Set list from Maria’s guest appearance with Akira Tana’s Sound Circle:

1st set:
Sueño de Juventud
El último café
Vuelvo al sur
Candombe Bailador

2nd set:
Sauce Grande (chacarera)
Triste
Corcovado - Quiet nights of quiet stars
Chega de saudade

3rd set:
Besame mucho
Extranha forma de vida (fado - a capella)
Ultimos acordes de la fiesta

Garberville, California — In the middle of mountains covered in redwoods, after a curve in the winding road, The Benbow Inn appears like a hidden gem. Once a hideaway for Hollywood stars following its opening in 1926, the Benbow Inn is a grand hotel built in isolated, but spectacular surroundings.

I was invited by my friend Akira Tana, drummer and bandleader, to join his trio with Randy Porter on piano and John Wiitala on bass. I couldn’t imagine a better place for playing music on a summer night. A breathtaking landscape, a luxurious hotel in the forest and an avid audience. Under millions of stars (as you only see them far from the city) and in spite of the unexpectedly chilly weather (you will see a picture of Randy playing with a blanket over his shoulders!), we had a wonderful time making music together.

Even if this was the first time I played with these incredible jazz artists, the magic of music and their sensitivity erased any distance and I felt absolutely at ease, thrilled and stimulated to sing and play the guitar with all my heart. There was also an intense moment when Kevin Footer joined in with his harmonica on my version of Astor Piazzolla’s “Vuelvo al sur” (Return to the South).

The lovely audience accompanied us not only with their generous applause but also by staying through all three sets bundled under their ponchos, scarves and blankets. Thanks to all of you who were there with us in body and soul. Special thanks to festival producer Jim Wilde, Benbow Inn owners John and Teresa Porter and to radio host Brian Elie who gave us his support through his radio program on KMUD.

Both the July 7 show at the Americas Society and the July 9 show at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater were sold out!!!…I want to thank our wonderful publicist Cindy Byram, Sebastian Zubieta (from the Americas Society) and all the people who made this success possible with their presence and enthusiastic support. As those of you who were there know, they were both great shows. At Joe’s Pub I was joined by my fabulous friends Dario Eskenazi on piano, Pedro Giraudo on bass and Franco Pinna on drums and percussion and as usual they put all their talent in play…Pure pleasure!

Just imagine a beautiful town full of history, the irresistible promise of tasting exquisite wines and listening to music, lots of people wandering the streets in a long-weekend sort of mood. It was idyllic.

Though it rained – something that is rare in California — every aspect of the show at the Sonoma Meritage Tent went perfectly well. Even our new sound system which we were testing live for the first time made a great debut. As we musicians say, it was like listening to a CD – a quality that is hard to achieve when playing live.

I really enjoyed singing backed by Seth Asarnow, an incredible musician from California who plays the music of Argentina beautifully not only on the piano…but also on the bandoneon! In addition to this I shared the stage with Kevin Footer, a harmonica player who created a soulful combination of tango and the spirit of the blues.

Best of all, I made many new friends up in Sonoma. In each of our four sets I felt as if I were embraced by the audience and once again I was surprised, in spite of the fact that I sing mostly in Spanish, by the intensity of their listening, the rapport and understanding that developed. After the show, many people came up to me with tears in their eyes. It was clear that even those who did not speak Spanish knew exactly of what I sang. Music is truly a magical form of communication.

Finally, after the show, it was time for the artists to have fun! Under the caring eye of Carlo, the famous chef of The Meritage, we enjoyed friendship, a lovely meal and wine. We raised our glasses in a special toast for true passion and for the love of music that connects us, breaking down all barriers.

P.S. If you were at the concert, send me a message and tell me about it! I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

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Hoy a la noche, cantando con Ricardo Tapia de La Mississippi en el concierto a beneficio en Castelar organizado por el genial Lito Vitale.