Transcript: Mayor Bill De Blasio Delivers Remarks at WBAI Latin Music Benefit Fundraiser

April 1, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Buenas noches a todos.

[Applause]

First off, I just want to speak for a minute because this is such a special night and [inaudible] get back to the music. 

I want to thank Arnie Segarra. If you know Arnie Segarra – for decades he has been an activist. He has been someone making our city better. And we've listened to his wisdom for many decades and he's a dear friend. Please thank Arnie Segarra for all he's done for New York [inaudible].

[Applause]

And we want to be here tonight – we want to be here tonight because the New York City we love – the New York City we love is one in which we preserve the culture of all peoples – we uplift the culture of all peoples. WBAI has done that for decades. 

[Applause]

And when mainstream media didn't represent all our people and all our culture and all our music, WBAI did. 

[Applause]

And the wonderful shows and the wonderful hosts that are here. And also S.O.B.'s has been a place we can depend on to represent the music and culture of the whole world. 

[Applause]

And it introduced all communities to the richness of our music and heritage. I have an S.O.B.'s story that is very simple. When I was working in the Mayor's Office, I met my wonderful wife, our First Lady, Chirlane McCray. 

[Applause]

And we were young and free, and we were dating, and all those wonderful things. And – but one night, I went out with one of my friends – a guy named Patrick Gaspard who a lot of people know. And we wanted to go to S.O.B.'s and the reason we went to S.O.B.'s was because Fela Kuti was playing. 

[Applause]

So another amazing example of what this place has brought to New York City – what we have experienced here. 

By the way, who here has seen the show "Fela!" on Broadway? It's an amazing –

[Applause]

So whether it is the music of Africa, the music of Latin America, it has happened here. The Afro-Cuban tradition – everything here at S.O.B.'s has made us stronger and richer. So we wanted to honor S.O.B.'s and honor Larry Gold who has done so much to make this a home – a culture for all. And [inaudible] great work of WBAI. 

Jordan Gold is going to accept this proclamation, so [inaudible] very simple. I'm not going to read [inaudible]. I'll say this – this proclamation says that the City of New York values everything that has happened here at S.O.B.'s. 

[Applause]

We value – we value the fact that Larry Gold believed that all this music and culture had to be heard. And so we proclaim this Larry Gold Day in the City of New York. [Inaudible]

[Applause]

I think that's enough of speaking. La música – la música continúa.

[Applause]