Hawkeye Herman's Page

Howdy Blues Friends,

I hope this message finds you well and happy and looking forward to a most enjoyable summer.

I was in the city of Cali, Colombia, South America for about 8 days performing and teaching at their III International Blues Festival in the lovely and friendly city of 2 million people. It's called/considered "The Salsa Capitol of the World," and the city hosts the biggest salsa music festival on the planet in August each year ... but they love the blues, too. The food, accommodations, scenery, and the people were all wonderful.

(Contrary to what the US State Dept. might put out as 'alerts' ... the Colombian government crushed the oppressive control of the cities/suburbs by the big drug cartels in a bloody war in 1999. The drug cartels still exist in the remote mountain regions of the country, but the cities and suburbs are safe and secure and the people are well back to living normal happy lives without the fear of violent control by the drug cartels).

There were five bands from South America, one solo blues performer from Spain, representing Europe, and I was (somehow) chosen as the sole blues musician/representative from the USA. Jay Seilman, exec. director of the Blues Foundation, in Memphis, and his wife Priscilla, were also guests of the event. Jay and I participated in a forum on blues history, and Jay also gave a forum/presentation on the Blues Fondation and the Blues 'industry.'

I gave a two educational presentations to teen/students on the history/impact of blues music, as well as a guitar workshop that was supposed to be only 1 hour long, but I was held 'hostage' for another 1 1/2 hours by questions, photos, autographs ... until the director of the festival explained to those present that they must 'release' me so that I could prepare for my evening concert performance …

My evening solo concert was held at the huge and luxurious Teatro Municipal, the second largest venue in the city, and the most impressive theatre I've ever performed in … sold out … 1,500 people … with a huge main floor and four floors of white and gold loge boxes rising above the main floor on three sides of the main floor … gilded statues and hand-painted ceiling ala the Sistine Chapel (no flash photos allowed in the building due to the light sensitive art/architecture … this theatre is very much like Carnegie Hall or La Scala in Milan.

The audience response … three standing ovations and two encores … left me breathless.

Here's what the theatre looks like. Please check it out:
interior;
www.mincultura.gov.co/?idcategoria=18147
and outside;
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teatro_Municipal_Cali_2.JPG

... Arthur Rubinstein, Marcel Marceau, Yehudi Menuhin, Jean Pierre Rampal, Paul Taylor, etc., have played the room ... but jeez, I reckon I'm the first blues guy to play the 'joint.'

On Sunday all seven 'acts' did a closing performance at an outdoor amphitheater for 2,000 enthusiastic fans ... I was supposed to close the show by doing two songs solo ... but each of the other six bands who preceded me insisted that the gringo/Americano bluesman perform at least one song with each of them ... my two songs to close the show ended up being two songs, and standing ovation and the crowd shouting, "Otra! Otra! Otra! in unison until I managed to 'crawl' back on the stage ... and then back to back standing ovations for each of the two encores ... great fun, but in a tropical climate, this old blues guy almost needed oxygen by the time it was over.

I've only been home for less than 24 hours … and here are just a few of the messages I've received from my 'new blues amigos' in Colombia.

All performances were broadcast on TV, and I did about four or five interviews on television programs. One of the most 'difficult' aspects of this experience for me was 'allowing' everyone, young and old alike, the general publisc, press/media/TV interviewers, and the event production people to call me "Maestro Hawkeye," or just "Maestro" ... they never called me just Hawkeye, Michael, or Mr./Señor Herman ... always formally addressing me as "Maestro" or "Maestro Hawkeye." I tried to discourage this formality on the first day I was there, but the festival executive explained to me that I must put my 'humility' aside and allow the public to address me in this 'formal' manner of respect and appreciation. I told them that, "I would NEVER consider or call myself a maestro/master of ANYTHING ... learning is "A long and winding road that has no end" ... and if you think you're a master in your own mind, you think you know it all and stop learning and progressing ... I will always be thirsting after more musical knowledge." The response to this from the festival producer was, "What you just said is the sign of a true maestro/master ... to teach others that there is no end to learning, for even the most accomplished." Ooops, Catch-22 in my face, what could I say in response to that? ... I shut up and relented.

Yes, I speak Spanish quite well … I have a huge vocabulary, but always bad grammar … I apologized frequently for my 'destruction' of their beautiful language ... no matter to them … they appreciate and enjoy the effort … and I gave my song introductions in Spanish, told my blues stories in Spanish, and even spontaneously sang some lyrics to a number of 'classic' blues songs in Spanish … the stories contained in blues music document all aspects of the human experience … language should not be a barrier to the understanding and appreciation of the blues, what I refer to as 'the watershed of American popular music. Blues is universal.

I've been home for less than 24 hours, and already have received many messages from my new blues friends in South America. Here's a sampling:
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I really enjoyed your concert in Cali Colombia, in the 3rd international blues festival. It was really special. As a young metal and blues (it seems paradoxical, but it's not) guitar player, it was a great inspiration for me and you were so warm and deep.
Thanks for sharing a piece of your life with us. You're a true blues man.
V.
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I really really loved your performance in Cali, Colombia this past Saturday. It was special for me Maestro Hawkeye. As a young blues and metal player, you were a huge inspiration for me. It was touching ... and my girlfriend thought you were so damn cool! I hope you'll come soon to Colombia!
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Hello Maestro Hawkeye ... Jubiloso de verlo por aqui y de haber presenciado su espíritu y virtuosismo en Cali, Colombia ... Gracias por esas palabras y por su pedagogía ... Un abrazo y larga vida al blues ... La madre de los sonidos contemporáneos
translation;
Hello Maestro Hawkeye,
It was joyful to see it (the blues) here and to have witnessed its spirit and virtuosity in Cali, Colombia. ... Thank you for those words and by your teaching it to us. ... A hug and long life to the blues. ... The mother of the contemporary sounds.
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It was a very nice weekend in Cali, Colombia, watching and feeling your performance, I hope you have enjoyed the city and you can return for a tour around here again, with your friend "the guitar" of course.
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Hey there Maestro Hawkeye, my name is Ismael, I'm 16 years old, I watched your show in Cali, Colombia in the municipal theatre, it was awesome, beyond awesome. Since that performance I became a blues fan and I just wanted to thank you for showing me this marvelous music that I didn't pay attention to before, you really inspired me and you are a great musician. Cheers!!
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Your performance at the III International Blues Festival here in Cali, Colombia and the songs you played were awesome... Man, when will you come back?
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AgerthanW ha realizado un comentario sobre Hawkeye Herman
Thanks for being in cali mr Herman!...undoubtely, was a honor for us looking you at scene, indeed you are a great great musician...but you have that charisma, that special treatment to the public that makes us feel part of the great world of blues....you make the flame of blues burn deep in our hearts with every tune, every taste of the blues guitar, every word and every jump (i didn't knew you were so spontaneus in scene..that was great!!!) you make...all that i can say is COME BACK SOON FRIEND.
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A tangential surprise gig request happened while I was in South America … I checked my email daily on the hotel computer … and I received an invitation to perform and teach blues music to students in local schools and to give an all-day seminar for blues musicians/and teachers in September at the brand new multimillion dollar B.B. King Blues Museum/Mississippi Heritage Center, in B.B.King's hometown of Indianola, MS. Never in my life did I ever expect to be invited to "The Land Where The Blues Was Born" … to teach blues music. Uhhh, needless to say, I accepted the gig ;-)

Other upcoming highlights for the year ahead:
*The 25th Mississippi Valley Blues Fest in Davenport, IA July 2nd-4th
(www.mvbs.org)
*The American River Acoustic Music Camp, 8/10-14, Coloma, CA
(www.americanriverfolk.org)
*Oregon Shakespeare Festival Green Show performances w/Sarah Jane Nelson, 8/5 and 8/18, Ashand, OR (www.sarahjanenelson.com)
*Tumbleweed Music Festival, Sept. 5th & 6th - Richland, WA
(http://www.3rfs.org)
*Blues sur Seine Festival, November, Mantes la Jolie, France
(www.blues-sur-seine.com)

For more complete information on upcoming performances:
http://www.hawkeyeherman.com/tour_schedule.htm

Thanks so much for reading this message and for supporting the music we love.

Peace, Cheers, Blessings, and Best Wishes,

Hawkeye (don't call me "Maestro"!!!) Herman