This evening (June 18, 2011) the parking lots of the
Pavilion Restaurant slowly filled with cars. A steady
stream of ticket-holders for the Cuba Gooding Sr. concert
(a charity event focused on providing dental care for
local children) gathered to see and hear this energetic
R&B Motown veteran.
Wearing one of Jackson Pollack's drop
cloths for a shirt, Mr. Gooding rendered several popular
70's songs, including his old band's (The Main Ingredient)
flagship favorite, "Everybody Plays the Fool".
The 67 year old vocalist was still able to hit the high
falsetto notes that trademarked his early success.
At the urging of Cuba, spectators added the percussions
of their clapped hands to the digitized instrumental
tacks used by the singer. Bubba, the soundman for the
event, had a little trouble with feedback at the start
of the evening, but with Cuba's good-natured shepherding,
the music found a comfortable and unobtrusive level.
Between songs, Cuba Gooding spoke about
the importance of children and how seminal they were
for any movement aimed at change. He announced that
San Felipe was a paradise whose only failing was the
secret of its existence. Nobody knew about it. He suggested
inviting a big-name celebrity to enjoy the beaches and
local cuisine, someone whose stamp of approval would
carry weight with the media (I vote for Scarlett Johansson
in her Black Widow outfit).
Mr. Gooding, who has a residence in Rosarito
Beach, remarked on the bad press Mexico was receiving
from the United States. He chuckled when he related
how his friends expressed their alarm and concern whenever
he visited Mexico. He encouraged people to spread the
word that San Felipe was perfectly safe.
Cuba also talked about his own family,
his early days in Harlem, how ventriloquist Sherry Lewis'
advice helped steer his career in the right direction,
and how the hit song "Everybody Plays the Fool"
put his son Cuba Gooding Jr. through "Oscar Winner
School".
After the encore, Cuba promised to bring
fellow band members of the Main Ingredient to San Felipe
for a concert. "It'll be a little more expensive
than this one," he apologized with a grin. When
the singer walked through an opening in the applause,
John Pack of Baja Good Life Club took the stage
and announced that Mr. Gooding had donated his time
for the event at no charge. The singer strongly believed
in the cause and was glad to help.