I’ve just returned from one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. As part of the Sounds of Venezuela festival, I saw members of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra with Omar Puente. I had no idea who these guys were until just a few days ago when I randomly stumbled upon an article about them. Here is snippet from the Telegraph:
The orchestra is the product of a 34-year-old project run by the Venezuelan government called El Sistema, which gives every girl and boy, however poor, the chance to have free music tuition and an instrument. This evening’s young conductor, Gustavo Dudamel — one of the most sought-after in the world — was also a product of this widely hailed system, and there has been much talk of Britain copying it.
I managed to find the ONE last seat in the entire venue a few days ago and immediately booked it! For 12 pounds I got to see one of the best concerts ever! Imagine a string quartet, a brass ensemble, a madman violinist from Cuba (Omar Puente), some bongo drums, a grande piano, a bass and a Cuban vocalist playing Latin jazz and salsa in an orchestra music hall. It was the closest thing to heaven for me. I danced in my seat the whole night, until the encore, where everyone was on their feet clapping to Guantanamera done by an orchestra! Can you even imagine it?!?! They linked Veneuzuelan and Cuban music and performed to an awe inspired crowd. It was the perfect fusion of art, culture, London randomness and everything that caters to my slight Latin obsession. I left there completely high!
Here is an excerpt from the program:
Around 2003, stories began to circulate within the music world about an extraordinary youth orchestra in Venezuela. World famous musicians of the calibre of Sir Simon Rattle talked about El Sistema, a national music system in Venezuela that had produced hundreds of youth orchestras and more than a quarter of a million young musicians, many of them from deeply underpriveleged backgrounds, who were playing with a dynamism and professionalism so compelling that they were creating a social and musical revolution of epic proportions.
The Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela is made up of 200 of the best young musicians coming out of El Sistema and over the past few years has established a reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic orchestras.
