No Traje Traje, No Nado Nada
I promised I would share more about America’s Got Talent. I think now is finally a good time. For many of you, this next confession will come as a surprise. For others, it is as stale as the bread you forgot in the toaster oven a few weeks ago.
I get very nervous for auditions.
If you ask me, auditioning truly is an art. You go in to these strange and forced scenarios and your observers want you to be as natural as possible. I know that doesn’t sound hard, but think of it like this. It’s like a job interview. Only instead of truly interacting with the folks who are interviewing you, you are guessing what it is they want to see you do or say. Auditions are about gauging your instincts. Thus, only once in awhile, if you are lucky, do you get a note on your work, or more elusive still, a smile or quizzical look. Generally speaking, it’s you and a panel of straight faces. You see how easy it is to get in your head and cease being natural. For someone like me who feels that my successes in life have been rooted in my ability to take criticism well and adjust accordingly, this feedback void is often very scary.
There have been many points in the last couple weeks where I thought about bailing on my upcoming America’s Got Talent audition. For one, I’ve never been a major fan of reality T.V. competitions. That is, with the exception of Project Runway. I frequently think, “Perhaps winning a competition like that is really a curse.”
I liken it to winning the lottery. Something like 9 out of 10 folks who win the lottery don’t know how to manage their new-found wealth and, ultimately, end up in bankruptcy. While, I don’t think I would be one of those people, a part of me just thinks winning a contest is too easy, or rather, too good to be true. There must be some hidden wolf underneath that sheepskin, you know? I’m always weary of things that are too good to be true…
Maybe all of these criticisms are just substitutions for the biggest fear of all- failing. I don’t want to be voted off the island! Luckily, I have decided that I will go through with the audition, rain or shine. I realize that whatever happens, this is an important challenge for me. Need to face my fears head on, right?
The other day, a friend of mine asked me what my talent was going to be for the competition. I figured I only had one to share, but in case it wasn’t obvious, I plan to sing. Specifically, I will be entering the competition as a Mariachi singer. I’m going back to my origins- to the days when the voices of Lola Beltran, Rocio Durcal, Vicente Fernandez and Javier Soliz inspired me to first open my mouth and sing.
At this point, I’m working on finalizing my costume, or in Spanish, traje. When I moved to New York I didn’t bring my Mariachi outfits with me leaving me wondering the other day how I would dress as a Mariachi without a Mariachi outfit. In Spanish there is an expression, “Como no traje, traje, no nado, nada.” Essentially, it’s a play on double entendres: traje which can mean, “suit” and “to bring.” Nado means “to swim,” and nada means “nothing.” Loosely the phrase means, “Since I didn’t bring a (bathing) suit, I won’t swim a lick.”
i.e.- No suit, no show.
Thankfully, my lovely mother and father agreed to FedEx one of my suits for me to wear at the upcoming show. Still, there’s a great deal of detail that goes in to finalizing a costume. For example, since I don’t have my sombrero how should I wear my hair? Maybe for the purposes of the contest I should find ways to modernize the look of the Mariachi? But maybe not. The traditional garb is pretty spectacular. This picture is of Lucero, a Mexican singer in traditional Mariachi costume.
She looks happy.
As you can see, there’s lots to consider- not just the song I will perform. Right now I’m debating between Volver, Volver and a song many people associate me with, Cucurrucucu Paloma. You can actually hear me singing this song on my Albytes. If you have an opinion, I welcome it!
I’m preparing as meticulously as possible. I figure, if I’m going to do this I better do it right. For any of you who live here in New York, you are welcome to come to the audition. In fact, AGT encourages performers to bring an entourage to cheer you on. jajaja.
So, if you’d like to join my cheering squad, let me know. The more the merrier. It’s this Sunday, April 6th between 12-3pm!