Musica

The ever-present element that has struck me about Central America has been the music. Music is said to be a form of expression, compatibility, passion and human bonding, but never has it been more apparent to me than in Central America. The music has varied widely over my travels of the last six weeks and has always been a constant. Blaring from speakers in homes or stores, buses or public loudspeakers, this area of the world thrives on music.
In Belize, it was American hip-hop influenced and in Guatemala, our mini-bus driver had the salsa-pop mix turned up so loud I had to cover my ears. He saw my discomfort in his rear-view mirror and changed the radio station. Nirvana soothingly infiltrated the bus, then Eric Clapton. Two songs was all he allowed, then back to the brain-shattering rhythms of the local pop station. On our La Moskitia journey in Honduras, we frequently drove through small villages where local radio poured out from the homes. The buses in Nicaragua frequently blared reggae-ton, a Caribbean influenced hip-hop, while the international cafes in Granada played a soothing chill-out mixture.
In Tamarindo, anything goes. One night I found myself sweating and hypnotized by the reggae chants coming from a DJ in Babylon, a local bar near the ocean, while another night brought us to the super-slick Bar 1 where house beats and surf videos on a big screen behind the bar played side by side. Down the street from Bar 1, a gorgeous Columbian couple had set up a business, selling delicious pineapple infused burgers until the wee hours of the morning. An enchanting rhythm of salsa and merengue inspires those waiting for burgers to break out in a hip bump or two. In fact, the music everywhere inspires people to drop what they’re doing and dance. I saw grown men dancing together in the markets on Av Central in Panama yesterday when their favourite song came on the radio. Young men show off complicated steps, while women may join hands and sing a line or two. A group of girls from Argentina staying at our hostel in Tamarindo brought out a guitar one night and sang everything from the Cardigan’s Zombie to Fleetwood Mac and The Cowboy Junkies. Many of the songs transported me back to my own childhood, filled with warm, summer memories with my parents. I have always loved the power of music and the love of it in this culture makes me feel very at home.