Creole Choir of Cuba Travels to Maine for Portland Ovations Performance
By: Gabrielle Sierra
Portland Ovations brings the passionate melodies and vibrant dancing of the Grammy Award nominated Creole Choir of Cuba to Merrill Auditorium on Friday, October 14th at 8pm.
Made up of ten remarkable singers who come from Camagüey, Cuba's third city, and are referred to as Grupo Vocal Desandann in Cuba, the Creole Choir of Cuba celebrates the history of their Haitian descendants. The choir was founded in 1994 during the "Special Period" in Cuban history, when the Cuban economy fell into a black hole following the end of the USSR and of Soviet support for the revolution. Food was short and homes and work places were dark due to lack of electricity. It is during this time period when members decided to come together to re-forge and revive the resistance songs and laments of their ancestors for modern times. The voice-and-percussion choir uses shifting Caribbean tempos, an original root bass sound and Afro-Cuban beats to propel the undiscovered musical treasures from Haiti, Dominica and Cuba they sing with vitality and compassion. The choir states, "For us music is like food, it feeds the spirit and is a major inspiration for everyday life." Having such a strong desire and passion to tell the stories of their ancestors through music is the reason this ensemble is quickly earning its place alongside Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Soweto Gospel Choir and Sweet Honey in the Rock as one of the great choirs of the world. Ovations Offstage is offering a Pre-Performance Lecture: "Cultural Connections: Maine & Cuba" in the Rehearsal Hall at Merrill Auditorium at 7pm with USM Professor of History David Carey discussing Portland and Southern Maine's strong connection to Cuba that began in the early 19th century, then broadening the scope to talk about Cuban, Dominican and Haitian history in the context of the different musical influences the Creole Choir of Cuba embraces.Portland Ovations' presentation of Creole Choir of Cuba is graciously sponsored by Gorham Savings Bank and supported by the Center for Cultural Exchange Foundation.Tickets for Creole Choir of Cuba range from $27 to $36 for Ovations' Members, $30 to $40 for the general public and a limited amount of student tickets are also available at $15. To purchase tickets, contact PortTix at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.
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