Mercedes Sosa

Seeing Mercedes Sosa live would be great. Seeing Mercedes Sosa live in Argentina would be even better. Seeing her live at the Teatro Colon? Amazing. And seeing her live at the Colon in the last concert before the theatre closes for a year of repairs? Oh my god. And that's what we did last night.

Mercedes Sosa is an Argentinian singer, famous around the world and beloved in Argentina for her interpretations of Argentinian folk music, nueva canción, and collaboration with some of the most important artists in Latin America. She has a huge, rich alto voice and a unique interpretive style.

A group of us, Stefan and Patricia from Germany, Marie-Christine from Quebec, Cameron from Chigago, Martin from Northern Argentina and me, got $4 standing room tickets for Mercedes Sosa's concert last night at the Teatro Colón. We got there early, knowing what an occasion the sold-out show would be.

She's in her 70's and has had heart and hip problems, so she did the whole show seated. this didn't effect her stage presence and musical command one bit, though. Her huge voice filled the Colón.

She was accompanied for the first half of the show by a small ensemble of piano, bass, and drums, with some guest musicians on guitar, bandoneón, and guest vocals for certain songs. For the second half of the show the Orquesta Simfonica del Teatro Colón joined her on stage. Though the musicians' performances and arrangements in the first half were great, I thought the power and sound of an orchestra to be a more adequate support for Mercedes Sosa's tremendous voice.

The show was awesome. She sang a wide variety of repertoire, from a couple of folkloric chacateras from her native province of Tucumán, to a song by Silvio Rodriguez and one by Astor Piazzolla. And everyone in the sold out hall was so into it.

As she precariously stood up and performed the last verse of the last song of the show standing, the crowd followed her lead, and the house went wild with applause, whistles, and bravos. And I thought the applause after the opera was wild; it was nothing compared to the sold-out house's appreciation of one of the country's most beloved and respected musicians. As she and the orchestra left the stage after the encore, everyone continued to clap and sing, wanting more. As the woman beside me commented, "I'd stay here till 3 in the morning if there was the possibility she'd come back out and do another song!"

What a show. Some of our group knew Mercedes Sosa only by name, one girl had never even heard of her at all. Buit everyone was totally moved by the concert.

And now the Teatro Colón's closed. They're renovating it and the theatre will reopen in 2008, in time for its 100th anniversary celebrations.