August 10, 2013 – El Gusto!

in postcard absence I’m writing about
a concert I attended night before last –

El Gusto, playing Chaabi,
music of the Casbah in Algiers–

music of the streets,
of the village, clubs and bars –

like jazz, and blues, and gospel -
and fado I have known –

they played, they sang,
they stood up and danced –

they made a joyful noise -
old men of the Casbah –

muslim and jewish and other –
getting down together with song.