The View From Here- Gogol Bordello in Rio 3
Eugene the Gypsy and I have become fast close friends since we first met up here in Rio a couple of years ago. There was an instant connection, a strange familiarity right from the time the infamous Rock n Roll Journalist, Mayra Dias Gomes introduced us at a corner bar in Ipanema.
Maybe it was the common bond of Roma blood roots we shared, since my people — some of whom were Gypsies — also came from Romania and the Ukraine, where Eugene hails from. Whatever it was, as we sat talking that first day a couple of years ago, I sensed immediately that Eugene was just one of those people I’d somehow known my whole life. And as we spoke that day, we were both plesently surprised at the quantity of friends and aquaintences we had in common around the world.
Eugene, like so many foreigners who come to Rio on a visit and end up staying forever, quickly fell under the weird savage spell of my city. And he’s been coming back here almost constantly ever since then — sometimes alone, sometimes with his beautiful Romanian Carioca girlfriend, Diana — an anthropology professor who herself has lived for years among communities of local Brazilian Roma.
This time Eugene was back in Rio for his second round of public appearences with his whole band, Gogol Bordello whose members have also become good friends of mine. This was gonna be a party.
Louis said,
December 30, 2009 at 12:07 am
I love stories of how people meet…epic!…surreal!…and inspirado…thanks, for sharing….