Gary A. Edwards Music Update 5/6/2021  

Hello. I hope you’re enjoying fine spring weather. We are completely inoculated against the Coronavirus and have been resuming in-person activities such as going to church and occasional dining out. Here’s the latest news. 

Jimmy Cullors told me that he has finished shooting the movie Mistaken Moves in Las Vegas and will be editing it shortly. He had previously told me that he had tentatively accepted about 50 pieces of my original music for the soundtrack so I am very excited to see how that turns out. 

I received word from the Memphis Musicians Union that they are happy to hear that I am working with Paula Newberry as she establishes her Rainbow Opera Company and that we are going to premiere my opera Qualchan and Whistalks. The plan now is to get grants and donations and we are brainstorming when and where to produce the opera, depending on how the fundraising turns out. 

My new CD Spanglish is coming along quite well. My singer, Cuban-American Ivana Cespedes has recorded three of my original bilingual songs including Estaré Allí, Steppin’ Out and The Gypsy Tango Rock. She is currently getting ready to record a fourth song I wrote called El Gabacho Habla Español. This is a funny song about four instances when people made disparaging comments about me before they realized I could speak Spanish.  

For instance, I was flirting with a very pretty young girl on a bus in Chile one time when the conductor told me I had to move to my assigned seat. I told him “No comprendo.” He finally gave up and went away and I proceeded to flirt fluently with the young lady who appreciated my subterfuge. She told me she had been in a mass demonstration in Santiago, Chile the day before protesting Yankee imperialism. I made a date with her for later, but had to stand her up, so I’m sure that reinforced her hatred of gringos. 

Anyway, I have enough bilingual songs that I will probably make one CD that is serious and romantic and another CD that contains songs with Spanish jokes and puns. 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day and the Unity Church with Julie Croteau as music director will be featuring 11 year old Ellie singing two children’s songs I wrote; Happy Mother’s Day and God Is Everywhere. You can tune in the livestream service at UnityCenter.org and watch. 

Happy May everyone. 

Gary A. Edwards

Leave a comment