We Are The World

We Are The World

Michael Jackson is alive
and well in Barcelona
and our 10 year old  Mozart

Michael Jackson is alive and well in Barcelona and our 10 year old Mozart was thrilled that he gave her a kiss on the cheek when they invited all the kids on stage from many countries as they sang “We are the World”. If you look hard you can see her next to him in black, waving her arms and he is looking down at her..silver gloved hand and all, as he sang this beautiful song.

This Michael Jackson tribute by a group from South Africa did a great job and we were surprised to see that this entertainment was more popular even than the crowds that gathered here in Barcelona for the world cup last year. Magic on a warm summer night during  a Barcelona holiday.

The uplifting music and superb dancing makes this a very popular  entertainment event for families on holiday from all over Europe and since they perform it  every few weeks, we have an insider’s advantage of knowing it by heart. Mozart had seen it many times, but this was my first and we did this one together with our visiting friends from Sweden. We let Mozart and the boys go early so they could get the best seats in the house before it got packed as sardines.

Mozart first became enamored with Michael Jackson and his music when she came upon a talented puppeteer street performer in Krakow, Poland who also had almost life sized puppet and shows for Elvis and Tina Turner. Yes, today, travel and pop culture goes hand in hand sometimes in the oddest places like our Barcelona Beach Resort, so we don’t miss much with our globetrotting lifestyle.

It’s amazing how well these young kids ( who speak many different languages, most with no English) know and love Michael’s music. Even our Swedish friend’s 7 year old could do a mean moonwalk just like Mozart that made us laugh. Their 8 year old got pulled up on stage first which was a thrill, but alas the little one was too late to get on it as it got too crowded.

I must admit I was a bit nervous as the stage is about 6 feet above a rock covered concrete dance floor and many of the kids were tiny and oblivious to the danger as they jockeyed for position. Still it was heart warming to see them all enjoying thier moment on stage with a “star” to this beautiful classic inspiring song. It couldn’t have been better for them even if it had been the real Michael, or Justin Beiber or Hannah Montana.

“We are all a part of God’s great big family And the truth, you know love is all we need”

I am not much on concerts, but I was lucky enough to see Michael Jackson in Madison Square Garden in New York City long ago with insider seats thanks to a dear friend and neighbor who happened to be the top disc jockey in the city. Despite the controversy of his troubled life, it is gratifying to see the legacy of love through his music and dance lives on.

What synchronicity! I wrote this last week, but as I was about to post it and added another video, I learned that today is Michael’s birthday. What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?  This is one of mine.