Notes on a culture displaced

I regret it appears my sentiments fell on deaf ears, or perhaps you just don't get it. Please read my reply to Bill since it addresses some of your comments.

I listen to plenty of music from other places, but not at local bars or restaurants. That's why I have my own sound system and portable music player with earphones.

The pan pipes are nice, but they're Andean, not Mexican. However, they don't clash too badly with our local culture, just like Cuban music also fits in well here.

Opera in Mexico City is nice. It is a cosmopolitan city by its own definition. Zihuatanejo is exactly the opposite. Orchestras in Oaxaca City are nice, too, and they are expected to play certain orchestral compositions, but the fact that you even mention these things suggests to me that you either miss the point or don't care.

I have heard a lot of chilango rock'n'roll blaring on our street this year from a new open-air bar. Perhaps if they at least turned down their volume while cultural events are happening just across the street in the zócalo I wouldn't have such a poor opinion of them. A little respect goes a long way here. And that's all I'm asking for from you.

Why do you tip musicians 50 pesos who are playing for someone else? That's about what they get per song, and they do not expect free money for doing nothing for you. If you like their music then hire them to play for you, but please don't encourage inflation and rate-busting by tipping exhorbitantly when it isn't customary. Such practices can actually cause more harm than good for our community in the larger scheme of things.