Cuban Festival 2008

Mi gente! Kikita here.

Ok, the Cuban Festival in San Dimas was a big party. It started at 10am and went until 7pm. There was a whole side of booths serving Cuban Food and as I walked in with my girlfriends, all we could think about was what we would eat first . . . until . . . I heard the congas playing in the distance and any thought of food was immediately replaced by the desperate need to dance. We brought beach chairs, but I don't remember using them. I had to be with my people!

I took my video camera, but had the hardest time standing still long enough to film anything really worthwhile.

I. JUST. HAD. TO. DANCE.

And dance I did. I handed off my camera and away I went. I was so excited. I ran into so many people I knew. (To be honest, I had no idea that I knew so many Cubans!)

I've put together a little video to give you an idea of the great time we had. Have I mentioned how awesome it was? Or how much fun I had? When Oscar de Leon came out it was the end all. Someone asked him to sing something by "El Benny" and he totally did. He said, "How about Santa Isabel de Las Lajas?" The crowd went wild. Then he said, "Uh-oh, we haven't rehearsed it. How does it start?" The whole crowd started singing. The energy was palpable. It doesn't get more Cuban than that!

And just as Mom predicted, I ended up starting a conga . . . Cuban-style (which means it goes from right to left instead of the typical single-file line moving forward). My Conga didn't make the video because we were too busy dancing. But I think the video still captures the essence of what the day was like (including a couple of appearances by members of Orq. La Farandula). ;-)