Pablo M. (Harry) Burkett<pburke@meyosp.mecon.ar> Date: Mon, 06 Jan 97
Dear Mr. Chancellor:
Maybe you will receive the message: We want a Maxwell Street Historic Preservation District incorporated into the University of Illinois' plans for commercial redevelopment of the Maxwell Street area. But I am quite sure, Mr. Chancellor, that none of those will come from a place so south as this, because I am writing you from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Please let me introduce myself: My name is Pablo M. Burkett, my friends use to call me Harry, I am a lawyer, I am 31 years old and I am very interested in everything connected with blues: music, history, performers, etc. If you ask me why a person from the "gaucho's land" is interested in this particular aspect of American music, I would have to answer that you will be very surprised to know how large is the blues tradition in our country.
We have a lot of local blues bands, many with more than 20 years on the routs, and in every square, every park you visit for the week-end, you can find a band of unknown people, doing their best, not for fame, just for the pleasure of music, blues music.
All the famous blues stars (and many not enough yet) have visited us, since B.B. King and Buddy Guy from the late Albert King and Albert Collins. Some people is starting to study this always growing blues phenomena and they have found many similar topics with our typical music: the Tango.
I would like to say, if I could, that if your read some tango lyrics and compare them with some blues lyrics you will find the same guidelines: the old pain, the same anguish, the same happiness, the same man. The same life.
That is the reason that people should work together to preserve the same roots: We love our country, we love our city of Buenos Aires and our blues is eminently local blues, but Mr. Chancellor, we would not know nothing about blues, if the Maxwell Street was never existed.
Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Broski. Thank you very much, in advance, for your concern about this matter.
Yours truly.
Harry Burkett.
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