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Tito Auger & Ricky Laureano

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Once again Central Florida welcomed Puerto Rican singer-songwriters Tito Auger and Ricky Laureano, only this time performing together and for a special purpose.

Noche Borincana con Tito Auger y Ricky Laureano was a special event produced by Brincando El Charco, and held last Saturday, February 23, at Ellipsis Brewing in Orlando.

Revisiting their obligatory repertoire from Fiel a la Vega, with a few surprises, Auger and Laureano performed non-stop for almost two hours. Albeit in a somewhat intimate and unusual setting, their delivery is always strong and dedicated, no matter if they’re in front of thousands or just a few hundred.

Two acoustic guitars, two loud voices, a harmonica, and a few pedals were more than enough to temporarily transport the audience to a special place. A place were many have come from, sometimes carrying less luggage.

After a few mandatory encores, the night ended with a special rendition of the emblematic Verde Luz. Joined briefly by fellow Puerto Rican singer Hermes Croatto, it was the perfect sendoff for all the diaspora in attendance. For Doña Carmen, the youngest nonagenarian in the world who traveled over a hundred miles to be there. For my dad, who was not there. And for a few fleeting tearful eyes that will always be present.

All proceeds from Noche Borincana will go to the Ricky Martin Foundation and their housing reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico.

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Tito Auger

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A few images and a short story about Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tito Auger, performing at Noche Borincana in Melbourne, FL, an event produced by Brincando El Charco.

Not all events happen under ideal circumstances. Sometimes you find yourself in the packed backroom of a venue, standing-room only, with virtually no light, and the stage is a small platform just inches from the ground. With an old camera body with nearly zero low-light capability, the options are extremely limited.

My take: get as uncomfortably close as possible, wait for a stray ray of strobe light that could give me a silhouette, and use the flashlight on my phone as a dim key light. The brightest lights around me were other people’s phones, so I used that as well.

Also cranked up the ISO to the max; a blurry and noisy image of the tension of a guitar string is better than no image at all. All that while playing nice with the crowd, battling with foot traffic from a side door, and a few close encounters with the PA system. (Kudos to good earplugs and yoga workouts.)

Sometimes the photography gods smile upon you. Sometimes it’s up to you to make them smile.

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Fiel a la Vega

House of Blues Orlando welcomed Puerto Rican rock band Fiel a la Vega last Saturday, April 15, when they performed to a nearly sold-out crowd.

The stop was a continuation of their retrospective presentations that began on the Island late last year, marking the twentieth anniversary of their formation as a group and their eponymous debut album.

It would be far easier to make a list of the songs they didn't play, including the expected acoustic set of covers that is already ingrained in people's minds.

Fiel a la Vega is: Tito Auger (vocals, guitar), Ricky Laureano (vocals, lead guitar), Jorge Arraiza (bass, backing vocals), and Pedro Arraiza (drums, backing vocals). They were also accompanied by Francisco González on keyboards.

The local Puerto Rican diaspora is always eager to absorb and react enthusiastically to anything that brings them closer to the Island. Auger promised the crowd that they would be received and welcomed back home with open arms, at any moment, independently from any circumstance that drove them away in the first place. After singing his heart out and giving their all on stage, the feeling was definitely mutual. 

In a show more than three hours long, Fiel a la Vega's message was loud and clear. A message delivered with the same energy as when they started more than twenty years ago. A message of social and political awareness. A message of national pride and love for the country. A message about the direness of its current situation. A message of hope for what's next. 

That's where we come from.

Y eso no es de donde quiera.

Special thanks to Eleven 11 Communications for the opportunity to photograph during this show.

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V's Blog

Photography is my passion. Writing on napkins is my hobby. I love making new images and writing about them. This is my virtual supply of napkins. Comments and discussions are encouraged.

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