By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
September 10, 2019
Andrés Salguero and Christina Sanabria make up the husband-wife team 123 Andrés. Though based out of Reston, Virginia, the Grammy Award-winning duo is rarely at home. “Our concert schedule takes us to so many places and we always arrive ready to explore,” says Sanabria. “Recently we performed in Lake Jackson, which is south of Houston. We had never heard of this city before, but we ended up having a lot of fun. This is one reason we love being performers — we get to arrive to a new city or town with no plans and get tips from the families who live there. No city, town or neighborhood should be written off as boring or a dump. Every place has something to show us, if you are willing and open to seeing it.” 123 Andrés performed at Lollapalooza this summer and are currently on tour supporting their latest album, “Canta las Letras.” Fans may stay in touch with them via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Q. If you could only pick one place to eat on the road, would you choose a casual meal at a street cart or fine dining at a nice restaurant?
Christina: We definitely prefer a casual meal at a street cart. We’re most at home in casual spots. Eateries don’t have to be fancy to be amazing. We were in Chicago and friends took us to Freddy’s Pizza in Cicero. It’s a no-frills spot, but it has amazing, homemade Italian food and the gelato is a must. We’ve been back several times since.
Andrés: We have had memorable meals at nice restaurants, though. One that sticks in my mind is El Naranjo in Austin that specializes in Mexican food from Oaxaca. We had several different types of mole and they had so much flavor. Unforgettable.
Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?
Andrés: Yes, I grew up in Colombia, so Spanish is my first language. I also am working on learning Portuguese.
Christina: I grew up in the States, but always spoke Spanish at home. I started taking French in grade school and continued through college. I always love an opportunity to practice.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
Andrés: We would love to visit West Africa. Friends from Senegal have shared travel suggestions with us. It’s a beautiful culture. For us as Latin American musicians and teaching artists, so much of the rhythms we work with — from the Caribbean and Brazil, Mexico and Colombia alike — have their roots in Africa, from when Africans were brought to the Americas as slaves. Our Afro-Latino heritage is always front and center. I would love to learn from folk musicians in West Africa and experience that connection firsthand. An added bonus is that in Senegal, Christina would get to practice speaking French.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
Andrés: I was born in Bogotá, which is a huge city tucked in between the Andes mountain range and it’s surrounded by a lovely countryside with green mountains. One day, we were driving in Northern California and when I looked up, I felt an incredible sense of déjà vu. Sonoma County is so similar to the area surrounding Bogotá. On those two-lane highways spotted by cows and eucalyptus trees, surrounded by endless green, I thought I was in Boyacá or Cundinamarca province in Colombia. It was magical.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
Christina: Every place has specialty foods and delicacies and it’s hard to resist. One memorable experience was in Nashville when we went to Monell’s, a true family-style restaurant. They seat you at a huge table with perfect strangers and you make conversation as you pass dishes around the table with fried fish, potatoes, cornbread and more. By the end of the meal you may have made a new friend.
Andrés: For me it’s Prohibition Creamery, a spot in Austin that serves spirits-infused ice cream. We get to visit Austin a few times a year for concerts and we always try to make it to Prohibition Creamery. Another spot we love is 85 Degrees C Bakery. It’s a chain café that we first experienced in California but has spread east — now they’re in Texas, too! They serve specialty coffee drinks and Christina loves their bubble tea. The best part is the amazing Taiwanese-style breads and pastries. Rolls filled with red bean paste? Taro puff pastry? Matcha buns? Yes, please!
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
Christina: Traveling as much as we do, a little snafu can easily turn into a logistics disaster. One time we landed in Mammoth Lakes near Lake Tahoe. I walked up to the rental car counter only to learn that I had scheduled the reservation to pick up the day before we landed. Since we had been marked as a no-show, they had given our car away and in the height of ski season, there were no rental cars available for miles around. Luckily there was a near miracle and within a few hours a car materialized. But I always double and triple check our reservations now.
Andrés: There are definitely more beautiful memories than stressful ones. One time in south Texas, a family invited us to breakfast at their home the morning after our concert, because their little girl was so in love with our music. We have experienced so much generosity and love from fans and perfect strangers. When we travel, we’ve learned that when we radiate kindness and joy, that is the same energy that we will receive in return.
© 2019 JAE-HA KIM
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