The eye-catching young man entered the subway car holding his bass-fiddle naked – the bass was without case or cover. Unprotected. I wondered how he dared do that; expose his instrument to the whims of weather. He was tall, handsome, with a couple of 24 hours worth of 5 o’clock shadow. While contemplating why he would take such a risk, two small perfectly crafted character-driven men wearing sombreros entered the car in his wake. They had guitars. Ah ha. As the door slide shut behind them, they began to sing and play ‘Guantanamera’ to the delight of the packed car. The Gringos are smiling. After only two choruses, one guitar player stopped and began to pass his hat, upended, among the crowd. I saw only paper money [including mine] dropping in as he made his way first north, and then south through the riders. One passenger shouted out ‘more’ but within seconds we reached the station and the three popped out of the car. It added such a festive feeling to the ride.