Thalia en la Casa Blanca para Celebracion de 5 de Mayo, 2001

Thalia conto un popurri de Ranchera Mexicanas: “El Son De La Madrugada,” “Cucurrucucu Paloma,” “La Malaguena” y mas.

WASHINGTON — Cinco de Mayo, derided in Mexico as a second-tier holiday, reached higher ground Friday when it was celebrated by the Bush administration on the White House grounds.

On a hot, humid Friday, the first couple, Texans, pulled out all the stops as they hosted some 300 guests, an array of high-profile Hispanic leaders, performing stars and community activists to commemorate the first Cinco de Mayo Fiesta on the South Lawn of the White House.

The United States and Mexico now share ties of history, familia, values, commerce and culture,” President Bush said, as he greeted the crowd in both languages. “Cinco de Mayo is a day for special pride and remembrance for people on dos lados de la frontera [two sides of the border]. It’s a reminder of the pride, of the proud heritage of many Americans and the warm and growing friendship between two great nations. It’s a day worth celebrating.”

He added in Spanish, “Mi Casa Blanca es su Casa Blanca. Adios.”

For a celebration that started as a little known effort by Chicano activists in the 1960s to instill pride in Mexican Americans, Cinco de Mayo celebrations now are held all over the United States.

Some in the South Lawn crowd were awed by the festivities held in the shadow of the White House as Mexican pop star Thalia, accompanied by mariachi bands belted out traditional songs such as “Mexico Lindo y Querido.”

In Mexican tradition, the ranchero singer and soap-opera star, Pablo Montero, serenaded first lady Laura Bush with the song, “La Malaguena,” and Thalia twirled a bashful George P. Bush, the president’s nephew.

“You dance pretty good,” Thalia cooed to the younger Bush. “Let me tell you.”

Source: Orlando Sentinel http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-05-05/news/0105050132_1_cinco-de-mayo-thalia-white-house