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Charo shows Skagit Casino she's more than a 'cuchi cuchi' girl

Charo shows Skagit Casino she's more than a 'cuchi cuchi' girl
by Richard Kennedy - SGN A&E Writer Charo April 5 @ Skagit Valley Casino Resort The Gays made the trek to Skagit Valley Casino Resort last week to see Charo in a rare Pacific Northwest appearance. Those of us who were only familiar with her sassy "cuchi cuchi" phrase, buxom curves and silly slaughtering of the English language got to find out what she is really about, and that's her passion for guitar. Charo entered from the side and spun around to center stage in front of her band, clad in a red jumpsuit covered in fringe, beads, sequins and just about anything else that sparkles. Strutting around on her trademark platform high-heels and twirling her ponytail around from the top her head, she opened with a high-spirited Spanish number called "Ole". The years have not slowed Charo down at all. By the second number, she was shaking her stuff down the aisle and into the audience, pressing her ample curves into the faces of many unexpecting male guests. In no time, she charmed everyone in the house and continued the show with lots of jokes about celebrities and even herself. Some of the fun is a little lost when Charo mispronounces words these days. It's obvious that it's part of the act, and so is the ditzy blonde thing. It's also true that the jumpsuit had extra padding for about every curve she has. Her act is campy, she's been in the business for many years. She knows all that, and that's why it works. "I know what you are thinking&how old is THAT BITCH?!" she joked. While showing off her svelte figure in her Mackie-esque jumper, she told the audience that she hoped they appreciated how much she had to sacrifice to fit into it. "I came to America to make enough money to eat, now I make enough money in America, but I have to starve myself to fit into my clothes!" The performance was entertaining. You can't help but get caught up with her personality, even though the vocals were a little lacking, almost sounding lip-synched. By the middle of the show she explained that she was going to change the format, and show us the "real Charo." She told us that when she first came to America, she was playing her guitar on The Tonight Show when she exclaimed "cuchi cuchi!" and the country went crazy. She continued on with the act, stating that she was able to "cuchi cuchi all the way to the bank" because of it. Her passion in life is her guitar, and Charo trained with a world famous guitar player in her teens before even coming to the States. By the time she got here, she was already booked in Vegas. And because of her young age, they dressed her up, covered her in make-up, teased her hair and created the "look" of Charo. With that story, the Latin icon put on a sequined jacket to cover her shoulders, grabbed her stool and sat down with her classical guitar, the one that the country of Spain gifted to her when they declared her "The Ambassador of Music." With quiet intensity she began with a classic Spanish song, hypnotizing the audience with her fingers gliding all over the guitar. By the next number, a flamenco song that invoked all the passion of the dance without any dancers, Charo had sweat dripping from her forehead. She moved all around her stool, raising and lowering the guitar, shouting random "OLE's!" while plucking and pulling on the strings. No one in the audience could move, we just stared in awe! She tossed her hair around in every direction, gyrating her body without even moving off of the stool. Just when we thought Charo couldn't give us anymore, she finished with a song written by a blind composer, who wrote the piece in his Spanish hometown known for it's fragrances and water fountains. The piece was based on the smells and the sounds of the water around him, and she was moved people to tears when she played it, easily conveying everything he intended with the piece. The silly Charo act from the beginning was a distant memory. Charo left on a high note, putting the guitar way, grabbing the microphone and strutting back out into the audience for "Love Is In The Air." Who doesn't like to dance with a legend? Most everyone was up on their feet with her, snapping photos and ignoring the overproduced music and barely audible vocals. Yet, none of that seems to matter after you experience the real Charo.