that I’m familiar with. But there’s also there’s a bit of more of a background to him that
everyone just thinks, oh, glamorized like in The Motorcycle Diaries. But, uh, let’s see. Uh, what? Okay,
so maybe we just. If we still have time, it’s like, what were were there any when you first came here?
Were there any difficulties you had apart from language barriers that you had to face at some point?
Well, when I came here, my English was was good because I had studied um, uh, social sciences degree
in South Africa, and I have done this in English. So, um, I had a good command of English. Um. Any
challenges? I was really eager to, you know, just just play music and meet people through music. And it’s
been really, um, like, a really great thing to do it that way, you know, because I’m usually very
introverted or, uh, you know, years ago, I used to be incredibly shy, but, um, bonding with people over
the music and playing with people, that was kind of like an, like an aid, you know, until, you know, you
build your confidence. I guess, um,
Speaker 2
[00.55.17]
building confidence was a challenge. But then that’s something that everyone will will have to deal with
at some point. But I have always felt, um, um, very welcomed here. I have been very lucky. Um, I have
friends, uh, I have known since, you know, the year I arrived in 2005, you know, I mean, I, I still keep in
touch with them. And so,
Speaker 1
[00.55.42]
um.
Speaker 2
[00.55.44]
Yeah. I, uh, I have always found Perth to be a very interesting place. I mean, I have been to other cities in
Australia, and I always want to come back to Perth. There is something quite special in, in this land, um,
and in this community and.
Speaker 1
[00.56.05]
Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. I think because for me it’s different because again being a child of migrants and first
gen here, um, I mean I’m grateful for the community that I did grow up with, although at the time I’m the
youngest in this case. Well, I have my, one of my cousins who was about my age, but it was like, I think
for me, because I had the biggest challenge was my language barrier, my personal one, because, um,
apart from I, when I was up to 2 or 3, I was learning both languages. But then when my autism was
picked up or noticed, then it’s like I was given that my parents were forced to make a choice to either
speak Spanish to me or speak English to me. So they were forced to speak English for me because it was
harder for me to grapple at, um, and I and I think I felt like I there were are times a part of me feel bad
that they had to do that, but at the same time, I’m trying my hardest to relearn my Spanish because I was
still struggling with my speech because I had a speech problem. Mhm. And that’s in part with when I
discuss my autism I had to bring up that was one of the causes was my, I had a bad vocabulary and that
led me to be very shy. And also I was also very camera shy, I could not. Because one of the things that
my family loves to do is take a lot of photos. And now with the phones, it’s like, oh, take what it’s like. I
know I don’t like, I can’t keep this face up. And I was not a very photogenic person. But I think as I grew
up, even when they used to use a video camera, I didn’t. And I think I used to see myself like I don’t
remember what I was like, but I remember I saw me as a teenager, like a pre-teen, but I was like, no. I
was like, when I saw that because I know keep that away from me. I didn’t want to be seen, but I think it
was because that led my confidence. Like even I was afraid of speaking in public because I there’s a back
in my head, I’m thinking, oh, I’m going to mumble my words, I’m going to screw this up. And so even
with my reluctance in Spanish. So. I mean, gradually, like like I said, I mean, these days I’m fine now.
Like, I’m able to speak in front of people. I’m able to hear myself and not be too judgy as, like what I
really sound like is like, no, I know that’s what I sound like. Not sad. Uh, but it was just that I think that
all those factors led to me. But these days, not so much. But if you hear me swearing my head off in
Spanish, at least I know I still have that in me. It’s
Speaker 2
[00.58.42]
okay to swear, uh, in traffic.
Speaker 1
[00.58.45]
Yeah. Oh, I hear I, I was, I was crossing here. Um, uh, what were you talking about again? I’d like to
make time to bring up a bit of a, like, a cultural joke that I want to put out there just for me. But if some
Latinos are listening to this, uh, if, let’s say you’ve been dealt with a lot of stereotypes or often people
question, oh, what’s what’s Latin American contributions, but I have this good one. So I thought this
could be one you could share, like just to throw shade. And also just kind of remind people what, what
was our biggest contribution. And so the biggest one I do because it’s what I usually my type of coffee,
some people have lattes and cappuccinos and my preferred one is mocha because. It’s with chocolate, of
course. And that’s the thing you see, that’s the biggest contribution as Latinos had in that chocolate. See,
if not for both our ancestors, the the rest of the world specifically, the Europeans would never have had
chocolate. You see, half our ancestors cultivated cacao beans, used it as currency. Turn it into natural hot
chocolate with chili and to be as a ceremonial drink to the gods. Um. And of course, I learned that
women were forbidden to drink it because of, you know, they thought it was an aphrodisiac. And then
there’s the other half of our ancestors who took those beans, brought it over to Europe and tried it,
perfected themselves. But for the rich, they didn’t give it to everybody until the Belgium, you know,
perfected it and, you know, made it consumable for everybody. So that’s, I think, one obvious thing that
historically, we are known for introducing. So to the rest of the world who thought we don’t. When it
comes to chocolate. You’re welcome. Or, um. What’s eau de nada? And so I think, uh, what we usually
do is we do recommendations. So it’s like listening to music and, you know, watching certain movies. So
I think is I think right now the Spanish film festival is happening around in the Palace cinemas. So there’s
always a good chance to go and check out, um, some films, but also looking at going on YouTube and
listening to some songs from local, from artists who do follow the trend and follow the obvious ones, or
just or basically are happy to who are proud of their roots and, you know, even going out there and
putting in the work because we are hard workers and we are. But to someone who, I’ll say a Pacific
Orange clown in the US, uh, we’ve been around a lot longer than you. So how? So look into that. If I
would say. Muchas gracias, Eduardo, for joining me.
Speaker 2
[01.01.56]
Muchas gracias. Uh, Ralph. It’s been quite enjoyable. Thanks for inviting me. And. Yeah, it’s it’s been,
um. Yeah. Interesting and nice to discuss about, you know, origins and and influences and where we are
at. Yeah. And I think there’s still a lot more for us to get around, but it’s definitely I appreciate it. I get to
learn a little bit more about you. So thank you for that. My pleasure. And, uh. Yeah. And, uh, we’ll tune
in next time. So. Saludos. And that’s all we got for this episode. Thank you all for joining me. This is
Ralph Gonzalez, and you’ve been listening to scatterbrained perspective. Saludos.