Hola, amigas.  Tenemos una sorpresa para ustedes — una canción en inglés, “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You”.

¿Por que en inglés esta semana?  Bueno…

The first “language” your host, Joaquin, ever learned, apart from his native tongue, of course, was actually… music.  As far back as the early 1970s, I began learning to read and “speak” this language, both vocally and through the use of musical instruments.

Most youngsters enjoy music.  Many can sing decently enough.  And some even pick up on their own (amazing to me) the ability to play guitar, drums, or something else they enjoy listening to in the popular music of their culture.  I, on the other hand, received formal training — several years of piano lessons, as well as an aggregate of about 9 years playing trombone/bass trombone in high school, university, and even some professional bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles.

However, it was still the music I heard on the radio back in those days that caught my attention most — the Top 40 hits on the popular Dallas-Fort Worth radios stations like KFJZ-FM, and even the deep tracks station of the day, KZEW “The Zoo” (not to be confused with the current KZEW in Wheatland, Wyoming, incidentally).  The bands that satisfied my youthful yearning for audio ecstasy included Boston, Journey, REO Speedwagon, among others from the 60s (a few), 70s (a lot), and 80s (probably the most).

This mid-1980s hit was one that got everyone’s feet moving back in the day.  English lyrics, but definitely a Latina beat.  The boys in the Miami Sound Machine provided the rhythm.  But the enchanting vocals of Gloria María Fajardo García (Gloria Estefan), in the end, was what was “gonna get you”.  She had both the voice and the dance moves to make the video quite an experience, too.  Sus ardientes ojos…  Sus rosados y lustrosos labios…  Su dinámica voz…  ¡Caramba!

¡Bueno… Hasta luego, amigas!