I've been a longtime fan of Césaria Évora ever since I chanced upon a CD of hers in an Auckland music store and took it home. Her singing is incredibly poignant and just gets under my skin. I have to just stop and listen. So I could never put on her CDs when I wanted to work!
When I read in the local paper that she was coming to Melbourne to perform, I couldn't pass up on the op to see her as it's most likely to be the only time that I will.
The Melbourne Arts Centre is built on the south bank of the Yarra River which runs through Melbourne city. The round building that you see in the image is Hamer Hall and this is where Césaria Évora was performing.
Let me tell you something. The incompetence that we complain so bitterly about in Dubai is spreading itself around the world, as service people are apparently not paid to think anymore. From the 30 min wait (I was #7 in the queue) in the pre-paid ticket queue as the cashier went in search for the tickets which hadn't arrived at the box office, to the ushers who closed down any sense of fun that people wanted to have to better enjoy the show (dancing and moving closer to the stage), it was a bloody miracle that we all enjoyed the concert as much as we did.Thankfully, Césaria and her most competent and entertaining 8 man backing combo were at their best. They salsa'd and balladed until we were on our feet begging for encores which were willingly given.
Because of the overzealous ushers, I had to be very careful about getting any images - especially as it is haram to do this at concerts. So my results weren't that wonderful.
This is Hamer Hall as the crowd vacated after the concert. It's a great venue, and the balcony seat that I had was almost on top of the stage because of the way in which the balcony level came down at the sides of the hall.
On the way back to the tram, I stopped to take this image, but as it was a Sunday night, not many of the building lights were on, so I'll have to go back and take some during the week.
Here are some YouTube vids of Césaria in concert.Sodade
Petit Pays
Besame Mucho