By Franco Contino @NTD_la
Editor's note: While we recharge our batteries at Zonagirante.com after such a strange start to the year, we asked our friends at NTD.la for permission to republish this article, originally written in 2015. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Spring was shining throughout the province of Buenos Aires, and also in the town of Munro. It was Friday, October 8, 1993. It wasn't the first time he had skipped school to seek adventures in the Family Park. However, I never imagined that one day I would meet Michael Jackson.
The King of Pop had been touring for a year already. The album launch Dangerous It had started in Munich in June 1992. After the classic visit to the capitals of Europe, Michael took his music and paraphernalia to cities such as Bangkok, Taipei, Istanbul and Tel Aviv, among other destinations. Latin America followed: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile welcomed the star like a demigod.
He had arrived at Ezeiza the previous morning, protected by an umbrella in the colors of the Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata supporters' club—although for many, the choice of blue and white was a tribute to the Argentine flag. During the day, Maikel rested so he would be fresh for the dinner with then-President Menem and his family. That night, the former president gave the star a compact disc with songs by Charly García and Celeste Carballo.
“I had been told that Michael Jackson wanted to visit me, and we arranged an audience. My children, Zulemita and Carlitos, when they learned that I was going to receive him, asked to be present. And I agreed, of course.””"," the former president later recalled.
After the friendly dinner, Michael retired to his room at the Hyatt Hotel in Retiro, located with its back to Villa 31, which by then already showed some two-story shacks among its sheet metal and cardboard constructions. A few months later, Madonna and the Rolling Stones would greet the people from that same presidential balcony of the hotel.
The next day, Michael went out to play. First, he visited a shopping mall, then he got into his limousine and drove about 40 minutes north. Before reaching Unicenter, on National Route 9, The King and his entourage turned left. The destination was Family Park, a makeshift amusement park located next to the Pan-American Highway. At that same time I got off the bus on San Lorenzo Street, located half a block from the roller coaster.
From there you could see the throng of young people waiting outside the amusement park. Visiting Family Park was a real craze back then. It had been several years since Buenos Aires had a place with a roller coaster and carnival games. Its predecessor, Italpark, had closed its doors due to a tragedy at the Matterhorn. Returning to the rides was a joy for almost everyone. However, no tickets were sold that afternoon.
Michael Jackson had been hired by the Argentine businessman Héctor Cavallero who years later claimed in radio statements that he had been obsessed with bringing the pop star to River: he wanted to meet him. «"We had to get him an amusement park here and close it off so he could use it all by himself. I called Pichuqui Mendizábal, who was one of the owners. Michael went to see it, escorted by some boys. That filled me with great tenderness and pity,", story.
At that time I had no idea who he was. I did know some of his topics, though, such as Thriller, Black or White, And some others. When I saw the cameras and the crowd gathered at the door of the Family, I suspected something important was happening there. I peeked out and there I saw him. He seemed very tall, very tall, and even a little clumsy. I asked who that man with the glove was. As soon as they told me it was him, I learned to like him, though not without some resentment at not being able to enter the park "for security reasons.".
Channel 13 broadcast the recital on delay and exclusively covered every step of the star in the country.
I went back home and found his records. My parents liked some of his songs., So the next day I had to go to River Plate Stadium to witness their first show in Argentina. The stage was imposing. One hundred tons of equipment were used in its construction, which traveled with the delegation on two Boeing 747 aircraft.
The concert began with the song Jam. However, before the stadium was filled with pop melodies, Michael gave a performance in which he stood motionless on stage for more than four minutes. The crowd, roused, began to chant the typical «"Olé olé olé olé, Maikel, Maikel.". Since the singer didn't react, some risked a controversial “A minute of silence for Maikel, who is dead.” which caused more than a few laughs among the attendees. That unforgettable moment can be heard in the video of the show, which can be seen on YouTube.
For the last song, a stunt double was used who was secretly swapped with Jackson to fly over the stadium with a rocket-powered backpack. The actor was Kinnie Gibson and he accompanied Michael throughout the tour, which eventually extended until mid-1994. Gibson was taller than Michael, quite tall, and even a bit clumsy. They say he also worked for Slash. Others claim he was the one who visited Family Park that afternoon during the Menem era. Only they know the truth. Years earlier, in 1988, Jackson had purchased the Neverland Ranch amusement park, located in Santa Barbara, California. Those who have visited it say that the Ghost Train at the Ranch is not nearly as scary as the one in Munro.
