Palma streets filled with music and good vibrations

Yesterday the city of Palma paid tribute to the International Day of Music by offering an all day-long music programme, that filled the streets with music of all styles, from spicy Cuban rhythms and boleros to classical orchestral works. By the smiles and animated faces of the many curious tourists as well as locals stopping to enjoy a moment of free entertainment and good music, this is an initiative well worth repeating and encouraging. Next time though, the public announcements need to be made much earlier, as many people were unaware of the festivities organized yesterday. The agenda started at midday on Plaza Frederic Chopin and continued throughout the day. The repertoire included a variety of genres such as funky Latin rhythms on the Borne, gospel and boleros in Parc de la Mar and classical music in the conservatory. On Plaza Fredric Chopin in the heart of Palma's shopping district the Cuban group Això és l'Havana seduced passers-by with their animated Latin sound. A great deal of people who were strolling around in the area stopped to listen to their music and by the look on their face thoroughly enjoyed this rather unusual moment. Several of them could not resist the inviting music, clapping their hands and moving their bodies fervently to the rhythms of cha-cha-cha. The band's four members - Gonzalo Ponce (bassist and singer), Servilio Suarez (guitarist), Miguel Escobar (bongo drums) and Ramiro Infante (guitarist and singer)- left Cuba in 1996 and came to Majorca to inaugurate a dance hall. They decided to settle down here and have since then been lucky to never be short of work.