Gustavo Dudamel

"The music saved me, I am sure of this."
you said.

Gustavo
Dudamel-

mad man,
wild hair,
and
possessed
by god.

not only
a conductor of
music
but
of electricity-

a
rod
conducting
lighting through his
body
as the divine sound of
Beethoven, Mahler, and
Bernstein...
heals.

In
Venezuela,
"el systema"
gave you a shot,
because you were poor.

arms to short for the trombone
so
you played violin.


blessed by god and socialism-
you
conducted.

at first, only in your head but then for the pope.

you were poor in Venezuela.
you could have been a thief,
a beggar,
a carpenter,
a shoemaker sniffing glue-
but
you were blessed by god and socialism.

Welcome to Los Angeles-
a city
where there is never money for education,
let alone,
a cracked
violin
(made in china) for the hands of its
colored children.-

Gustavo
you will be
king of
los angeles
philharmonic.

king of a city
that speaks your native tongue in
restaurants,
bus stops,
car washes
and
prisons.

Welcome to Los Angeles-
you said
you'd go into the poor neighborhoods
and bring the music.

because the poor
here
and the poor of Venezuela
are the same
as the poor anywhere.

you will save a life with music,
I am sure
of this too.

08'