>>[Jorge] Hey folks.

Today on Crossing South we visit the local Tijuana professional basketball team, and we visit a local gypsy polka rock group, all on today's episode of Crossing South.

(Crossing South theme music) >>You know folks another thing you can do in Tijuana, another source of entertainment, is professional sports.

We did the Xolos in one of our episodes.

Well now we're at the Municipal Auditorium, The Auditorio Municipal, so let's go check some moves out and see what this is all about.

Come follow us along.

(rock music) >>[Jorge] In a country where soccer is king we found a genuine alternative in spectator sports recreation.

>>So folks, we're here with Nasser Milanes, very nice to meet you my friend.

>>Thank you.

>>The sports director of the Zonkeys.

Tell me about this team.

When did it begin?

The Zonkeys here in Tijuana?

>>Well actually we started in 2010.

>>2010.

>>2010.

So we have two years in this project.

This is our third year.

And every year is better and better, right?

>>Now tell me Nasser, what's the story, or the history of basketball in Tijuana?

>>In the 1970s this auditorium was very full, very, very full with a lot of people, a lot of kids because there was a team called Dragones de Tijuana.

>>[Jorge] In the 70s?

>>In the 70s.

>>And it was a popular Tijuana team?

>>Yeah, the first one.

And they was the first team, the first places, very good team.

>>Really.

>>We won a championship in that year.

>>[Jorge] Oh, so you have some American players.

How many American players do you have?

>>We have three American players.

>>Three American players.

>>The rule is three American players, one Mexican American and one National A.

>>[Jorge] And the rest have to be local?

>>Local players.

>>So, you know, you probably go to the local college basketball games, right?

>>Yes.

>>Local universities?

>>All over.

>>And I bet the kids know who you are.

>>Everybody knows who I am.

>>Oh he's here, he's here, look at me, look at me.

>>Oh, he's here I have to play hard, I have to play hard.

But, like I told you before, I have 90 emails per day or 100 emails per day.

>>Kids showing you their stuff.

>>Showing their stuff and the highlights and everything.

I have to take all my time to see if there's a Jeremy Lin over there.

>>Oh really?

>>Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>>Looking for the next Linsanity, yeah?

>>Lin Zonkey sanity.

>>[Jorge] Well, it's a very, very fantastic experience for folks back home in the states who maybe didn't even know that there was professional basketball circuit in Mexico, let alone in Baja here in Tijuana.

What's the best way for a fan to really get into the basketball experience here with the Zonkeys?

(rock music) >>Well Nasser, I don't think it gets any closer than this, right?

>>Perfect.

Now you are my ball boy he's going to be the 6th man >>The sixth man.

All right, all right.

Well, although, obviously this isn't available for the fans you're going to show me some pointers on TJ basketball, right?

>>Yeah, I'm going to tell you that you're ski-- you have to be very skilled.

All right?

>>Okay, okay.

>>All right.

>>Don't know if it'll make a difference that instead of, like, Air Jordans, I'm wearing, like, my Sketcher tennis shoes.

So I'm about to incur the wrath of a real professional basketball team, and you'll see what it is for a nonprofessional player, for just a normal Joe like you at home, to play with these guys.

Okay, let's go.

(laughter) (fast paced drum music) (laughter) (laughter) >>Block, block.

That's what they call a block.

>>Well folks in this league each team has a quota of three foreign players.

Well, this is it, right here.

How you doin' my man?

>>How you doin'?

>>What's your name?

>>Marcus Morrison.

>>Marcus Morrison, and?

>>Darnell Hugee.

>>Darnell?

>>Darnell Hugee.

>>Darnell, Darnell Hugee, and?

>>Cyrus Tate.

>>Cys Tate?

>>Cyrus Tate.

>>Cyrus Tate.

Well, guys, what's it like playing in Mexico, of all places?

>>You go first.

>>It's exciting, you know, it's a different experience, you know, the fans are real excited and they're real friendly and it's a beautiful place, you know.

Tijuana is a beautiful place.

>>I never expected to be in a Latin country playing ball.

You always thought about Europe.

But, I mean, it's fun.

So far it's fun for me.

I like it.

>>How long have you been playing in Mexico?

>>It'll be my second year playing in Mexico for the Zonkeys.

It's been fun, you know, I enjoyed the last season and I wanted to come back.

I was really excited.

>>Where are you guys from?

Where are you from?

>>I'm from St.

Petersburg, Florida.

>>St.

Petersburg, Florida.

>>Brooklyn, New York.

>>Brooklyn, New York.

>>Chicago, Illinois.

>>Oh my goodness.

So we have, we're well represented, the U.S.

here, right?

>>Right.

>>If your friends from the U.S.

come and see a game are they going to enjoy it?

>>Yeah, they'd enjoy it.

I think we're pretty exciting to watch.

>>A lot of competition.

Guys play hard, you know, the young guys play hard.

So overall it's a good league to play in and it's fun, that's why I came back this year.

>>There you have it folks, the American contingent in this Tijuana pro basketball team.

Now can you guys show me some pointers on how to play a little bit of the game.

>>Oh man, you wanna learn how to dunk?

>>Aww.

(laughter) >>I twisted my ankle.

Oh boy.

Oh.

At 5-11 I don't think so.

How tall are you guys?

How tall are you?

Six what?

>>Six-six.

>>Six-six.

>>Six-seven.

>>Six-seven.

You're a little bit above six-seven, right?

>>Yeah I'm about six-nine.

>>That's the difference between a professional (laughter) Oh my goodness.

I didn't even see him.

(laughter) I couldn't stop the fast one.

Let's see if I can stop the hefty one.

Okay, the shack.

Oh my goodness.

Oh my, this guys a beast.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

(laughter) He's a monster.

(laughter) Oh boy.

Okay so we've been doing really fun activities on this show.

Believe it or not, we did this segment right now without having breakfast.

So we need to do some food.

Off to food we go.

Follow us along.

You know the Mexican answer to the hamburger is the Torta.

That's the Mexican equivalent.

Now since 1964 in TJ there's a very famous joint called the WashMobile Tortas, and the name is because it used to be a stand in front of a car wash.

You know there's a method to these Tortas.

The bun is not as large as with other Tortas.

But it is crammed with meat, lots of avocado, tomato, habanero onions and a classic request.

You have to ask for the top bun to be soaked in the meat stew.

Folks, this is a must.

>>The name WashMobile, it was not, at the first it was not our name.

>>It wasn't the original name of the restaurant.

>>No, the people put us up the name of WashMobile.

>>Moniker stuck, eh?

>>Yeah.

>>What was the original name of this place.

>>Tortas Guadalajara.

>>Guadalajara, oh wow.

>>Yes, that was the original name.

>>And the people who started this restaurant, are they from Guadalajara?

>>Yes, actually, but the recipe, the original recipe, it was created here in Tijuana.

But they come from Guadalajara.

>>So original Baja recipe.

>>Yeah, yeah, totally Baja.

>>So we're going to get to taste it.

You're going to allow us, right?

>>Yeah, actually.

>>So let's go right to it.

Thank you my friend.

Very nice meeting you.

>>Nice to meet you.

>>Okay so this is the Torta.

This is the condiments if you wish to put on.

The hot sauce and this is good stuff folks.

Look at this monster.

It's really not that big, well it is very big.

It is very big, it is very hefty.

I just want you to look at the meat in there.

Incredibly juicy.

It has all of these meat sauces and the meat juices.

And see how juicy that meat is.

They literally have it in all of the meat juices, swimming, before they put it on to your Torta so, I've already dislodged my jaw for other meals on this show so this shouldn't be any different, right?

Oh, that's good.

The spice on that meat is just fantastic.

It's phenomenal.

So, a little bit of wind here, so let me just do that.

I don't think I'll be able to do it this time.

Okay, here goes.

I think there's place in the world where avocados are 10 dollars each.

That would make this a very expensive meal.

Look at this.

It is super tasty.

I wish I could convey to you how juicy and tasty this meal is.

Mmm.

It's probably past two o'clock.

This is the first thing we've eaten today, and it shows.

I'm ready to devour this.

Messy.

Okay, stomach full.

It was time to go back to the basketball game.

(rock music) Okay so we've already experienced the training part.

Now let's check out if these boys can play.

Let's check out a Tijuana basketball game.

A professional basketball game.

(rock music) (crowd cheering) You know, a few things I take away from this game.

There's a family atmosphere.

People seem to be having a very good time.

I am.

And the competition is really good.

These guys can ball.

It's a really good level of talent.

Really good level of play.

Entertaining game.

(shoes squeaking) (whistle blows) (crowd cheers) (ball bouncing) Now regarding the game, our new friends really showed their stuff.

Don't know if they were showing off for our cameras.

Of course they weren't, I'm just being silly, but they really played like it was a dunk contest.

(rock music) (crowd cheering) Folks, for live sports, this game is a really a good alternative to The Final Four or NBA Finals.

Of course, not to that degree or level, but hey, the difference, tickets here, cost you an average of three to four dollars.

So it's a pretty good game for that price.

(rock music) Only in TJ.

I don't think the NCAA or the NBA has this kind of stuff.

It's fun.

(shoes squeaking) You know it's a great experience.

Very unique.

You get a great game, and instead of hot dogs this is a place where you can get a bowl of sushi for under three bucks.

Great experience.

For many years baseball and basketball were king, and far more popular than soccer here in Baja due to the closeness to the U.S.

But as TJ grew with immigrants from the south the popularity of soccer grew as well.

So the crowd here is way different than the one you'll find in soccer games.

Many native Tijuanians who, you could say, are more Americanized, is what you'll find at these games.

You know TJ is one of the most mispronounced cities in the world.

While people popularly call it Tee-a-HUAN-a, the real name is TEE-Huana.

The J is actually pronounced like an H. You know, Tijuana is a city of contrasts.

The difference between the wealthy and the not so wealthy is very evident.

But it does have a charm that is seldom shown by the media.

Especially Hollywood, which almost always focuses on probably the worst parts to satisfy preconceptions and stereotypes.

But the truth is that this city, which is the most visited border town on the planet, is worth exploring with diligence.

And the same goes for its people.

You know, it used to have an anything goes mentality.

Not anymore.

It has acquired a much more enjoyable scene.

Thankfully, it evolved.

And it no longer caters to the drink and vomit tourism.

Can't really complain about that.

Now we heard of a musical group that seems, by all accounts, to walk to the beat of its own drum.

Especially in this environment.

They sounded like my kind of folks.

So we decided to seek them out.

(rock polka music) >>Well folks, we're now here with the, I guess, folk, gypsy, they'll tell us, group, called Ballenas de Jonas, which is Jonah's whale.

And, as you can see, the group is here with me.

So thank you guys for having us here in your jam session.

How long has this group existed, guys?

>>It's been six years right now.

>>Six years?

>>Yes.

>>Six years.

And what is the genre?

I mean what, how do you guys view yourselves, The music you play?

Because the accordion gives it a little bit of aroma, gypsy feel.

You've got a violin.

I mean, it's a very unique group.

So, how do you guys view yourselves?

>>Yeah, it's a kind of mix of different genres.

>>Uh-huh.

Like what?

>>Like polka and tango.

>>Gypsy tango.

>>Yeah.

>>A little bit of jazz and everything, experimental.

>>You know, it's kind of like a folk group but not oriented towards, maybe, the Celtic or Irish but rather the Hispanic, Latin, right?

I mean, European, Greek, I mean there's so many cultures you can think of.

(gypsy polka music) >>I heard that you guys played with the Baja Symphony Orchestra.

Is that true?

>>Right, right, yes.

Well that was like our biggest event, or experience, as musicians.

>>What was that like?

>>Well it was great.

>>It was like a dream, you know.

Dream come true.

(gypsy polka symphony music) >>Did you guys have to do anything, like adjust anything, to be able to play with the orchestra?

>>Yeah, we had to rehearse a lot.

(laughter) We had to be on time for the rehearsals with the orchestra because it was so, so tight.

>>Yeah, you're playing with Russian musicians, you know, these guys are, like, clockwork.

>>I mean, they're not playing games, they have, like, we start seven sharp and no excuses.

>>Now, somebody told me, I don't know if you guys, tell me if this is true, that in order to play with them you guys had to write for the first time, your musical notes.

>>Yeah we had to write all the sheet music.

>>No way.

>>Yeah.

>>That must have been an endeavor if you hadn't done it before right?

>>But with the work, also, of Eduardo Garcia Barrios, the director of the orchestra-- >>He's the director.

>>Yes.

He helped you guys?

>>He helped me do the arrangement, and Andres Marti, who's the Bass player, and they collaborate doing the arrangements for it.

>>Because the orchestra's not going to play by ear, right?

>>No, no, of course not.

(gypsy polka symphony music) >>He literally, he was telling me before, he literally went to this, I guess this house for older people, right?

And he played guitar and an old man said if you learn how to play it I'll give you my accordion, right?

And he played old time music and you learned, in how much time did it take you to learn how to play it.

>>I don't know, I don't know how many times.

>>How many days did it take you?

>>Like two weeks.

>>Like two weeks.

>>I was practicing hard, hard.

>>So in two weeks he comes back to this old man and says, look, and he plays it and the guys gives it to him.

That's a fantastic story.

(gypsy polka music) >>So we start jamming and we said we should start a band.

>>Which brings me to the question what kind of music were you playing before you joined the Ballena de Jonas?

>>It was, more like the same thing.

>>The same kind?

>>Because we were playing, like, the same thing, like polka, and I was composing for that too.

>>Really?

>>I heard those guys and was like, oh that's weird.

I thought was it soundtrack or-- >>Now, why were you playing, a Mexican in TJ, why were you playing Polka?

Is it because of the Norteno Mennonite German influence or is there another reason why you were playing polka?

>>I think because here, on the border, it's a lot of cultures here.

>>Right.

>>You know, a lot of people from different countries, different places, and you get impregnated of all that, kind of, culture, you know.

>>Right, right, right.

So you chose that one, right?

>>Right.

(laughter) (gypsy polka music) >>For me, La Ballena de Jonas, it's a reflect to the reality of the city.

>>[Jorge] The diversity of it.

>>Yeah, it's like, the music reflects the the different-- >>Cultures.

>>The different ways to see the life, >>That's true.

>>to see the future.

>>But you know, at the same time you are unique, because most accordion players are banda players, aren't they?

Norteno players.

And you're playing different music, so, at the same time you're very unique, you know.

>>It's funny, because a couple of shows that we've done in San Diego or in Los Angeles, once they see us, you know, unpack our stuff, and they see Saul, like, with the accordion, they go, like, oh nice, we have a Norteno band.

>>They think you're going to play Mexican cowboy music.

>>Yeah, so once we start with the first chord they go, like, hey, wait a minute, are these guys really from Tijuana.

>>The universe does not make sense.

>>Are these guys really from Tijuana?

Who are they.

So it's kind of cool that we have, like, like a new style, new music, you know, created here in TJ, in Tijuana.

(gypsy polka music) >>You know with globalization I think it's all about fusions of cultures.

You know, people moving and migrating, they bring their own stuff to other places.

I think it's just fantastic.

I remember in Scotland we found a group called Salsa Celtica.

That group plays salsa with bagpipes and fiddles, I mean it's crazy.

But that's what's happening in the world, right?

(gypsy polka music) >>Now I understand that your drummer here is part of the symphony orchestra of Baja.

Is that true?

>>Yep.

>>You've got a mole in here guys.

(laughter) >>It's very interesting, I mean, this group, these guys are, like, lawyers, psychologists, they're communications majors.

I mean, these guys have day jobs but they're playing excellent music as well.

So we were very happy to visit with you guys with Ballena de Jonas.

Thank you for allowing us to be in your jam session.

I have to say I'm really happy to find such an uncommon group like this, which may be one of many in other parts of the world, but here, in this environment, they seem to be but one of a handful of groups trying to implement different sounds and genres to create something new, something original.

So I had to join the action.

(gypsy polka music) >>Thank you.

Tijuana is gaining more and more notoriety worldwide, aptly considered the gateway to Mexico and Latin America.

We hope you continue helping us explore it the next time we cross south.

(upbeat rock music) >>[Announcer] Like to know more about the places you've just seen?

Maps, videos, podcasts and more at crossingsouth.com.

We also do Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.