“Cícero” is the the second number from Se Nos Fue La Mano to be put to video this year, the theatrical but elegant debut record from Alegría Rampante. In January, the Puerto Rican pop group gracefully walked the line between gorgeous and creepy with “El Recipiente/Tsunami.” Like everything frontman Eduardo Alegría and company do, it was dramatic — and clocking in at nearly 12 minutes, it could easily qualify as a short film. This time, however, things are simpler. “Cicero” is a humbly styled, straightforward homage to Eduardo’s performance roots in theater and dance.
All of the patched-together footage was shot by Eduardo himself on Hi8 back in 1992, when he was studying in New York. Aesthetically, it’s as fuzzy as you’d expect, and it’s interpspersed with clearer, present-day clips of the band. But we’re talking about Eduardo Alegría here. From the solo improvisational dance rehearsals, to the goofing around with friends, to random glimpses of the city, the footage is magical in all its nostalgia — even more so when set to the opulent turbulence of “Cicero.”