Geographical vs Cultural boundaries

So I went to a merengue concert last night... Ladyfriend got free tickets in the 10th row, and since I'm always down for live music I said sure why not... When would I ever miss an opportunity to hang out with 10,000 scantily clad Latino women?

I don't know why I don't kick it with the Latinos more often because those MFers party!! The energy up in the MCI center was just insane!! Everyone up on their feet, jumping up and down, salsa dancing in the aisles, shaking their asses........ I mean, SHAKING those asses like WHOA...

There is nothing like being in a room of tens of thousands of people who are enjoying great live music and aren't afraid to express that joy. Twas a feeling I haven't had since I saw Prince last year where the ENTIRE stadium is just up on their feet dancing non-stop. Granted, I didnt know what in the hell they were saying, but it didn't matter.

What was interesting was how the 'Latin world' (for lack of a better term) can come together under one cultural umbrella and at one point in the show, my man railed off every latin american country, one by one to give each culture the chance to cheer for their country...... which begs the question..... what do borders really mean?

The lines that have been drawn in the sand for economic reasons by who knows when or why, are rather pointless beyond the economic boundaries that people in power have created as a way to define what exactly they do NOT control... The cultural boundaries that tie us together have no geographical limits which was clearly evident last night...

But at the same time, we cling on to these self-imposed geographical labels for ourselves........ for what? I'm sure I have more in common with friends I've met around the globe than some of my own neighbors, but we don't have a label for ourselves... although we don't have a geographical connection, we are connected on a much higher cultural level than people that I may happen to share space with....

hmmmm....

~C

CD of the moment: Prince - Live at the Filmore East, San Francisco 02.13.2004 <- in honor of Prince's birthday... get it while it's hot...