Karito courted the 28-year-old and eventually met her parents, who agreed that she could join him on his musical journey. Then she went to Bolivia and learned about its culture. After overcoming her initial shyness she learned to play some instruments, dance and sing in Quechua (the original language of the Incas), hence her difficulty remembering the lyrics sometimes. They communicate in a mix of Spanish, Chinese and English.
Back in Ximending, Karito and Shalina are into their fourth or fifth song and a crowd of about 50 people has gathered. Kids, in particular, are spellbound by the performance. When they sing Ananau together, with its powerful chorus line, a tourist from China confides, "You know they're Aboriginals, don't you?"
"This happens quite often," Karito says, laughing. "Our music is similar because it comes from the mountains and from the heart. But in Bolivia we have many different kinds of rhythms, like the potosi, lambada and thinku. Thinku is a fight dance. People used to fight until someone died and then the farmers spread the blood on the ground, a sacrifice to the gods for good harvests. This was before the Spanish came (in the 16th century), when our gods were in nature."
"We also have sad songs because life can be tough in Bolivia. I worked in the salt mines for two years to pay tuition at university. We used coca leaves and cigarettes to keep us going. Many people died of tuberculosis in their 40s. But I don't sing so many of these songs when I perform, because I prefer to sing happy songs for the people."
"I don't want to return to Bolivia right now because I haven't lived there for so long. It has changed and I have changed. I've got used to traveling. When I was young, about 15, I worked with my father in the dispensary. My mother wanted me to be an office worker, but I would rather be an artist. For me it's not hard work when I sing and play, it makes me happy. If I could not do this I would be empty."
Karito is currently working on an album of his own songs and can be contacted at caritoed
@hotmail.com
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