Michael Kent Smith

Museo Dieguino Concert

September 7th, 2008

I returned to Guanajuato on Friday the 22nd for the concert at the Museo Dieguino on Saturday evening. I’m not sure exactly what the function of the museum is but it appears to have something to do with history, although not just Mexican history. It’s located below ground right on the edge of the zocalo or town square. They put on concerts in the main exhibit space which has a glass roof that opens onto one side of the church that borders the zocalo. Unfortunately, it’s so near the area where the mariachis play that the sound kind of bleeds into the museum and caused me some problems during the concert.

The museum didn’t do near the promotion that the Iconográfico did for the first show so this concert wasn’t as well attended but it was still about 80% full. Many folks from the first concert came to this one as well which made me happy. The glass roof had a leak and so they rearranged the seats from 4 rows of 20 chairs in a semicircle into 15 rows of 5 seats across which made most of the audience rather far away while I played.

I wasn’t as pleased with the way I played because I was trying to push the sound of the guitar over the street noise and all the way to the back of the seats. I over-played and tensed up which affects the smoothness of the delivery. Watching the videos really brought home that point to me. Despite my nitpicking, things went pretty well all in all and the show was well received by the audience. I’d certainly play there again if the opportunity arises. You’ll have to listen to me chat a bit in Spanish before each tune… it only lasts a few seconds then the music starts!