. thank you and thank you to all of you for being here today in such a fantastic day, beautiful, sunny bay area. also i want to thank you, hilary flynn, the director of the irish festival for this invitation. let s celebrate the irish in the americas. i put a title to my conversation with you today, take the journey with me, and i wanted to read you an irish proverb that i like it very much because it s the way the history of myself, the history of my family. the longest road out is the shortest road home. and so travel with me and let s go to havana, cuba, and to know a little bit about the irish, the few irish that went to cuba, in particular to havana. i want you to know that on the left side of the entrance to the havana harbor, there is a well-known fortress, el moro. there is a lighthouse there and the moro has become a image of cuban nationality and in particular havana. in that lighthouse you find, you read an when you enter the havana harbor, you find an irish n
(applause). . thank you and thank you to all of you for being here today in such a fantastic day, beautiful, sunny bay area. also i want to thank you, hilary flynn, the director of the irish festival for this invitation. let s celebrate the irish in the americas. i put a title to my conversation with you today, take the journey with me, and i wanted to read you an irish proverb that i like it very much because it s the way the history of myself, the history of my family. the longest road out is the shortest road home. and so travel with me and let s go to havana, cuba, and to know a little bit about the irish, the few irish that went to cuba, in particular to havana. i want you to know that on the left side of the entrance to the havana harbor, there is a well-known fortress, el moro. there is a lighthouse there and the moro has become a image of cuban nationality and in particular havana. in that lighthouse you find, you read an when you enter the havana harbor, you fin
(applause). . thank you and thank you to all of you for being here today in such a fantastic day, beautiful, sunny bay area. also i want to thank you, hilary flynn, the director of the irish festival for this invitation. let s celebrate the irish in the americas. i put a title to my conversation with you today, take the journey with me, and i wanted to read you an irish proverb that i like it very much because it s the way the history of myself, the history of my family. the longest road out is the shortest road home. and so travel with me and let s go to havana, cuba, and to know a little bit about the irish, the few irish that went to cuba, in particular to havana. i want you to know that on the left side of the entrance to the havana harbor, there is a well-known fortress, el moro. there is a lighthouse there and the moro has become a image of cuban nationality and in particular havana. in that lighthouse you find, you read an when you enter the havana harbor, you find
cuban blues by chico, i remembered in new york in those stories of the 40 s that chico and my father met at club cuba in manhattan and again in havana in the mid-50 s. the sessions of chico s house in our neighborhood became so famous that even my father, not particularly fond of cuban jazz, couldn t resist dropping in once in a while at the much-talked about terrace. i listened to the rumba of chico s suite, then i would imagine chico back in new york doing arrangements for count bassie and ringo starr and i see myself turning into a big fan during my teenage years in havana. so that gives you a little idea about all these connections. i was born in havana in the mid-50 s and my memory have many sounds. my history of my family has given me a variety of experiences and languages. my memory is like an orgy of music. i learned at an early age to get up on my feet and dance. looking at a photograph of myself, i saw a girl dancing an irish dance. i look at me from a seated audien
jazz, couldn t resist dropping in once in a while at the much-talked about terrace. i listened to the rumba of chico s suite, then i would imagine chico back in new york doing arrangements for count bassie and ringo starr and i see myself turning into a big fan during my teenage years in havana. so that gives you a little idea about all these connections. i was born in havana in the mid-50 s and my memory have many sounds. my history of my family has given me a variety of experiences and languages. my memory is like an orgy of music. i learned at an early age to get up on my feet and dance. looking at a photograph of myself, i saw a girl dancing an irish dance. i look at me from a seated audience that avoids the music with polite applause. my audience is courteous and embodies all the mystery of creation. my audience is my irish catalan and spanish family. the eyes of my family activate the dance but i was disoriented and forget the steps, but i wanted the dance to continue.