A Wonderful Evening
I came to the Creole Choir of Cuba concert with very little knowledge of what I was about to see. I was excited for the show because of my background singing in choral groups. I was part of the chamber singers in high school for four years and also performed in my college choir for a year. Singing is in my blood and I love when a great group comes together to share their passion for music.
I would like to say that what I heard Friday night was unlike anything I had ever heard, but that’s not entirely true. Throughout the concert I was reminded of two experiences in my past that made me connect to what was happening before me; the time my chamber singers group went to Rochester, NY and learned and performed gospel music, and my trip last year to a campo in the Dominican Republic. I thought to myself during the performance: it’s great that you can have the same types of experiences brought right to you by groups like Portland Ovations.
The Pre-Performance Lecture presented by Dr. David Carey Jr. from USM’s Department of History set the tone for my evening, as he was able to draw parallels between familiar names from Portland such as Neal Dow and Hugh McClellan to Cuba and the popular trade route between the two that existed in the 1800s. Pre-Performance Lectures are free and a great way to get more context behind Portland Ovations performances. This was my first time attending one and it was nice to receive more information of what we were about to see and how it relates to Maine.
The evening’s program was divided in sections: the first representing a more sorrowful tone and the later a joyous celebration. Even though all but one song was sung in Creole, each song had its own distinct sound bringing about different emotions of sorrow and joy. With the memory of the earthquake in Haiti and the epidemic that followed still in our minds almost two years later, the first set of songs (most of which were of traditional Haitian origin) had a woeful feel with a timeless resonance. The joyful songs were, of course, the ones that got the audience out of their seats, clapping and singing along - even dancing on the stage with the choir! Together they were a great blend of propulsive energy and eclectic song styles that you only find in the islands of the Caribbean and (I presume, since I have not been- yet) Latin America.
Before the Pre-Performance Lecture, I hadn’t really thought we shared much of a connection with Cuba – being so far removed, both geographically and culturally – but it turns out we do. The evening’s performance showed that the audience and performers alike shared something in common: an affinity for the varied musical styles of the Caribbean that resonated through Merrill Auditorium until the final notes of the processional of performers faded off as they waved goodbye to us all. Since they told us, “we do not speak English, we speak Spanish,” to them I say: “Gracias por una noche realmente maravillosa!”
Maralynn says:
That’s not even 10 muinets well spent!