on a perfect early spring evening in Tompkins Square Park, the music of a person (pronouns fluid, if you are up to date) who calls his band Pinc Louds. He began in 2015 playing in the New York City subways for spare change, and now he goes all over the world, but also does his thing in New York at places like Joe’s Pub and Lincoln Center and Poisson Rouge. Still plays gigs for free in the Park though, as a fixture of the East Village.
He’s from Puerto Rico, and in his few hours not occupied with music he’s known as Claudi.
Dogs walked their people all over the place.
Pinc Louds worked out on his guitar, though sometimes he prefers electrified mbira.
The friend I strolled with has played with him before – she’s a fantastic mbira player too. She describes his voice as Billie Holiday in Puerto Rico. Sometimes he has giant puppets with him. Wish I’d seen that.
I especially liked the lyrics of one of his songs:
A little girl she tells me I got soul
She sees it when I sing
Yes, a little girl she tells me I got soul
She sees it when I sing
I tell a girl your eyes are getting old
You couldn’t tell a mountain from a hole
‘cause I can’t feel a thing
No, I can’t feel a thing
No, not even when I sing
[Chorus]
I’ve got no soul in my body
I’ve just got soul in my brain
I’ve got no soul in my body
I’ve just got soul in my brain
Cause there’s no soul in our bodies
Just soul in our brains
[Verse 1]
Ooh, Singin’
My heart ain’t singin’
And still
You’re wishin’ on it like you’re wishin’ on a wishing well
The drops sink to the murky depths of hell
I saw you once and you
Your little stars were true
Please take me up with you
[Verse 2]
So press me to your dress
And press me to your thighs
And press me to your chest
Caress me ‘til I’m blessed into the tide
Rushing to your blushing blood inside
And though the die is cast
And I am sinking fast
I feel alive at last
[Chorus]
I’ve got no soul in my body
I’ve just got soul in my brain
I’ve got no soul in my body
I’ve just got soul in my brain
Cause there’s no soul in our bodies
Just soul in our brains
Under the shade of a big old tree in the park, just leafing out, dusk fell. Yes, Virginia, there are big old trees on the Lower East Side of New York City.
Critics have deemed Pinc Louds “the band that saved summer” because it appeared in the park during the pandemic and lifted everybody’s spirits. People of all ages danced and went wild, with socially distanced mosh pits.
Someone’s observation underfoot. Not necessarily true, at least on this good-luck night.
Claudi and his wife have a baby at home. He told me that the child has watched him “transition” into his performance getup, but hasn’t yet had any kind of reaction. You can check out Pinc Louds on YouTube.
Pinc Louds, you can wear whatever you want, whatever look you want to rock. Just keep singing.
Your music is splendid.
Jean Zimmerman 