Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - I first had occasion to see Kim Kuzma sing live at Bite Me! on Los Muertos beach, about a year ago. At the time she was unapproachable - or so it seemed to me. When she came a knocking with Mark Rome from The Palm at my sister Gaby's door, enquiring about an apartment that my father rented, I knew I had her.

So she was to be singing at The Palm now, and renting from my family... I knew I wouldn't have to pay cover to see her. I organized the family, along with a few adoptees we've collected through the years, and we went to see her at 10 pm on a Friday night.

I was immediately impressed, not only by her voice, but also by her keen sense of humour. Not long into her show, after she performed Dione Warwick's I Say A Little Prayer for You, a man stumbled onto the stage and professed his undying love to his male partner, who was obviously cringing in the shadows of the seating area, as far away from the stage as possible.

The man then proposed marriage to his friend. A friendly argument ensued between them, to the effect that it wasn't a convenient time, and where in the U.S. could they possibly get married. Kim held up the mic and took the opportunity to cry out, "See? Even gay men are tying the knot ahead of me!" The terrified man said "I do," in the end. What other choice did he have, given the circumstances of the proposal?

Without pause, Kim segued into an Aretha Franklin's Respect, while swinging her hips across the stage, and signalling at her audience to sing the chorus along with her. She sang everything from I Say a Little Prayer for You, to a slowed down, completely unexpected new rendition of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, after infusing it with more soul than has ever before been able to fit into the body of a petite white woman. She had the straight married couples swaying in their seats, along with the lesbian and gay couples and their unattached counterparts.

After the show, when I ask her if she feels a certain affinity to the international gay community, she replies: "I would say it's more the freedom I have when performing for the gay community. The campier I am, the more it's appreciated, allowing me to show a more comedic side of me, aside from the singing aspect. Also, I truly believe if I can be a cheerleader and inform others that homophobia is ridiculous, be a conduit for people to ask questions as to why I have such an affection towards the community, that allows me to perhaps enlighten others. And who are we kidding? How much fun is it in the room - the more the merrier!"

Kim says that she's wanted to be a singer since she was a child, in Prince George B.C., and before she could do her first-ever recording at age eight for her school's choir, her dad informed her that the family had to move. She mentions that her family moved a lot when she was young; perhaps that's what drives her up and down the West Coast, from Vancouver, to California, and all the way south to Vallarta, which she visits and performs in almost on a yearly basis. Kim asked me not to mention where she actually lives, as the police have warned her not to do so because of the two stalkers she's acquired en route.

During her performance, I can't help but notice that most of the songs she covers were written and performed originally by women of colour. When I ask her why this is, she replies that, "I love the rhythm, the immense spirit of such songs and overall, how it makes me feel singing songs of artists like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, etc. I'm trapped inside this white body, let me tell you. It tends to surprise people when they hear me though. I simply love the music. Plain and simple."

True to these artists that inspire her, Kim has mastered the art of singing melismatically: which means that she can sing several notes on one syllable.

Then I ask her about the song she saved for last: Judy Garland's Somewhere over the Rainbow, which she sings opera-style. She explains that the reason she sings it is because it is a crowd- pleaser and tear-jerker, and she sings it opera-style in order to showcase the range of her voice.

"My voice had four octaves when I sang opera, but now it has a definite three. "I'm hitting some high notes, let me tell you. I feel it every day. Did I tell you that vocal chords can even sag on a woman? I rue the day when a throat specialist informed me of this fact. I mean, that too?"

She goes on to tell me that a former journalist friend of hers arranged for her to be delivered to his funeral in order that she sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow there, which she did, feeling tremendously honored.

When I ask her where she gets the energy and strength required for her very active show, and after I tell her that watching her sing and dance exhausted me, she answers:

"Sometimes even I don't know where it comes from when I'm tired. I simply love what I do - it's invigorating and that alone gives me the energy to keep going on stage. One time at The Palm, I sang close to three hours without a break. That's kooky but when I'm having fun, it comes with ease. Also, I know I appreciate seeing a performer move around while performing so I'm cognizant of what the audience's viewpoint is. I'm pretty active physically so that helps as well, to keep up my daily energy."

If you are familiar with Kim already, or have a Facebook account, you probably know that it has been a dream of hers for quite some time to appear on Ellen. "I would really like I Am Alive to be a song that is linked to Breast Cancer survivors," she explains.

"Actually, it would relate to any kind of survivor but I have dear friends who have beat breast cancer and they've related to the words of the song, pushing me to get it out there. If you'd like to help, go to my Facebook page and click on 'like'. The more the better! I am also contacting their producers and it's amazing how many people know someone who knows someone etc, from Ellen's show. Have to put it out there, to make dreams come true."

"To be on the show, have survivors come out at a certain part of the song, with the colour pink being worn, ribbons flowing in the air... having millions of people hear the song, relating to it, would be a dream come true. What a venue to propel the song, the message of it. I joke that I'm a little older than who Ellen normally has as breakout artists on her show though… aren't they something like 12 and 9 years old? Thank goodness I'm only 17!" she added.

"Yeah, thank goodness," I second, knowing there is no way to get this powerhouse of a woman's real age out of her. Whatever... We are all as young as we feel.

Since I already feel a bond with Kim, I have to ask her if she's going to keep coming back to Vallarta. She replies, "Would love to! I started at The Palm 6 years ago and now I'm back there again. Full circle. I have several incredible friendships that have formed over the years, with some pretty remarkable locals who live here year round. I love performing here! Mind you, I'd also like to come back for a holiday and sit on the beach and not have to talk about my show at all, to anyone. Just lay back and chill out. Not even utter the words Kim Kuzma and instead get asked if I want braids, a hammock, a massage 83 times a day. Bliss!"

Now that I know she loves Puerto Vallarta, I want to ask Kim about nasty rumors she may have heard about it elsewhere, and if those rumours have held true for her while she's here. She laughs and answers:

"One rumour I heard prior to coming here (from a Mexican at that!) was that taxis are getting hijacked when driving longer distances and that there are all kinds of trouble on the roads. I can tell you honestly, I've not experienced anything of the kind and I travel once a week to Bucerías to perform at The Twisted Rose. I've had nothing but kind taxi drivers, I've slept on the way there and on the way back and have had nothing but polite, funny drivers, who get me back and forth safely, while humoring me with my malo Español.

As for the roads, I just drove 10 1/2 hours through Jalisco in an open jeep by myself and had nothing but kind strangers try to help me find my way back. (Took the wrong turn and ended up 32 km short of Guadalajara, not in PV. My mistake!) From the hospital volunteer on the side of the road, asking for money, to the mayor of Mascota (he was driving and stopped for me,) to the person driving alongside me, all giving me directions with smiles on their faces, laughing when realizing how lost I was. Not one problem. Except being lost! The people here are quick to want to help, are extremely kind and if we respect their country and obviously them as well, we are treated kindly in return. I absolutely love Mexico. Except more road signs are needed!"

As an aside, she mentions that people should not give directions if they don't properly know them. Perhaps these people were suffering from the effects of the swine flu or the simple fear of narco-terrorists? People have been known to fear imaginary things throughout history, especially when the international economy is not doing well.

All of us who know you, Kim, love you. And it is my honour to adopt you into my extended but never-large-enough family!

If you are in Puerto Vallarta this month, you don't want to miss Kim Kuzma's performances every Tuesday and Friday night at The Palm, Olas Altas #508 (across from Michel's Trattoria, next to Sama Bar) on the South side of Puerto Vallarta. Shows start at 10 pm. Cover Charge: $100 pesos. For more information, visit ThePalmPV.com.

To learn more about Kim, and to hear some of her music, including I Am Alive!, visit her website, KimKuzma.com.

Alex Gomez is an award-winning writer. he's written numerous short stories, hundreds of non-fiction articles and two serious novels. Writing makes him happy and nothing can kill him now.

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