A Melody From A Past Life Keeps Pulling Me Back

Every night at 6:30 pm I always tuned in to ABC News. For some reason I felt like I was getting a much less biased delivery of the news from Peter Jennings than anyone else on at that hour, and it's weird now not being able to hear his voice echoing throughout my apartment at 6:30 every evening. I remember reading a statement somewhere warning us to be prepared for the passing of Peter Jennings within the next day. Or did I dream that? How quickly the man seemed to go. I hope there wasn't any pain in the end.

Another loss this weekend...

Ibrahim Ferrer

1927-2005

He was born on the dance floor of a social club in Santiago, Cuba (his mother went into labor early at a dance), as if he were always meant to be there, at the center of everyone's attention. A pioneer of the polón rhythm -- thought to be an imitation of the sound produced by stomping coffee beans -- he sang throughout most of his youth but never made enough money to support himself or his family so most of his long life was spent in poverty until the attention brought to him and his magnificent voice in Ry Cooder's film The Buena Vista Social Club and subsequent album, followed by Ibrahim's own solo CD, and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars. Said Ibrahim in his own words, "An angel came and picked me up and said, 'Chico, come and do this record.' I didn't want to do it because I had given up on music. But now I have my own record, my first one ever, so I'm very happy. I don't have to shine shoes anymore."