Amalia Quiñones

24 memories9 places

Showing 4 of 24 memories

~1980

1 songAdded Oct 4, 2026

Héctor Lavoe in Mexico

Somebody put on “Periódico de Ayer” at a party and I started crying. Not dramatically. I just suddenly had tears in my eyes and had to go to the bathroom because I didn't want anybody asking what was wrong. Nothing was wrong. Héctor Lavoe had been around me for years in Puerto Rico and I barely paid attention. I was the one listening to rock records and making fun of what the grownups listened to. Then I heard him in Mexico and all I could think about was home. I stayed in the bathroom until I stopped crying and then went back out and pretended nothing happened. I don't think anyone noticed.

Mexico City, Mexico

Periódico de Ayer — Héctor Lavoe

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1979

1 songAdded Oct 4, 2026

The record with the white lines

Andrés brought over a record with a black cover and these strange white lines on it. I asked what it was and instead of answering he put it on. It didn't sound like the rock I knew. At first I wasn't even sure I liked it. Then he played it again. I ended up borrowing it and keeping it for weeks until he finally came looking for it. Joy Division sent me down a completely different path with music. Siouxsie and the Banshees came after that, and The Cure. I was 28 and suddenly felt like there was a whole new kind of music I knew nothing about. That was a wonderful feeling.

Mexico City, Mexico

Unknown Pleasures — Joy Division

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~1978

1 photoAdded Oct 4, 2026

The apartment with the terrible water heater

The apartment in Mexico had a water heater that worked whenever it felt like it. You would turn on the shower and wait, and sometimes you got hot water and sometimes you just stood there bargaining with it. There were three of us living there for a while. Nobody ever had any money. The kitchen table was also a desk and a place for developing contact sheets and somewhere to leave records. I don't know why I remember that apartment so fondly. At the time we complained about it constantly. I would probably hate living there now.

Mexico City, Mexico

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1977

1 photo · 1 bookAdded Oct 4, 2026

Six months in Mexico

I went to Mexico thinking I would stay six months. I had a friend of a friend there and somewhere I could sleep when I arrived. That was basically the entire plan. Mami was convinced something terrible was going to happen to me. Papá was quieter about it, which somehow made leaving harder. I remember packing Rayuela because apparently that was essential, while forgetting several things I actually needed. Mexico City overwhelmed me immediately. I had never lived anywhere that big. For the first few weeks I was constantly lost. Six months became a year without me really deciding anything. Then another year. I stayed almost five.

Puerto Rico · Mexico City, Mexico

Rayuela — Julio Cortázar

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