“I hope it goes well for you, ha, nice…” the woman sang. with gray hair and dark glasses. “I hope your sorrows are over,” he continued, opening his arms with theatrical drama to show off the red jorongo what he was wearing.
“Let them tell you that I no longer exist, let them meet better people…” she continued with the endearing ranchera song by José Alfredo Jiménez.
It was about the legendary artist Ofelia Medina brilliantly interpreting -and very respectful- Chavela Vargas during an artistic performance to celebrate the legacy of “the lady in the red poncho.”
Chavela Vargas (1919-2012) left a deep mark on Mexican cultural life and especially on ranchera music. His unmistakable voice and strong personality are eternal in Mexico. But a few nights ago, Chavela’s aura rose in Los Angeles with the US debut of “Chavela y Sus Mujeres,” a tribute to the artist performed on the stage of The Soraya, the magnificent performance center on the campus of California State University Northridge (CSUN).
Eugenia León, Ely Guerra and La Marisoul unite voices and inspiration
Ofelia Medina acted, spoke and sang as Chavela. But she was not alone. They accompanied her three extraordinary singers: Eugenia León, Ely Guerra and La Marisoulin a conjunction of strong and elegant voices before an audience that began the display with enthusiastic curiosity and ended -two hours later- standing and asking for more songs.
“If you have deep sorrow, think of me… If you feel like crying, think of me…”, Ely Guerra initially sang with her unmistakable mezzo-soprano voice.
Guerra, originally from Monterrey, He looked straight on stage at La Marisoul, the appreciated Angelina singer who performed the duet for Agustín Lara’s song. and María Teresa Lara, which was very approved in the voice of Chavela Vargas: “When you want to take my life… I don’t want it at all… It is of no use to me without you.”
Later it appeared Eugenia León, one of the most acclaimed Mexican performers for several decades. The woman born in the State of Mexico was, as always, owner of the stagedelighting with songs like “Luz de Luna” by Javier Solís, accompanied by Mariachi Gama 1000, just like the other artists.
Emotional dedication to Chavela Vargas for her birthday
Eugenia León explained that Mexican music is its best ambassador and later recalled that just one day before the Chavela Vargas’s 107th birthday, so she dedicated “Last Night I Dreamed You” to her with enormous emotion.song of his own authorship:
“So many things happened that I woke up with my soul on fire… I had never loved so much in my life, I had never been so happy in my life…” The masterful León, wearing a Calentano-type hat that she had requested from an assistant sitting in the first rows, placed her hand on her chest while singing. “Last night I dreamed about you and I woke up crying.”
The tribute to Chavela Vargas included the screening of original films of the legendary singer born in Costa Rica in which both the passion and harshness that fueled her artistic genius were tangible.
“This is a delicious night,” confessed a bohemian Ely Guerra and then showed off by performing “Flor de Azalea”written by Manuel Esperón, and in which she was accompanied by Los Macorinos, guitar masters who shared their virtuosity throughout the evening in a venue with impeccable acoustics.
‘La Llorona’, special moment at CSUN’s The Soraya
And eventually the three singers got together for the enjoyment of the public, standing out the minutes in which they performed “La Llorona”, possibly the song most identified with the music of Chavela Vargas: “Woe is me crybaby, crybaby, baby blue crybaby… Even if life costs me crybaby, I won’t stop loving you…”.
León, Guerra and La Marisoul concluded their great performance with some ranchera music songs as the culmination of a display that could well be the richest and finest Mexican music show today.
The Los Angeles public, of all ages, was “loved” by these women and men dedicated to music, which is why as soon as they left The Soraya, the expression of happiness, reunion and pride was expressed.
The display at CSUN’s The Soraya was the last in the Made in The Americas seriesan annual selection of shows dedicated to the music and dance of Mexico, Central America and South America.
