Local Legend 'The Great Morgani' Has 130 Costumes

Behind the crazy costumes of Santa Cruz's street performer "The Great Morgani" is a fashion lover and community representative. 

Known as “The Great Morgani” by the Santa Cruz community, Frank Lima, 69, has been performing as an accordion extraordinaire for 15 years.

“People want to see the spectacle,” said Lima. “Oh what shoes is he wearing now? I have to create a fashion monster.”

Playing the accordion to entertain others is Lima’s hobby, and he is often spotted on Pacific Avenue, or at farmers markets. With 42 accordions, 130 costumes and over 1,200 songs, every performance is different.

One of Lima’s favorite parts of being a street performer is seeing the crowd react to his songs and his all-out costumes.

“I always feel that the crowd is entertaining me,” he said. “I love watching peoples’ reactions.”

Lima isn’t just like any street performer. Standing atop a mini-stage on Pacific Avenue, Lima dons a full-body costume of crazy patterns and intricate accessories.

“I just wanted to have this look and get more elaborate,” he said. “I have a lot of creative energy.”

Covered with about 100 cones, his “making a point” costume that he made for a Santa Cruz fashion show is one of Lima’s most memorable. The cool colors – turquoise, cobalt blue and magenta – react to fluorescent lights.

Although they sometimes take up to 100 hours of work, Lima said, “My passion is the costumes. The music is very easy for me.”

On Saturday at the Willow Glen Farmers Market, Lima wore his “Flower Powered” outfit, featuring a coral hibiscus flower fabric that covered his body and accordion as well as a bike.

As a kid, Lima learned how to sew by watching his mother who was a great seamstress, he said. His mother upholstered his U-shaped couch that has about 32 cushions.

“Her stitches were so fine you could wear it inside out,” said Lima. “But you don’t want to see the backside of my costumes.”

“Could I get away with this in Fresno, CA? Or would I want to? I don’t think so,” he said.

Santa Cruz is ripe with artistic minds, expressing themselves in any way possible. When tourists come, Lima said they give him the strangest looks. In the eyes of tourists and locals alike, Lima hopes to represent Santa Cruz in a positive light.

“I want to do the best I can performing,” said Lima. “I feel that I am representing myself as a musician, but I’m also representing Santa Cruz. I want to do something positive. I don’t want to be scaring little kids.”

Even though Lima is not a kid person himself, he likes to entertain them and leave smiles on their faces.

“Little kids, I see their eyes get really big and I think they’re going to cry, so I try to wave at them. I try to establish trust,” he said.

Four years ago when Lima was performing, a 3-year-old girl named Emily showed up with a little accordion and started playing next to him. When her father asked Lima to come to Emily’s birthday party, he showed up to a room full of 4-year-olds with their own accordions. To this day Emily comes to perform with Lima.