Explo Music Fest

Every year, Guatemala holds a massive Christian music festival called Explo Music Fest. The Oasis bought tickets this year for all the girls to go, and all the interns went along. I thought, a music fest is a music fest. This can't be that different from the ones I've gone to in the United States.

I should have learned by now that nothing is ever how you expect it will be in Guatemala.

First off, the church was HUGE. It looked similar to the size of the HSBC arena in Buffalo. It had it's own food court and parking garage, if that puts it at all in perspective. We had to get there at 3:30 for a concert that started at 6:00, just to get seats.

After about 100 games of tic tac toe and hangman, the concert finally started. On Friday night, we listened to Redimi2, a Spanish Christian Rapper whose hit song was "Yo No Canto Basura"- in English- I don't sing trash. Everyone in the audience went wild. I thought at one point I might actually get thrown from my seat into the mash pit below.

On Sunday, I went back for the Alex Campos concert, thinking it would probably be about the same level of enthusiasm. What I failed to realize is that Alex Campos is the current Justin Beiber of Christian music in Guatemala. I could feel Alex before I saw him, from the trembling and screaming of the 10,000 Guatemalans in the arena. The next ten minutes included glamor shots of Alex on the plasma screen T.V., and, surprisingly, even more screaming. Then, amidst the lights and smoke, Alex finally appeared, wearing skinny jeans, a purple v-neck, and sunglasses. The next three hours were spent jumping, dancing, and screaming for Alex Campos, who, of course, gave a "shout out" to Jesus after every song. I left the concert with a pounding headache and a sore throat, feeling like I had just been thrown into So You Think You Can Dance. The girls sang his songs the entire way home and talked about what a wonderful concert it was. I am still trying to figure out just who we were praising- God or Alex Campos.

The girls have off of school this week- mid year vacation. The other interns and I have planned an ice cream night and talent show for Thursday night. They are making us participate as well, so, as I write, we are all crowded up here in the office, trying to come up with a dance to Justin Beiber's "One Time". Who knows- with enough practice, and maybe some sunglasses, we just might get the same response as Alex Campos!