Backstreet fans know no barrier

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 27, 2099 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader Submitted By: Published Friday, November 26, 1999, in the Herald-Leader Bolivians come long way to see band up close By Heather Svokos HERALD-LEADER POP CULTURE WRITER For many Hispanic girls, giving up their quincea–era would not be an easy thing to do. If there's an equivalent in the United States to the celebration, it's a debutante ball or a bat mitzvah. Although the quincea–era has been nicknamed a ``sweet 15'' party, it's much grander than the American ``sweet 16.'' It's a centuries-old tradition that can involve thousands of dollars and wedding-scale preparations. For Lina Fernandez of La Paz, Bolivia, it took a back seat to Backstreet. She's been an ardent fan since two years ago, ``when I saw the video on MTV for Get Down (You're the One for Me),'' said Lina, who lived in Lexington for 21/2 years in the early '90s. ``She gets all the magazines, tapes the special and watches it 20,000 times,'' her mother, Veronica Arduz, said from her home in La Paz. In June, Lina, 14, and her sister, Monica, 12, spent their vacation with their aunt, Monica Bowling, a hairdresser at Lexington's Miles & Associates. Knowing that they were such huge Backstreet Boys fans, Aunt Monica promised the girls that if the Boys' tour hit nearby, she would take them. But they went home crushed, since the guys were touring Europe at the time. Two months later, the group announced its U.S. tour, and Lexington was on the calendar. If Bowling and her brother, Luis Arduz, could score tickets, Lina would forfeit the quincea–era she turns 15 on Dec. 19 for a trip to Kentucky. The quincea–era ``is a very, very big deal,'' Veronica Arduz said. ``The girl wears two different dresses, like a princess. It's the party all the girls dream of. ``But as soon as my daughter found out about the Backstreet Boys, she said, `Oh, I don't care about my party.' ``And she couldn't have both of them, of course.'' Going to both shows Now the trick was getting tickets. ``I heard it was going to be so hard to buy the tickets for the concert,'' Arduz said. Dutifully and happily, Uncle Luis set the wheels in motion. He took his place in line outside Rupp Arena one Saturday morning, amid all the ticketmania. ``I've never seen so many 14-year-old girls get up so early,'' he said. He got tickets for his two nieces from Bolivia. And weeks later when the second show was added, he went back for more. He said, ``If they're coming from that far away, they're going to go to both shows,'' Aunt Monica recalled. When Lina's uncle delivered the news over the phone, Veronica Arduz said, ``(Lina) was screaming all over the house, crying. ... She couldn't sit down for a minute.'' But some of the girls at home made fun of Lina and Monica. ``They didn't believe they were going.'' (Hah! When they come home with concert programs and T-shirts, guess who'll get the last laugh?) But was there any regret that Lina would have to forgo an important cultural tradition? ``No,'' Lina said. ``I would give up everything to see them. ... They seem to be so nice inside and out.'' And mother? ``No, not at all,'' Veronica Arduz said. ``This was a dream that she thought she could never have. I knew it would make her so very happy. She can always have a smaller party, she can always have her friends over. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when is she ever going to see them again?'' So, considering all her fan worship, how does Lina think she'll react at tonight's concert will she cry? Lina shakes her head no. ``I cried when I saw Donny Osmond,'' Aunt Monica offers. ``You may cry, you don't know what's gonna happen.'' Mom has a favorite, too If they could ask their favorite Boys any question, Monica said she would ask Nick whether he has a girlfriend. Lina, older and apparently braver, said: ``I would ask Kevin if I could kiss him.'' As much as Lina and her sister Monica love the Boys (Lina is a Kevin woman; Monica's fave is Nick), their mother hasn't exactly remained passive on the subject. ``My mom loves Kevin (Richardson, of Estill County),'' Lina said. ``She thinks he's sexy.'' ``I think they're great,'' her mother said. ``I think Kevin is an angel. They're all beautiful, but Kevin, there's something about his face he's like an angel.'' She is counting the days until her girls return to her in early December. ``It's only the second time I've been away from them, but it's worth it,'' she said. ``My brother and sister are so loving and so generous with them. I'm very grateful that my children have an aunt and uncle that could make this possible for them.'' For tonight's main event, Veronica Arduz had just a few wishes for her daughters: ``I hope they don't faint. I hope they enjoy the concert.'' Comment on this item. Next Item: Lime Magazine's Pop's 10 Most Powerful People. Prev Item: In Their Words: Kevin and Brian