Please forgive me for not better chronicling this astounding European exploration. My last blog left off back in the states, when I was about to do my first street concert—really a concert in the park, by the beach—and I did two, one in August and September. They were lovely—such a setting! People seemed to enjoy: many people stopped to listen for a song or two, or to the end.
I missed live musicians, but the sound was very good~ singing to recorded sound came off much better than I expected. Thanks to all who have supported (bailed) me through it, especially with the tech~
But then my whole world cracked apart—I mean, I cracked it. I finally put in play my longtime dream to perform in Europe. In so many ways, Covid has been the necessity that fostered the invention of this trip. In January I left my beloved Santa Monica apartment after 17 years, 19 total in LA, including shepherding the mom gently into that good night and helping raise two tornado grandsons in the hip city/ So Cal sun.
I spent my first month in southeastern Sicily and gave a pop-up concert by the little harbor at Punta Seca (near Montalbano’s house if you’re a fan~). I loved Sicily. My people there, my place by the ever-changing, colorful Mediterranean, the ancient Baroque cities of the southeast, the ruins, the ceramics, the food! Palermo! I must say, they have their values on straight there, and they are very well-organized.
I confess to you, I was and am humbled by my ignorance.
Now I’m nearing the end of my month in Cordoba, Spain, an astonishing city, teaching me so much. I did my (patio!) concert last Sunday, a more formal affair than I’d done yet with my sound rig. I also performed (after the break) fully live for the 1st time since before Covid, yes!, with Baris Yavuz, a wonderful Turkish guitarist living and working here. It went really really well!~ Cordoba is an extremely appealing little city and culture. You can't beat the history, the culture, the buildings and design and aesthetics—and circulation of the cultural/social here in the historic core. I've also been fortunate to meet some wonderful sustainable-living-type folks, and do my road-tripping to see some of beautiful, endlessly varied Andalucia.
The people here love their city and country and cultures and enjoy it all to the max. I don't wanta leave. Love it!!~
In subsequent blogs I promise to give more vivid tastes of the cultures I’m experiencing—culture 2 culture. But for the pictures worth 1000 words, see my FB page or on Instagram, kaymartinvis. Also I posted live videos from Punta Seca on my regular FB page, and also on my music biz page, https://www.facebook.com/kaymartinjazz
I would dearly love to hear from you! You can email me through this site. . . scroll all the way down.
Stay tuned—and thanks for your time~ ~
Ps. I did record the vocals to the tracks Fefe recorded (see previous blog—they're most of what I’ve been singing to) before I left. To Be Continued. . .