by John Brancy | Oct 24, 2016 | Song of the Day
I felt it necessary to write about the power and magic of “Soliloquy” from Carousel as my first Song of the Day. This epic monologue ends the first act of Carousel, creating suspense and emotion like no other piece I’ve ever performed. Carousel, written in...
by Gabriela Lena Frank | Oct 21, 2016 | Song of the Day
We end this week’s look at the songs of the high Andes of Peru by going to the work of Luzmila Carpio, a Bolivian-born woman who sings her own native language of Aymara as well as Quechua, the indigenous language of Perú. Making a point to sing in native...
by Gabriela Lena Frank | Oct 20, 2016 | Song of the Day
Some of the most popular exponents of the Peruvian vocal sound have been odd ones, indeed, and Yma Sumac (1922-2008) certainly fits that bill! The running joke is that she was secretly a Jewish woman (spell her name backwards), but she did have an exotic, uncanny tone...
by Gabriela Lena Frank | Oct 19, 2016 | Song of the Day
Continuing our focus on Afro-Peruvian culture, for my third blog, we turn to the work of folklorist, poet, and musician Nicomedes Santa Cruz (1925-1992). In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the life of this amazing and multi-faceted advocate...
by Gabriela Lena Frank | Oct 18, 2016 | Song of the Day
For my second featured blog, I’d like to continue the thread of female Peruvian composer-singers (begun with Chabuca Granda yesterday) and go to Eva Ayllón, another proponent of Afro-Peruvian culture. This video excerpt from one of Eva’s more glamorous and...
by Gabriela Lena Frank | Oct 17, 2016 | Song of the Day
It is a real pleasure to be working with the marvelous musicians and staff of the New York Festival of Song! I’m happy to be a guest blogger this week, sharing my love of music and the human voice with readers, and will start off with a gentle yet quietly powerful...
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