August 29th 2004: Alicia’s travel article - Barcelona

Free Spirit

The musician happily falls in love with Barcelona’s endless possibilities

Spain is one of those places that just feels good. The language alone can make you feel like you’ve arrived in the most exotic place on Earth. The people’s spirits are free - they will sleep in tents on the beach, or with just the stars as their roof. They will go topless or nude on the beach and see it as liberating, not embarrassing. When they love you, it’s loyally and whole-heartedly.

I first fell in love with Spain in Madrid, after being invited to a special place known as “cave.” There, I was introduced to the passionate world of flamenco. The guitars’ melodies and rhythms were intertwined in a way I’d never before experienced. Hands clapped - off-again, on-again - with syncopations that left me bewildered. The flamenco voice dug into my soul like a knife dripping with blood from a crime of passion. And the dancing - wow! I’ve never seen men dancing so honestly and sensually in my life.

That was my introduction to Spain, and I thought it couldn’t get any better.
Then we arrived in Barcelona. One of the first things I noticed was the way they say my name - it’s a complete turn-on. Some locals pronounce the “c” in Alicia like “th.” Barcelona sounds like “Barthilona” and Alicia becomes “Alithia.” I don’t know if that will translate as beautifully on paper as it does in real life, but I will come to Spain for the rest of my life just to hear them say my name.

Another thing I fell in love with in Barcelona was the constant feeling that everything was absolutely perfect. The sun is blinding and warms you deeply; the water is transparent and shines with the sun’s reflection. The beach has the kind of soft sand that’s so good for running barefoot in. The architecture is grand and historic. And it’s all there like a playground waitin to be explored.

A world in a village I performed in a village, actually a town square built between 1926 and 1929, called “Poble Espanyol.” There, in just a couple of hours, it is possible to visit a living watercolor of the 17 nationalities and regions that make up one of the most fascinating countries of the European Union, through handicraft markets, cultural displays, samples of food and folk shows.

When we walked in, it looked like a montage of many wonderlands. It was beautiful and very different from anything I’d ever seen or anywhere I’d ever performed. The stage was set in the middle of a wide, open space outlined by eclectic shops. I looked out onto little apartments with beautifully carved wood windows and doors that opened up toward the stage. Around the square were cobblestone streets leading to stone steps that took you to these special shops and people. It felt like a place forgotten by time - in a sense, it was like a fairy tale. At that moment, I knew it was going to be a special show.

There’s nothing like performing outside, with the air all around you. You feel so much more open to the possibilities, and that’s exactly what Barcelona is - open and exciting, a place where anything is possible.

After an incredible show that made me want to stay on stage all night, I met a friend I’d known when we were young girls in America who had since moved to Spain. She and her friends looked so content and bright that I actually found myself wondering if I could live here, leave New York behind and settle into a life of freedom from stress and cold winters, a place of new discoveries. Leave the rat race and the fast pace behind…

Before we left, I took some time to say goodbye to the beach. It was about 1:30 a.m. and the water was calm and the beach was still except for a few people playing guitar to the moon and some lovers staring intently into each other’s eyes, excited at the possibility of lying together in the open air that whispered a song. I looked around and remembered one more time the reason why I love Barcelona so.

I love the freedom I feel from the people there, the carefree lifestyle, oblivion almost - it made me relax under the night sky and smile. But not enough to leave New York.

Thx 2 youroldestfan!