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Dan Zanes: International Zaniness

by Peter S. Scholtes

Dan Zanes lives and makes music in Brooklyn, New York, with his band Dan Zanes and Friends. He sings songs in English and Spanish that cover styles from around the world, and he collaborates with dozens of people from all over. We called him recently to ask a few questions.

What is deportation, and why can it be bad?

Deportation is when the government sends you back to your country of origin, even if you’ve lived here for a while. The worst part about it is it splits up families.

What’s the weirdest thing to ever happen at one of your concerts?

I saw a baby’s diaper get changed in front of me once. That was pretty wild.

Well, at least the baby might have enjoyed that diaper change!

Yeah, I hope someone got something out of that experience.

What is your favorite thing about living in Brooklyn?

The diversity. Everybody’s here! It would be the fourth largest city in the country if it weren’t already part of New York City. I think the American dream is alive and well here in a way that it isn’t quite for a lot of people in other parts of New York. And any time I’ve been interested in music from somewhere of the world, I’ve been able to find somebody here in Brooklyn who can play it, who can teach me what’s happening.

Listen to Dan Zanes’s “Granito de Mostaza.”

This song was originally published as part of The Welcome Table in 2008. © Copyright 2008 by Festival Five Records.

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