Malaguena Salerosa

There is a beautiful Mexican love song that over time has become world famous. It is called Malaguena Salerosa and is the story of a man lovestruck by an enchanting woman of a higher social class. It is an ancient theme and a familiar dilemma. I have always been particular to both Mexico and Southern Spain, ever since I spent a month in Mexico City when I was 21. I have also always had a fascination for Southern Spain because of the influence of Arabic language and culture. So, the song Malaguena salerosa, literally, spicy woman from Malaga, holds a double intrigue. I recently had the pleasure of getting back in touch with a long lost friend, who is from North Africa, a part of the world rich in the confluence, past and present of several cultures, and it has always been a dream of mine to experience the richness of countries like Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco. Close to the time I received a welcome phone call from my friend, whose voice and laughter I had not heard in almost 27 years, my husband put on a CD with Mexican music and the first song to play was Malaguena Salerosa. I had not heard the song in many years, and it struck a deep chord of melancholy, of time gone by, of friendships gained and lost, and recently recovered. It is amazing to me how persistent the emotions can be attached to our dreams and aspirations. In this case, it was a favorite song reminding me of a Mexican friend I had loved and lost to remind me of the power of my longing to reconnect with a friend from a favorite part of North Africa. In my mind, I was already there, meeting at the airport, introducing my husband and son, meeting his wife, visiting his university, the wonderful area in the Atlas mountains, seeing the imperial cities of Meknes and Fez, visiting Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, just enjoying the experience of the blend of Berber, Arab, French, Spanish language and culture. If we make it back to Belgium finally again for a visit, it is only a few hours by plane to Southern Spain and North Africa. It was a powerful experience emotionally, to feel a resurgence of that dream to visit and travel to that part of the world. The invitation came by phone form my friend, only adding to the happy feeling of sensing a dream closer to reality. All our focus right now is on getting our son through college, and like in the song Malaguena Salerosa, I too will understand life if it chooses to move on past my dream, but it will never diminish the feelings of love and hope for a deep longing carefully kept in the treasure chest of my dreams.