Dominica and Saint Kitts
There is an island where tour guides named Sugar, tell you about a spot where the Caribbean Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean converge on one another. It’s a beautiful spot (I took photos). However, it’s even more gorgeous when one is not worried about being left behind by the cruise vessel one is working on, because two over stimulated musicians are running late and stayed a bit too long.
My friend Paulie and I took a cab out to a remote beach on the edge of Saint Kitts. It was beautiful. I was full of gin—and bathed like a Sun God, surrounded by scantly clad women throwing tiny pickles at me. All of this is true, aside from the pickles (that’s a line from the movie Real Genius in which Chris Knight is recounting a dream).
The fact of the matter is that in terms of posting photos and recounting traveling stories to anyone who is even remotely interested, I feel a bit behind, just like I did that day, trying not to rush a good time.
We got back to the ship with one of the navigators, wagging their head in deep disappointment and disapproval. She told us she would leave without us it ever happened again—and that we were lucky because one of the passengers had been injured, and they stayed behind to retrieve the injured passenger (not for us).
She looked like she meant it. She probably did. Not planning on testing her resolve.
The passengers have been so lovely to me. You can drop a pin (and hear it) at a lot of these shows I’m playing. What an honor, to be heard—to be given the opportunity to express myself and play my songs and entertain folks and make some new acquaintances that will hopefully develop into friendship.
Celia Cruz’s voice dances around in my head, daily. I stayed in and practiced today, and got to where I can sing the lyrics and play the montuno on “Toro Mata.”
Toro mata y, toro Mata. Toro mata, rumbambero y toro mata, toro, torito…
WHO IS MIKE VITALE?
I am a storyteller, songwriter, singer, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify: