Operetta at Theatre Antoine

Under the musical direction of David Costa, Operetta, performed at Theatre Antoine in Paris, offers an opportunity to witness the blending of theatrical styles, music from different operas, and contrasting fashion styles of the old and new. The aspect of the performance that stands apart, however, is the ability of the vocalists to both act and sing at the same time. Although it is expected in other forms of theatre, this is a special talent considering the amount of technique and breath required to perform an opera; and yet, the vocalists emulate athletes biking and skiing, run around the stage, and move props—all with grace and ease. Despite enjoying the performance thoroughly, I found myself wondering why certain movements were included. For example, in one of the final acts of the performance, it seemed as though there was a lot of head bobbing and an awkward rendition of “the wave,” segregating vocalists depending on vocal range (the altos went up to sing their part, then a group of sopranos would pop up on the other side, etc.). It was interesting at first, considering the stage formed some sort of level system and vocalists would disappear into the set scene. However, it became distracting after a while. This was the exception to the rest of the performance, though.

Unlike musical theatre, operas do not use music to complement dialogue in story lines; rather, they rely on the music and expressions to convey a story. Operetta was traditional in that sense. Yet, it reminded me more of a musical because of all the acting and set/prop changes. This is the beauty of Operetta. It uses well-known songs from operas and accompanies them to modern day situations. From filming a movie, to falling in love, to watching a performance, Operetta gives new meaning to the traditional opera. 

Amy Winehouse Sings "A Song for You" || Critical Karaoke

(This piece is intended to be read while this song below plays in the background).

Sometimes it is the lyrics of a song that pulls a listener in. Other times it may be the melody and tone, and often it is a combination of the song on its own and the singer who performs the work. Leon Russell, an American rock singer, wrote this song, titled “A Song For You,” in the year 1970.

Donny Hathaway, an American soul musician from Chicago who became well known not only for his own take on music, but also for his collaborations with Roberta Flack, is often attributed to singing this song, as it became one of his most well known tracks.

The first time I heard this song was when American Idol contestant, Elliott Yamin, sang it during season 5 of the television show. His rendition gave me chills. I thought it was his voice, convinced that this man could sing this song unlike anyone else. Then I heard the original and I was convinced that only those with soul could sing this song. I still hold that belief.

It was Amy Winehouse, however, who added the most feeling to the song. Her rendition does not follow the original lyrics verbatim, and when I listen to her raspy, cockney accent I feel as though she sings from within. I always knew that I felt a connection to this song, but what I love about the way she sings it is that I can feel her connection, as well.

Everyone from Whitney Houston to Christina Aguilera to Michael Bublé and Ray Charles has covered this song. I didn’t hear Amy Winehouse’s version until the release of her album Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which came out after her untimely death. In fact, her music prior to her death did not interest me. I could not connect with songs like “Rehab” or “Back to Black” and her public persona dissuaded me from trying to connect to her as the artist. I could admire her obvious interest in a previous era-- from her beehive hairstyle to her winged eyeliner -- but the tabloids showed her as a coked-out matchstick, ready to ignite at any moment; saving her voice for her songs while her fists did the talking. 

And yet, perhaps her public persona is what enthralled me after her death. It was the 23rd of July, 2011, and E! News, along with every other entertainment channel, had breaking news: Winehouse had died in her home in Camden, London. The report said the following: “While the 27-year-old Back to Black crooner has faced a very public battle with drugs and alcohol, the official cause of her death has not yet been announced.”

“...but the tabloids showed her as a coked-out matchstick, ready to ignite at any moment; saving her voice for her songs while her fists did the talking”

And yet, immediately everyone assumed it was an overdose. Beyond the shock of her death, it was her music I could hear on the television and radio stations. Everyone from other musicians to music journalists and public opinions agreed that Winehouse had a unique sound, a voice unmatched, and a talent that would not be forgotten. Only a few days later, I bought my first Amy Winehouse track. Soon after, I had accumulated songs from different albums, and was beginning to see the vocal transformation and how her music style had evolved.

This particular version of the song is an uncut, studio version, and when Winehouse stops singing, she remarks on the influence of Donny Hathaway. She says, “You know what, I think Donny Hathaway is like my Carleen Anderson, like Marvin Gaye is great, but Donny Hathaway, like, he couldn’t contain himself. He had something in him, you know.”

Amy Winehouse had something, too. She was a powerful vocalist who opened doors for artists who felt they had to conform to popular music. She made soul music relevant to the masses. She made her music distinguished from who she was as a celebrity. She was respected by musicians whose songs constantly rank at the top of music charts today. Her legacy and voice will be anything but forgotten.

Perhaps the lyrics to “A Song For You” resonate with Winehouse’s struggle with drugs and the media:

“I’ve been so many places in my life and time/ I’ve sung a lot of songs I’ve made some bad rhyme/ I’ve acted out my love in stages/ with ten thousand people watching/ But we’re alone now and I’m singing this song for you…

But now I’m so much better and If my words don’t come together/ Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding...

And when my life is over, remember when we were together/We were alone and I was singing this song for you”

“A Song For You” is about forgiveness and about love, two aspects of Amy Winehouse that deeply affected her in the course of her short life.

She may not have been the first artist to sing this song, but she was one of the most talented.

Yahoo! Wireless Music Festival 2013

My initial thought when I bought tickets to the Yahoo! Wireless Festival 2013 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in March was that I was buying music festival tickets to see well-known acts I could just as easily have seen in the United States. However, considering I was going to be in London, I expected a different crowd and environment. In all honesty, I was surprised how similar the environment in London was to the scene at California's most coveted music festival, Coachella. And the heat definitely made it feel more like Indio than London.

Perfectly - perfect hair

Nevertheless, it was the fashion choices and festival "feel" that surprised me. The same trends seen at California music festivals-- flower headbands, boots, vintage/inspired satchels, American flag shirts and flag bikinis, etc.-- were worn by crowds of Brits who were all there to enjoy some of the most popular music in London. If everyone was silent, I could have easily guessed I was back in California. And yet, at the same time, it was unique and not "American" at all (or at least this preconceived notion of what "American" is): the shorts were a bit shorter, the tans a little less subtle, and every girl's hair wasn't bed-head inspired, but rather, perfectly coifed.

Jay-Z

The Music and Some Cultural Revelations:

Yahoo! Wireless Festival is a 3-day music festival in London, with Sunday's show doubling as the kickoff for Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z's “Legends of the Summer” tour. On Saturday, I spent all of my time at the Main(stream) stage. The better-known acts performed here, including Earth, Wind & Fire, DJ Fresh, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Miguel, Kendrick Lamar, Rita Ora and Emeli Sandé. Jay-Z was the headliner and over 60,000 people were in attendance at the event.

Something I instantly recognized was that everyone there knew all the lyrics to the songs. In comparison to other music festivals, the main stage did not cover a myriad of genres. The crowd knew not only the Top 40 songs of these artists, but they knew the old songs and songs from new records released in the past week.

I suppose I was surprised most because in America there seems to still be a sense of race relations in music. Although rap and hip-hop culture have become increasingly more mainstream in the last fifteen to twenty years, it still maintains certain notions. Take, for example, the criticism former Disney star, Miley Cyrus, has received since releasing her single with rapper, Snoop Dogg (Lion), and focusing on a more “hip-hop” vibe. Many of the festival's artists rapped about struggle and success in the United States, and many took the time to comment on how far they had come (personally, professionally and literally) to be at the London festival, a seemingly juxtaposing location.

My take away from all of this was that I was amidst true fans who really believed in these artists. Those divisions and criticisms weren't present in London, at least not at the festival that day. I was around people who all appreciated music in the same way, and it was fantastic.

Rita Ora

My favorite act of the day was Rita Ora, who differentiated herself from the other performers through polytechnics and costume changes. Her backup dancers and singers helped to create a performance that you would expect at a typical large-scale concert.

I am glad that I attended this year’s festival as it furthered my love for music and its power to unite people. I will forever have the memory of raising my finger with the rest of the crowd as Macklemore signaled at us during his performance of “Same Love.” We may have come from all over the world and had different expectations of the day, but in that moment we were all same.