Meeting Victor Velasquez

Saturday afternoon on Holbox, Tim was playing his mandolin on the street while I was shopping for a little dress and two musicians stopped to introduce themselves to him. They told him that there is a very good music teacher on the island, who also makes mandolins in his workshop by the beach. Tim tracked him down later, and found him in one of the oldest cafes in the central square – El Colibri. I later joined them and had a great chat with him. It turns out that he is not the man we saw signing in the central square (who also teaches music). He is Victor Velasquez. One of a kind, and a fascinating person.

28 years ago he got tired of the city and moved to Holbox. There was no power on the island back then, and on his quest for freedom he decided to build a sail boat. No need for gasoline, just pure wind. And so he did, and sailed along the coast of Yucatan for a few years, and always returning home to Holbox. He always played music, and one day a friend introduced him to the mandolin and 17th century repertoire – which he enjoyed very much. And as life on Holbox may seem calm, terrible storms are bound to hit hard once in awhile and one day a big hurricane caused a lot of damage to his boat. He tried to fix it, purchased some good wood and arranged to have it delivered to the peer of Chiquila, ready for the ferry to Holbox. The wood got stolen, and Victor Velasquez decided that this must be a sign and instead of fixing his damaged boat, he would take it apart and use the wood. That’s how he started to make string instruments. Improvising and making his own special tools, he began to make mandolins. And he began to teach music to the children of the island. Other hurricanes came and many times he had to start over. New wood, new house, new instruments. He says that life brings him gifts and he is grateful, humbly making the very best he can with them.

On Saturday night at the Colibri on isla Holbox, Victor Velasquez sang a song about the Mexican soul, and I will cherish that moment forever. An incredible stroke of good fortune made my path cross his that night. What a privilege. Deeply inspiring.