A Peaceful Night, Elevated

  I am having a wonderful dinner by the beach. The sun’s just gone down, only a bright red line across the horizon is left to ward off the blackening sky. The fish is done to perfection, the rice too, even the tunes; an old reggae station playing some lesser known Marley and Tosh. So I’m a bit apprehensive when I see out of the corner of my eye some guy with a man bun, yes even here in South America this look has taken hold, is setting up a speaker and a laptop. Oh no, really, they’re going to have a DJ, here? But I’m the only patron and I don’t see many others in the street. Inevitably, the reggae is turned off and away he goes with his set. My arms are crossed and my eyes are shooting daggers. 

  Yet, to my amazement, this guy wins me over. The music is alright, generic chill lounge music, but he really got into it. It didn’t matter that he was playing to one or to a thousand, he was in his groove and nothing could harsh his mellow. Occasionally he hits a cymbal or a cow bell and a bing, bing, pong would accompany the tune. I began enjoying his antics and when I thought I had seen his repertoire, wouldn’t you know it, he breaks out a mini didgeridoo. Yes. And then, once that novelty wore off, out came a bird chirper and he would chirp perfectly into an Afro-Cuban number that transported me to the jungles. Ah well, at this point, I had to throw in the towel. I was dealing with a master and I simply had to bask in his sound bath. 

  He never noticed my leaving but his sound, chirp, bing, pong, all followed me down the empty street into the starry night. What a glorious performance. Thank you DJ “never-got-your-name”, that was one unforgettable set.