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The King of Pop Michael Jackson also died in Panama
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After a short time in the United States, I arrived back in Panama on 25 June 2009 around 6:45 pm (Panama time; equivalent to US Central time). As we touched down and cell phones were permitted, messages came across with news of Michael Jackson’s death. The plane was a mixture of primarily Panamanian residents and American visitors and the news was shared in English and Spanish from the front to the back of the plane before most of us had exited. The buzz continued in the immigration lines, mixing bits of information collected from various flights and even the airport agents.
By Friday morning my hotel television had few channels that were not talking about Jackson, showing clips from his videos, or interviewing people for their reactions. The cable television offered CNN in English and Spanish and people of both languages were expressing many of the thoughts I personally had. Growing up a child of the 80’s, Michael Jackson was an icon of my childhood and the defining music of each sleepover party (where we would practice the dance moves to Thriller). Despite what many of us wish we never heard about the later years of Jackson’s life, there is little doubt that he was a talent who helped to define an era of music. He was the King of Pop.
By early afternoon I arrived in El Cope, the community where I live in Coclé province. We rolled down the windows as we entered the cooler mountain temperatures and what did I hear? Michael Jackson. The local people had dug out their CDs, or perhaps even cassettes, and were paying a tribute to Michael Jackson. The man working at the fruit stand held up the daily newspaper and announced to me that the King of Pop died. He then proceeded to ask me how much I thought it had cost Michael Jackson get plastic surgery and what the name of his chimpanzee was. As with me and my American friends I talked to about the passing, first sorrow for the loss of a great talent, and then intrigue about who really was the Man in the Mirror.
Anyone visiting Panama will find it easy enough to drive down a street in Panama City, see a McDonald’s and draw an association between the United States and Panama. However, I was admittedly surprised by the parallels in reactions between the Americans and Panamanians in light of the death of Michael Jackson. In even the more remote areas where unique cultures are still hanging on, the global connection that things like music can bring are equally as strong. As a tourist, take a moment to appreciate the differences that you will surely notice in Panama, but also take a moment to see the similarities shared the world over.
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A parade with traditional music in Panama (photo by Glenn Lubin)
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