Margarita Pracatan, the Cuban singing sensation with a better grasp on joie de vivre than your average French person, remains one of my favorite strangers interviewed for this site. I first saw her back in the UK in the mid-1990s on a television show hosted by raconteur/author/critic/everyman Clive James, and now she’s received a warm mention in James’ most recent volume of his ongoing autobiography.
In “The Blaze of Obscurity” — well worth a read even if you’re unfamiliar with James — he has generally kind words for this special woman who has made New York City her adopted hometown. These sentences ring particularly true:
She was even more exuberant when she wasn’t singing than when she was. . . . The connection was purely Platonic but the guys had to eat amphetamines to stay with her. . . . With Margarita in our lives, we could never relax — a frequent result when you finally meet your dream girl.
I tend to agree. Whenever I’m in New York I try and meet up with her. When 3am rolls around and I’m bleary eyed and can feel the onset of a headache from too much white wine, she’s still raring to pour another glass and keep on laughing, talking and singing.
I’m always looking to meet out-sized personalities for an interview, so if that’s you, or someone you know, feel free to book a dinner.