Out & About
With Scott Emerson

Enjoying the music of Isla Mujeres

One thing I notice a lot when I travel is that music and musicians are everywhere. Not every working musician makes a living by performing on a stage, far from it. In fact, often, the gigs that pay the bills look very different.
While visiting Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun, we experienced a variety of local talent in completely different settings.
One night at dinner, there was a roaming saxophone player who was surprisingly good. Although his job was to create a pleasant background atmosphere, his incredible playing didn’t go unnoticed. Loud applause filled the room after each song.
The next night’s entertainment came in the form of a New Age guitar player. His talent, combined with a wide range of tones, layered beats, and warm lighting, transformed an otherwise average room into something resembling a mystical temple.
Night three brought a full sensory experience: two DJs, an electric violin player, and a fire-dancing troupe that was second to none. The music alone was enough to captivate the room, steady grooves blended with the light, flowing violin, creating a mood that seemed to drift beyond the space, out over the water and into the night. The fire dancers were simply the icing on the cake.