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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The International King of Pop

It is always difficult hearing sad news—especially when you are away from home. I heard about Michael Jackson’s passing while in Madrid, Spain (where he is popularly known as “Miguelito”). At the time I was among (mainly new) friends from different parts of the world—Russia, Spain, Guinea, Columbia. We all shared our favorite songs and dance moves with varying degrees of nostalgia, disbelief and sorrow.

Many musicians, dj’s and nightclubs across the world paid special tribute to the timeless “King of Pop.” My friend Candice and I met some kindred spirits from Chile while looking for a place to dance in Via Testaccio, a center in Rome with a lot of nightlife.



We all talked about many things, including, of course, Michael. Later that night we had the opportunity to see an appreciation performance while in Rome. We all danced and sang: “You can be my baby, it don’t matter if your black or white…dooooodoodoodoodooooodooooo…”
Here is a piece of the performance.



My favorite songs by Michael Jackson are “Man in the Mirror” and “Bad.” My favorite music videos are “Remember the Time” and “Smooth Criminal.” Michael always danced like his life depended on it! He sang about what was in his heart. The world has lost a king, but Michael left a precious legacy. I love looking around the globe and seeing his style, energy and spirit.