Original classic jazz in Spanish
By Jorge Rueda

Concert
Jazzpañol
Sat, Sept 1, 9pm 
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28
154 8701 

The first time I heard Ruth Lara Vichules singing, I thought she was definitely born in Mexico, not only because of her impressive skills in the use of the Spanish language, but also because of the flavor she imparts in the words. But Ruth was born in the United States. She grew up in Arizona, close to Mexico, which explains her familiarity with this country. “Her haunting vocals are captivating in any lingua, but her current CD interpreting American jazz classics in Spanish and English reveals a mastery of jazz techniques, with her voice one of the finer featured instruments” (Latino Perspective Magazine, July 2007). 

As a child, Ruth listened to her mother singing German and Hebrew children’s songs, Carter Family folk tunes and Woody Guthrie ballads. Her companions were real cowboys and Indians, so it is not surprising that she has an open attitude towards diversity in culture. 

Ruth adores jazz, but Mexican music changed her life. Her passion was sparked when as an Arizona State University undergraduate majoring in music, she visited a fellow student in Guadalajara, and heard Mexican and Latin American folk music at a local peña. “I was bowled over by the music. I knew a little Spanish from growing up in Arizona, but I didn’t really speak it. I had a burning desire to know what they were singing about,” she recalls. 

Ruth found a way to come back to Mexico as a student, learned Spanish, and compiled an ethnographic collection of children’s songs and verses from oral traditions in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. Since then, she has returned to Mexico almost every year to learn more and sing Mexican music with mariachis, trova in Yucatán, and sones jarochos with jaraneros in Veracruz. In a land filled with music, Ruth has felt at home.

Now Ruth is presenting her new CD, Jazzpañol, a sublime production of classic jazz sung in Spanish and English with an intense Mexican flavor. “I will use whatever language fits for me, translating and adapting and creating lyrics,” she says. “I like to play with words and melody and their intersection with meaning.” 

Just like herself, her music is multicultural and multilingual, proof that beauty combines with beauty. Ruth has a delicious voice, a clear swing, and moves freely between English and Spanish, often during the same song, always conveying the meaning and feeling of the words, whether she is singing a romantic bolero or a sultry swing.

Ruth is accompanied by musicians equal to the standards of her creations: Agustín Bernal, renowned as the best acoustic bass player in Mexico, and Ken Basman, local jazz guitarist of international caliber. Agustín has soloed with the Orquestra Sinfónica Nacionál, and has been an active collaborator of the most important jazz projects in México. He was most recently named the recipient of the Medalla Juán José Calatayud. Ken Basman has collaborated with international star Lila Downs on several of her albums and is also the guitar teacher of Grupo Mana’s lead guitarist. He is the coproducer of Ruth’s new CD.


Realizing her dream of presenting her new CD in the land of the music that is her passion, we will be presenting the world premier of Jazzpañol at the El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro. Seating is limited; reservations are recommended. 

If you’re a purist, don’t even think about coming, but if you believe the world is wide and diverse, don’t hesitate.

Harp concert benefits In the Absence of Men

Concert Harpist Luis Ku

Sat, Sept 8, 9pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28
Plaza Pueblito
154-8704 

For the past seven months, there has been a project brewing in San Miguel, a documentary film on the lives of family members in rural communities throughout Guanajuato, whose male counterparts have left to find work in El Norte. 

On September 8, renowned musician Luis Ku will offer his unique and beautiful sound in a concert in support of this film, In the Absence of Men, and its parent organization, Reel Futures International. The audience can enjoy the music and learn more about the film. 

Reel Futures International is a US-based nonprofit media organization recently founded by Robin Arutt, who lives in San Miguel, and Kiko Herrera, a filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa. In the Absence of Men combines expert analyses and interviews about the current causes and climate of migration, with an intimate look at our area’s women and children coming of age in a time when, in some communities, up to 85% of the men have gone. 

Luis Ku, a guitarist and harpist with a background in sociology and anthropology, writes and sings canciones whose influences are the sensualities of life… the smells, tastes and rich human experiences that are commonly shared, but rarely spoken of outside of song or poetry. 

Hailing from Veracruz, Luis Ku not only shares his vision through his music, but is a writer on topics running deep into the roots of Mexico, her indigenous cultures and agricultural heart. 

For more information, visit www.reelfutures.org and http://www.trovamex.com/luisku. 

Yaron Kohlberg starts Pro Musica season
By B. K. Lake

Concert
Yaron Kohlberg
Sun, Sept 2, 5pm
St. Paul’s Church
Cardo 6
50, 150 pesos

San Miguel El Grande Pro Musica will present 20 concerts during its 2007–2008 season, starting September 2 with pianist Yaron Kohlberg, and also will stage its second week-long “Baroque and More” Music Festival.

Formed in 2001, Pro Musica has sponsored more than 100 chamber and classical music concerts performed by international artists from Mexico, the US and other countries. 

“Pro Musica has earned a devoted following over the past six years among both full-time residents and part-time visitors for the high quality and interesting artists who have performed here,” said cofounder Russ Archibald. “The Pro Musica mission is to present professional chamber music in intimate settings at reasonable cost, and we have been able to fulfill that mission through the well-coordinated efforts of many volunteers and with the generous financial and other support of many individual and corporate Pro Musica members.”

“Our goal is to continue presenting top-level artists from both Mexico and elsewhere, using the attractions of San Miguel, including beautiful accommodations in private homes, to induce them to play for us here without promising top-level compensation for their performances.”

“Pro Musica’s success demonstrates what can be accomplished when a group of dedicated enthusiasts work together for the good of the community. If anyone would like to get involved with us in bringing good chamber music to San Miguel throughout the year, please call Rodrigo Trevino at 152-4956,” Archibald said.


The young Israeli pianist Yaron Kohlberg, 24, has won first prize in seven international piano competitions, including The Edvard Grieg Competition in Norway, the Clairmont Competition in France, The Shostakovitch Competition in Germany, The Parnassos Competition in México and The Young Artists Competition in Jerusalem. In addition, the Israeli government waived his military service requirement, naming him “distinguished musician.” He has performed throughout Europe, Russia and the US and his 2007 tour schedule includes concerts in the US, Italy, Norway and Mexico.

The season also includes concerts by the guitar duo of Castillo and Soto in a tribute to Andres Segovia, Oct 21; pianists Daniel Moran and Manelli Pirzadeh of Montreal, Canada, Nov 3–4; the Jose White quartet, of Aguascalientes, Nov 17–18; La Fontegara, a Mexico City trio that will present a program of Christmas music, Dec 8–9; return performances of “Forest of the Americas,” Jan 12–13; the Carlos Chavez Quartet from Mexico City, performing the world premiere of a new quartet by Mexican composer Jesus Echevarria, Jan 26–27; Trio Nova Mundi, a US group featuring violinist Maureen Conlon of San Miguel, Feb 9–10; Trio Morelia, of Morelia, Mar 15–16; New York pianist Richard Dowling, Mar 29–30, and California violinist Joseph Gold, who presented a well-received Paganini program last year, again accompanied by pianist Miles Graber, July 12–13.

For the Sept 2 concert, tickets at 150 and 50 pesos are available at La Tienda in the Biblioteca, Insurgentes 25; Casa de Papel, Mesones 57; La Conexion, Aldama 3, and St. Paul’s office weekdays 11am–2pm; and at the door one hour before concert time. For details see www.promusica.com. 

Terturlia musical:
“De Tango, Brasileira, Bolero y Son”

Tenor and flutist Xavier Hernández with his wife pianist Liliana Gutiérrez are developing an important activity in musical life of San Miguel with the well known group Ensamble San Miguel and the Voces Unidas Choir principally. They will share a program with soprano Patricia Espinosa and guitarist Gerardo Díaz de León, who are musicians from Mexico City.

Together they will perform a beautiful program including the “Aria Cantilena” from Bachiana Brasileira no. 5 by Heitor Villalobos, “Two songs” by Alberto Ginastera, “Violentango” by Astor Piazzola, “2 Venezuelan Valses,” and Mexican music like “Así” and “Te Quiero Dijiste” by Maria Grever, as well as songs for two voices and two guitars with Liliana singing and Xavier playing guitar.

Come and enjoy an evening with fine Latin-American music at the Ángela Peralta Theater next Thursday, August 30, 7pm. Tickets are available at the theater for 120 pesos.

Banking on music
By Jacqueline Martinez

Concert
Ted Barsalou
Tues, Aug 28, 7:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
100 pesos

It has been slightly over ten years since Ted Barsalou left a lucrative career as a vice-president of major national banks to pursue artistic goals as a pianist and composer. Some of the banks he worked for are Wells Fargo, Manufacturers Hanover Trust and GMAC.

With the release of his fifth compact disc, Theodore Barsalou, Live 07/07/07, and scheduled tour of Mexico, Ted is excited about his welcome and acceptance. “Since I’m playing smaller venues, the closeness with the audience is wonderful and what I like,” he says, “the response to the compositions has been very nice, very welcoming.”

The path of recording artist, composer and performer has not been easy. The transition from banker to pianist has had the expected, “toll of losses and pile of gains,” as Ted says, “but they’re just not balanced the way they were imagined.” 

Choosing his career path as a pianist and composer, Ted has acquired a 30-year professional resume that includes numerous weddings, nightclubs, bars, lounges and churches; opening act for Spyro Gyra and for The Rippingtons; live radio broadcasts; four album releases and promotions; a 90-minute television broadcast; numerous fundraisers; a private dinner party for 5,000 guests; and as a headline entertainer for Carnival Cruise Lines, Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt Hotels. 

In spite of all this piano performance, Ted still maintains constant interest in the piano as a technician and repairman, sound and recording engineer, record producer, salesman, teacher and seminar instructor. 

The concert will be very close to the program presented on Ted’s latest disc, which was digitally recorded at the Museo Regional Querétaro. The only difference will be in any post-concert playing that always seems to come up, requests for popular songs while attendees get discs signed, talk to Ted, ask questions. The concert was recorded on July 7, 2007, the announcement date of the new seven wonders. “I thought it appropriate of that day, mostly because of the camaraderie amongst mankind on that day. For me, it was positive in spirit,” Ted said. Naturally occurring thunder and rain is on the disc, just as it happened at the concert. “It’s audible about one minute into “First Snow,” which was written years ago, during a rainstorm,” says Ted. “It rained and thundered during both shows, both nights at essentially the same point in the concert. I felt accepted by nature, by Mexico, by the audience and ambience, by playing the piano with the weather playing, as well.”

Asked if he has any regrets about leaving the banking business and if he’s been happy about the career and associated life change, Ted says, “I like being remembered for this music, rather than, ‘a guy that loaned out money’.” The program will contain original selections from Ted’s discs: Providence (1996); The Calling (1998); First Snow (1999); Arsonist of the Heart (2001); a selection of Beethoven and Mozart variations; Scott Joplin; film adaptations; and the debut of new original compositions, available on his latest disc. Ted’s complete compact disc portfolio of solo piano compositions will be available for purchase at the event.

Concert Steve Tallis and Jaramar

Sat, Aug 25, 9pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28 
Plaza Pueblito
154-8701.