I’ve written and rewritten the opening to this blog post, composed apologies and offered excuses, and now I’m deleting all of that to start again.

If anyone is interested in helping me get this podcast up and running in a more timely manner, particularly if you’ve got experience with Garage Band software (or Audacity), I would love to hear from you.

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Today I had lunch with a dear old friend, Pam MacLaughlin, a wonderful local musician and writer (and now, nursing student). She said something that I expect others of you have already said, but somehow I heard it more clearly: this little “audio magazine” that I’ve had in my mind and been struggling to bring to fruition? I need to remember that an actual PHYSICAL magazine has dozens if not hundreds of workers to get it done — writers and photographers and designers and ad salespeople, not to mention printers and distributors! — and I am trying to do this relatively complex podcast on my own in an unreasonable timeframe, while continuing to parent my children and have a life! She suggested (as many of you have already) that I post individual pieces, which is more managable in terms of time, and that I can still wrap together a series into a larger whole, if I want to, after the fact.

I think I finally get the point. Thank you to all who’ve already offered me this advice.

So today, taking this advice and with permission, today I offer you a song written by Pam’s husband, Joe Donnelly, and performed by Joe, Pam, and their group, Orquesta Son. The song is entitled Sugar Mama and comes from their Sí Quíero disc, copyright 2000. (Click on the link to download the song to your computer.)

“Son” in the name of their group, rhymes with “phone” and refers to the Cuban-style salsa music the group performs, along with mambo, rhumba, son-montuno, and songo styles. The group specializes in the merengue of the Dominican Republic and the cumbia of Columbia. Although most of the music on their Sí Quíero disc is new, dancers can do the traditional steps to the carefully arranged rhythms.

Enjoy! (And thanks again to Pam, Joe, and the rest of Orquesta Son!)

More interviews and more music to come, in smaller chunks and (I hope) a more timely basis. Thank you for listening … and for your patience!