HARMONIZING FOR LOVE AND COMMUNITY.Byline: ANA MARIA TRUJILLODressed in black-and-white polka-dot skirts, white Southwestern-style shirts and patent-leather high heels high heels high npl → talons hauts, hauts talons high heels high npl → hochhackige Schuhe pl , Las Tres Amigas -- Delia Mendoza Tapia, Grace E. Gutierrez and Terri Cecilia Gonzales -- rocked the lunchroom at Pasatiempo Senior Center on Wednesday. Pasatiempo residents clapped and swayed sway v. swayed, sway·ing, sways v.intr. 1. To swing back and forth or to and fro. See Synonyms at swing. 2. along to the fast- and slow-paced tunes the ladies belted out. "You have to get up and dance, OK," Gonzales joked with a member of the audience during a break between songs. Las Tres Amigas have been performing together for more than three years, and they can usually be found enchanting en·chant·ing adj. Having the power to enchant; charming: enchanting music. en·chant  ing·ly adv. people at local senior
centers, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
"It's very rewarding to go sing to people who can't get out -- people who are in nursing homes and even people at the senior centers, a lot of people who come here live around this complex and they only come here because it's hard for them," Gonzales said. During their performances, the women joke with the crowd and encourage them to sing along, clap their hands and even dance. "We try to get them to participate with us," Gutierrez said. "We find their special song, and we let them sing -- it makes them feel like they're still part of life and part of the world instead of just sitting there waiting for their day to come." The three perform at Pasatiempo Senior Center every Wednesday for an hour on a volunteer basis, but they do some gigs for pay, mostly for private parties, Gonzales said. While the group specializes in traditional Northern New Mexico Northern New Mexico may simply mean the northern part of New Mexico, but in cultural terms it usually means the area of heavy Spanish settlement in the north-central part. music, they also have a few "oldies Oldies is a generic term commonly used to describe a radio format that usually concentrates on Top 40 music from the '50s, '60s and '70s. Oldies are typically from R&B, pop and rock music genres. " in their repertoire Repertoire may mean Repertory but may also refer to:
Las Tres Amigas love to sing together for reasons other than helping the community. "It's fun," Gonzales said. "We all love to sing and with a group you can harmonize. I sing alone a lot but it's nice to have someone you can harmonize with." "It keeps encouraging our friendship," Gutierrez said. "It's just great relaxation." "It has helped me a lot in coping with life," Mendoza Tapia said. Singing helped her deal with her husband's death last October and helped her overcome shyness. "I have gained a lot of confidence." Pasatiempo Senior Center volunteer Virginia Soto, who organizes events at the center, said she likes to keep the seniors entertained en·ter·tain v. en·ter·tained, en·ter·tain·ing, en·ter·tains v.tr. 1. To hold the attention of with something amusing or diverting. See Synonyms at amuse. 2. , which is why she asked Las Tres Amigas to perform. "What the seniors like is music, and that's what we're giving them," she said. Gutierrez and Mendoza Tapia both spend most of their time singing. In addition to singing with Las Tres Amigas, they do an informal sing-along group at the Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center and Luisa Senior Center. Both women are also members of the Coro de JesuCristo, a choir choir [O.Fr.] 1 A group of singers; traditionally the chorus organized to sing in a church. Usually, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran choirs are composed of men and boys, but occasionally in these churches and customarily in other Protestant that sings at rosaries and funerals for free. Music is second nature to Gonzales, who grew up in a musical family, she said. Her father, Lucio Ortiz, specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. in the violin violin, family of stringed musical instruments having wooden bodies whose backs and fronts are slightly convex, the fronts pierced by two f-hole-shaped resonance holes. , but played other instruments, including the guitar, which he taught to Gonzales. "He used to play all over Northern New Mexico at weddings, baptisms, all kinds of functions," Gonzales said. "I got to play with him maybe two or three times." Gutierrez said she hopes that one day, somebody will sing for her. "I hope that when I get older and I'm in a nursing home, someone will come sing and let me enjoy some music," she said. |
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