Mercado La Voz del Pueblo, talent show in downtown Tijuana...

I spent most of Saturday, March 14, 2009 wandering the streets of downtown Tijuana, taking photos, eating tacos, and drinking lots of good Mexican beer. If you really want to get to know Tijuana, get out of your car, stay away from Ave. Revolución and explore some of the many side streets, where real people live, work and play. However, I'm getting away from the subject of this chapter...

Photo: The brick wall in the background separates the plaza from the street, and forms a backdrop for the stage. The plaza is a popular place for locals and tourists alike, on a Saturday evening in Tijuana.

Early Saturday evening I found myself at the corner of Av. Revolución and Articulo 123, on my way back to the border, standing in front of the landmark Hotel Nelson, just across from the famous arch. Hotel Nelson faces Articulo 123 (also known as Calle Primera) and is set back from the street with a plaza between the hotel and the street. This plaza is usually filled with souvenir vendors, and also serves on busy nights as an overflow of the hotel's bar but tonight, a stage was set up, and what appeared to be a talent show was in progress. Even though darkness was approaching, and I wanted to get across the river before it got dark, my curiosity and interest in all-things Tijuana got the better of me and I decided to stay and see what was going on.

Photo: This "grandmother" could sing, but she didn't exactly excite the crowd, or me for that matter...

Calle Primera is separated from the plaza by a wall, which is made from the remnants of a long gone brick building. Tonight, a stage was set up, facing the hotel plaza, and a talent show was in progress. Banners proclaimed the event as "Mercado La Voz del Pueblo," and it featured karaoke acts, song and dance acts, and live music by a local band, "Julio Belmonte y sus Cumbianberos Del Ritmo." I didn't get a chance to see them perform, but I stuck around to watch three different acts.

The first act that I watched was a rather grandmothery-looking lady, who sung a couple of very sentimental love ballads, accompanied by music, courtesy of karaoke. This gal could sing fairly well, but I can't really say that she excited me, nor did she seem to draw much of a reaction from the crowd, which numbered a couple of hundred people.

Photo: The gal in the red dress struts her stuff, and shakes her booty on the stage. Actually, this gal could sing very well, but she was comical to watch.

Photo: Yeah baby! This gal performed a song and dance act, and wore a hidden microphone to allow her to shake her stuff better.

The next act proved to be quite interesting, in a comical sort of way. It was a song and dance act, performed by one gal, consumed in a slinky red dress, who sang and danced to pounding salsa music, the sort of music that you hear in one of the many clubs that populate the infamous Zona Norte. But this gal was not exactly the sort of exotic dancer that you would see in one of the strip joints - unless your preference runs toward extra large women. Yes, this lady could sing very well, and she could dance, and she would have been a class act - if only she weighed about 60 pounds less. This gal could definitely shake her booty, and everything else, and she had a fine voice, and lots of stage presence, but...

Photo: The Corn Guy came over from the Zona Norte and did a brisk business during the talent show. Click on the hyperlink for a complete write-up on this street vendor.

Ah Lupita! The announcer introduced her as a local girl, by the name of Lupita, and this gal proved to be a class act. For starters, this gal was my idea of what a beautiful woman looks like, not only in the face, but in her beautiful body. She could sing, boy could she sing! As she sung romantic ballads, I just sort of stood in the crowd, taking photos and thinking to myself that if I was 20 years younger and single... sort of a Walter Mitty moment? I wasn't alone in my admiration of this talented lady, as the crowd went wild, especially when she hit the high notes.

Photo: Lupita steps out on the stage and brings the house down.

Photo: Lupita puts lots of soul into her act, as she sings the tear jerker song, Sin Un Amor...

Lupita sang the customary set of three songs, and sweetly thanked the crowd. The crowd would have none of it, and shouted for an encore performance. Lupita obliged, and brought the house down when she sang the touching romantic ballad, made famous by Trio Los Panchos, Sin Un Amor. Wow! As I listened to the words of the song, my heart melted, especially in the second verse:

Photo: This songbird really captured my heart, and made my digital camera very happy.

No me dejes de querer
Te pido
No te vayas a ganar
Mi olvido
Sin un amor
El alma muere derrotada
Desesperada en el dolor
Sacrificada sin razon
Sin un amor
No hay salvacion

All I could think about was Wow! The crowd wanted another number, but Lupita stepped down from the stage, and started to work the crowd, posing for photos and accepting donations. I worked my way to the front of the crowd, and when she approached me, I gave her a very generous donation of a $5.00 bill, and handed my camera to a bystander, and asked him to take a photo of me, standing next to Lupita. I love to be photographed standing next to a beautiful woman.

Photo: After her act, Lupita works the crowd, and accepts donations.

Photo: I get my photo taken with pretty Lupita at my side. Of course I gave Lupita a generous tip, and I tipped the guy who graciously took this photo.

As darkness set in, I made my way back to the border, with the knowledge that I'd spent a very productive day seeing the sights of Tijuana, taking lots of photos, drinking beer, eating tacos, and checking out beautiful women!

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