Baca, AMEMUSO thrill at Operabuja

It was a night of songs, dance, rhythm and skills all matched with dexterity last Sunday when two time Grammy award winner, Susana Baca and members of the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) entertained guests at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja. This year’s theme was ‘Arise,’ which according to Mrs. Cecilia Toledo de Schmillen, captures […]

It was a night of songs, dance, rhythm and skills all matched with dexterity last Sunday when two time Grammy award winner, Susana Baca and members of the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) entertained guests at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja.
This year’s theme was ‘Arise,’ which according to Mrs. Cecilia Toledo de Schmillen, captures the socio-economic mood of the nation.
The evening opened with performances by the children’s arm of the choir, AMEMUSITO whose led singer, very much in the same way Susan Boyle wowed audiences at ‘Britian’s Got Talent,’ shocked the audience with the strength of her voice when she sang Josh Groban’s ‘You raise me up.’
This was followed by other performances, including ‘Arise Nigeria,’ and opera medley, ‘Doll Song,’ ‘Ah mes amis’ by tenor, Joseph Oparanuike, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Love never dies,’ ‘Valparaiso’ and ‘Oba Alase’ rendered by Schmillen, among others.
Like an African woman ready for the ‘fire dance,’ Susana Baca, Peru’s former culture minister, took over the stage barefooted as she performed ‘Fuego y Agua,’ ‘Bahoquende,’ ‘Toro mata’ and ‘Taki ti taki’ to the delight of the audience as much as it was for the choir chorusing behind her.
The evening ended with a performance of ‘Me I like my country’ by all the female soloists and the choir and the launch of a compact disc compilation of musical works of Susana Baca from her first participation of Operabuja was launched at the event.