The Music

This past weekend, there was a little disco in my community. It was a pretty fun time, but what stuck out most to me was conversation with my Panamanian friends about the music.

By in large I feel like I’ve adapted pretty well to the Panamanian culture - the food, the language, the pace of living and the little cultural quirks that come with the country. However, one area I just can’t get in tune with is the music. It’s not that it is bad, or my eardrums are ruined from listening to it at such loud levels, it’s just that I’m picky with my music.

There are a couple types of music that are big here- tipco, Spanish pop and the occasional American song. Tipico is the most interesting and unique of the types. The popularity of this genre of music is captured by the duo of Sammy and Sandra. On the Spanish pop front, I feel, despite being here for over a year, I still hear the same 7 songs even today. I know this isn’t much different that listening to WVAQ in the late 80’s-early 90’s, but one can only take 'Sucio, Sucio' so many times before he or she snaps. As for the American songs that make their way down here, I would prefer these actually didn’t happen. They represent some of the worst that our country has to offer. It only gets worse when someone asks me if I like the song. Quite often my answer is no, and they always follow it up with what type of music I do like. Usually, I answer with the umbrella generic term of rock. Oh so like Linkin Park, is what comes next. Well, no, not exactly.

Thankfully I have my iPod and some cheap little speakers that keep me content. While the speakers couldn’t fuel a Yoke Street block party that starts at 8 and goes all night, they are good enough to drown out the music when I need a break from a neighbor’s blaring speakers.

People will on occasion stop by my house and bend their ear to some tunes. Usually the reaction is favorable. But my favorite musical cultural exchange occurred a couple months back on Father’s Day. Here in Panama, Father’s day is the same day as in America. As I was walking down to the public telephone to call my dad, I was intercepted by a couple friends enjoying their day in the sun. Inviting me over, we hung out on the porch listening to some tipico music while enjoying the atmosphere that the Azureo culture provides.

After a bit, one asks me about American music. This discussion leads me to eventually bringing over my iPod and speakers to jam out on some of my tunes. That’s when the fun started, at least for a bit.

Choosing guitar heavy songs (Dinosaur Jr), my older friends started to get into the first. There may have been some fake air guitaring involved, as well. However, by the second song they had had their fill.

You can’t gritar over the reverb, you know.