A collection of instruments from all over the world
By Isaac Toporek June 27, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Concert
Eblén Macari Trio
Thu, July 3, 9pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28
Reserve: 154-8701

Now back in San Miguel, Eblen Macari Trio presents a spectacular show with an impressive display of more than 20 instruments from different parts of the world, combined masterfully in the original compositions of Mexican musician and guitarist Eblen Macari.

Multi-instrumentalist Jesús “Yusuf Isa” Cuevas, like a magician on stage, performs a surprising trick every time he brings out a strange instrument and produces an unexpected sound, supported by the melodic base of Macari’s guitar and African percussion from his talented son Eblencito. Even more touching is Yusuf Isa’s incredible range of singing skills.

Eblen Macari Trio combines contemporary guitar music developed in Latin America with ethnic sounds from around the world, a unique and original sound that doesn’t forget its double roots in the vast musical landscape of Mexico and the Middle East.

Eblen Macari developed his own style by blending technology with the eight-string classical guitar.

He has composed chamber music and soundtracks for over 100 documentary films and two motion pictures.

Jesús “Yusuf Isa” Cuevas has researched the music and instruments of many Asian countries, specializing in wind instruments and harmonic throat singing.

Eblén “Eblencito” Macari Martínez has absorbed his parents´ music, plus jazz and rock influences, giving him great versatility to combine contemporary music beats with traditional patterns of the West African djembe and ancient darbouka drums.

The trio’s instruments range from clarinet to Bulgarian bagpipe, Armenian oboe to Chinese flute. Here’s a preview.

The eight-string guitar is a Spanish classical guitar with two extra strings added to give it more volume and resonance. Fructuoso Zalapa, a world-class Mexican luthier, constructed Macari’s instrument. He uses Lexicon gear to create sound textures he calls multiechoes. 

Arghul is a reed instrument of two parallel pipes; the long one produces a drone and the other, with holes, makes the melody. Bedouins from Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon play the arghul. 

Duduk is an oboe-like instrument played in Armenia, traditionally made of apricot wood with a big reed.

Ney, a Middle Eastern end-blown flute with symbolism for Sufis (Islamic mystics), has a plaintive sound—longing of the reed for the river where it was cut, just as Sufis long to return to God. 

Ditzi is a Chinese side-blown bamboo flute.

Hulusi, a small gourd with three bamboo pipes, is popular in the Yunnan province of China. Khen, a mouth organ played in Laos and northern Thailand, has a wood air chamber with sixteen bamboo pipes.

Gaita is the traditional bagpipe played in Galicia and Asturias in Northern Spain. It is a leather bag with three wood pipes: one to blow air, one as a drone and a cone-shaped one for the melody. 


Kava gayda is another bagpipe, played in the Rhodopes region in Bulgaria.

Metal clarinet, invented in the eighteenth century in wood, but manufactured in metal when incorporated in Balkan folk music.

Djembé drums from West Africa now enjoy worldwide popularity.

Darbouka, a goblet-shaped drum with a thin head, is called tabl in Egypt and dumbek in Armenia.

Harmonic throat singing isn’t an instrument, but the technique allows one singer to give two or more pitches at the same time. Buddhist monks of Tibet sing sutras (sacred chants) in a deep low voice, but with high overtones. Three styles are found in Mongolia, one of which can produce four pitches simultaneously.

A very auspicious beginning
By Bob Kelly

Five young musicians who got together drinking beer in a Boston college hangout formed a brass quintet to make money by playing at parties. That led to the idea they could help the public develop a love for classical music by playing with a modern “pop” approach.

The Synergy Brass Quintet they formed six years ago has won acclaim for its musical ability and showmanship and arguably plays more concerts than any other chamber music group, from 270 to 300 a year.

Synergy Brass will bring its unique performing style to San Miguel during the 30th summer Chamber Music Festival that runs July 31–August 17. The quintet will give a free concert August 6 in the San Juan de Dios church, where they promise a few surprises, and a paid concert August 8 at the Teatro Ángela Peralta. Their programs will range from such composers as Bach, Rossini, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mozart to Copeland, Gershwin, Handy and Armstrong.

Reached by email after the group had returned from a two-week tour of Japan, the spokesman and first trumpet, Bob Thorp, explained their philosophy of performing:

What was the response to your playing in Japan?

We had a wonderful time performing in Japan! We did a two-week tour that brought us from Nagoya to Tokyo and ending in Osaka. This was our first visit, and I have to be honest, I did not know what kind of response we would get. But many of them had our CDs and recordings from iTunes and had seen our many video Podcasts and YouTube.com episodes.

What was your response to playing in Japan?

All of our events were sold out and standing room only. I was very happy to see how the Japanese people embraced American jazz as well as classical works by Aaron Copeland. They were ecstatic and gave us so many standing ovations we finally had to cut them off and tell them to go home!

The crowds were all ages but mostly young. It made me very happy to see so many young students attend our concerts. After all, they are the future of music.

Where or how did you get together as a group? Was it spontaneous combustion?

We have been together for about 12 years, but we don’t count the first six years because that was mostly just drinking beer and hanging out. The group really got going when I met Jon Hurrell during my studies at Boston University. I was working on my doctorate while Jon was finishing a dual major in French horn performance and composition. Chris O’Hara (second trumpet) and I also met as students at Boston University. We formed a brass quintet with Bo Clifton (trombone) and Jesse Chavez (tuba) to make money by playing at parties at school. Little did we know that our pastime would become a full- time job.

As for spontaneous combustion, I would have to say yes. From the very beginning our audiences seemed to be over-excited at the fresh approach we have towards classical music. At first we were worried that the public would react poorly to our modern “pop” approach, but to our amazement, they embraced it and asked for more!

What is it you have in common that enables you to play together?

We have a common idea, the idea is that we can make the world a better place by communicating love through music. We also have a mission to popularize classical music and attract new audiences to the concert halls. No matter what language you speak, you understand beauty and love, and that is what we want to give the world.

Do audiences respond better to certain parts of your programs or do they seem to like it all?

Our first tours mostly consisted of contemporary music and music written in the 20th century. While academic audiences reacted positively to this music, we found that many of the general audiences reacted poorly to it. We decided to memorize our music and eliminate the music stands that in many ways act as a barrier between the performer and the audience. We also added many popular favorites, like Mozart, and Gershwin. This change enabled us to connect with a wider audience while keeping true to our musical expression.

Are you planning anything special for San Miguel?

We have many surprises for San Miguel!!!! We will be performing popular music from all time periods throughout musical history! Everything from the beautiful music of the Renaissance to some deep down and dirty American Jazz!!! This is all I am going to say, you have to come to see the surprise.

You’ll be coming here after playing in Pennsylvania, Massachussets, North Carolina, New York and the summer chamber music festival in Aguascalientes. Is this a typical schedule?

We performed about 270 engagements last year. We are touring about 11 months of the year. We go to New York several times a year and love performing there. I have to be honest though, some of my favorite concerts are in Mexico. I love the passion and beauty of the Mexican culture. I consider it a great honor to perform for such a wonderful and appreciative audience. Playing in Mexico is always our best performance, because of the beauty and the richness of the wonderful people of Mexico.

After San Miguel, you have two concerts in August in New York and New Jersey and then a busy schedule starting in October, including Ravinia in Chicago. Are you taking September off by design? Do you go your individual ways for a month?

That is a fantastic question! Actually, September is the month we use to rehearse and memorize a new program for the coming season. We also like to record a new CD and work on refining our product. We consider it a time of renewal and rejuvenation.

From January through May, 2009, you’re playing mostly small towns. Is this a combination of performances and school programs?

Yes, we like to perform in many small towns. It is our mission to bring classical music to everyone, not just the rich. Classical music and jazz is the music of all our culture, not just an elite few. It is our mission to bring beauty to everyone. We perform at many schools because it is our hope that we will inspire a new generation of music makers. We hope to show children that if they dream big and work hard, they can accomplish anything.

What memorable experiences have you had on the road?

Ha! Maybe I can’t tell that story here, I don't want to get in trouble! Come to the concert afterwards and we can get a beer!

Details on the festival schedule and tickets are available at www.chambermusicfestival.com 

Bob Kelly was a reporter for his hometown newspaper and the editor of a weekly, both in Parkersburg, WV. His last newspaper job was with the Chicago Sun-Times.

Gypsy music in July 

Concert
Javier Gitano Estrada
Fri, July 4, 7pm
sala quetzal
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A

“Fiesta Gitana” offers world travelers the traditional songs of gypsy fiesta life every Friday of the month of July. Guitarist Javier Gitano Estrada plays the romantic, fiery and melancholic songs. He is a San Miguel native from the ancient Montoya gypsy family of Cordova, Spain. His grandmother bought him a guitar at a local pawnshop when he was nine years old and he never looked back.

Magical musical tour
By Gabriela Servin

Concert
Sergio Basurto
Latin American harp and flamenco guitar
Mon, June 30, 7:30pm
Sala Quetzal
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50 A
150 pesos, limited seating

Sergio Basurto’s sensitivity in interpreting folklore rhythms transports listeners on a magical tour around Latin America. “Cascada” is a polka inspired by waterfalls in Paraguay. The Venezuelan joropo “Concierto de la Llanura” is almost the informal national anthem.

The habaneras “La Paloma” and “La Comparsa” are Cuban songs of sad poetry. The explosive rhythms of sones jarochos from Veracruz are used in fiestas to accompany the zapateado, a Mexican flamenco.

“Apasionada” in Guanajuato

Concert
Apasionada
Alicia Rappoport
Sun, July 6, 1pm
Casa Museo Gene Byron
Carretera la Presa
Marfil, Guanajuato
120/75 pesos

If you’ve ever enjoyed a concert at the delightful museum in the Marfil neighborhood of the city of Guanajuato, you will surely anticipate the special pleasure in store when Argentinian soprano Alicia Rappoport presents “Apasionada,” a concert of operatic arias and tangos with accompanists Ann Riley and Paula Akbar.

Ethnomusicologist Rappoport, while projecting vocal and stylistic excitement, seamlessly fuses the classics with ethnomusical idioms, moving deftly from tango to liturgical song, from international classic repertoire to opera, her voice soaring with radiant and varied expression.

Paula Akbar, violinist, holds a master’s degree in violin performance from the Yale Graduate School of Music, and has been a member of the Baltimore and Kennedy Center Opera House orchestras as well as ensembles including the award-winning group QuinTango. Akbar is currently a first violinist in the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC.

Ann Riley has served as accompanist for flautist Cuauhtemoc Trejo and other Guanajuato Symphony members. Before she moved to Mexico in 1993, her career as a recitalist and educator in the US Midwest merited a listing in Who’s Who in American Women.

Rappoport fascinates international audiences with an emotionally powerful style that has created a devoted following. Concert selections include “Casta Diva” from the opera Norma and the “Cantilena” from Bachianas Brasileiras by Villa-Lobos. The seven tangos range from the humorous “Mama, yo quiero un novio” and “Garufa” to “Los Mareados” and “Nostalgias” by Cadicamo and Cobian.

Following the concert, the audience is invited to mingle in the delightful hacienda garden for wine, botanas and conversation with performers and audience.

Tickets for the performance, available only at Casa Museo Gene Byron on July 6, are 120 pesos, or 75 pesos with INSEN/INAPLEN credentials (seniors, etc.). If there is sufficient demand, roundtrip van transportation is available for groups or individuals; please call Javier at 152-8894

for information. Casa Museo Gene Byron is at the ex-hacienda Santa Ana: Carretera la Presa to Marfil Centro. Watch for signs. Call 152-1473 for further information.

A banquet of music
By Elsmarie Norby

Concert
Singing for Everybody
Vox Femina Los Angeles
Mon, June 30, 7pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta
Mesones 82
Free

“Singing for Everybody” is the theme of the concert to be presented by Vox Femina Los Angeles, one of the premier women’s choruses in the US, founded in 1997 by the present director, Dr. Iris S. Levine.

This is another free concert sponsored by ANYÉL, which provides free music classes to children in San Miguel and free concerts for the community.

At a time when understanding other cultures is imperative, these 36 VFLA singers from a large variety of backgrounds are touring Mexico to meet with local women’s organizations and musicians “to share an experience that unites us, through music.” Having achieved choral excellence, they are dedicated to performing quality choral literature, with an emphasis on women composers and committed to providing opportunities for living composers. Their repertoire is a banquet of music from many eras and lands.

An important part of the group’s visit to San Miguel will include a visit to Casa Hogar Santa Julia, the orphanage that gives home life to 44 young girls, including several babies and toddlers. The VFLA chorus will give a special workshop to the girls on the day of the concert and the Santa Julia chorus will open the concert at the Ángela Peralta in the evening. ANYÉL gives weekly classes to the girls and boys at their orphanages.

If you’d like to volunteer to help get the word out and help on the night of the concert, please contact elsmarienorby@yahoo.com  or visit the website www.anyel.com. 

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