Saturday 26 September 2015
Miguel de Armas and his quartet were practically on fire as they lit up the Orleans Shenkman Arts Centre, when they led the standing-room only audience, in an exhilarating poetic journey through Afro-Cuban culture through music and dance. Starting with a traditional ethnic Yoruba (Nigerian) incantation by Moyugba Barasuayo, the evening featured Afro Cuban folklore dances, romantic melodies by singer Carida Cruz, and an erotic and ultra sensuous cha cha dance that left the audience screaming for more. Leader and jazz pianist Miguel went beyond his usual high standards, as he put up a pulsating performance that left the audience gasping, such was the intensity and passion of his play. The appearance of a masquerade added a new dimension to the show. Among the uninitiated, there were a few nervous faces as the dancer made his way into the audience. But for those, like this writer, raised in Africa, it was nothing to worry about; we know full well that the masquerade is really a spirit in human form! If there was a downside, and one is hard-pressed to find any, it was that there was no translation or interpretation from Spanish or Yoruba to English, so the audience could follow the content; something that will surely be fixed next time around as the group sets new heights for itself. Kudos to Executive Producer Yasmina Proveyer, as she served up yet another one of her specially entertaining events to the people of Ottawa.
