"A que venimos? A TRIUNFAR!!!"
Piolín's Jugada Musical feat. Gabriel Iglesias and Intocable House of Blues June 17, 2014
When you interview someone who talks for a living, keeping him or her on topic is about as easy as winning the World Cup. In other words, it can take what seems like four years to get a word in. That was my experience last week when I spoke with Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo by phone in anticipation of Piolín's Jugada Musical which took place at House of Blues on Tuesday afternoon.
The Mexican radio-show host and actor spoke with a rapid-fire cadence full of jokes, idioms, slang and colloquialisms. Although I had about five or six questions on my notepad, it was much easier to just go with the flow and converse informally with him. We spoke about his childhood in Mexico and how fitness, music and soccer played a big part of his upbringing.
There were a few serious moments, however, and Piolín's love he has for his community really shines. He recalled many stories of encountering everyday heroes, good people doing good things without a need for reward or spotlight. One of the reasons he is so popular (the L.A. Times once named him one of the most influential people in Southern California) is that he isn't a movie star with movie-star looks. He's just a regular paisa, like your class-clown cousin from Mexico who makes everyone laugh.
And that's what occurred at Piolín's Jugada Musical. The name loosely translated as "Piolín's Musical Play," as in the sports action, not a stage production. Sotelo also broadcast his show from the downtown venue, and along with a few special invited guests, and the backdrop of Mexico's World Cup match against Brazil, he provided a family-friendly good time the almost 1,100 people who made it in throughout the day.
The comedian Gabriel Iglesias, who holds the nickname of "Fluffy," began the festivities with a preview of his show at Toyota Center this Friday. Fans were given the opportunity to win tickets to that show, and a few lucky audience members were also selected for a private meet-and-greet with the comedian. Iglesias joked about how radio personalities sometimes don't know how to turn off their radio voices, and imagined how sexytime would play out with the "voice of God" providing the play-by-play. He also touched upon the Katrina disaster, and how Mexicans were a big part of the reconstruction efforts after the storm.
Once the game started, all of the attention and prayers of the room were focused on the Mexican team. A victory against the host nation would be absolutely glorious; nothing brings together Mexicanos like soccer does. The pride we have for El Tri is matched only by our love for tacos and La Virgen de Guadalupe.
The first half of the game saw a Mexican team on the attack, and they certainly outplayed the Brazilians although nobody scored. Brazil came out strong in the second half, but was met by Memo Ochoa, aka The Mexican Wall, who stopped six shots on goal, leading to a zero-zero tie to end the game.
I guess this is why most Americans just don't "get" soccer. Why are we so happy for a tie? Well, the Brazilian team is probably the best in the world, and the game was on their home turf. A tie also means that you are awarded one point, and with a win already under their belt, the chances are good that Mexico will advance to the next round, si Dios quiere!
Story continues on the next page.
