By Zaira Meneses, Granada Spain Feb 14. 2023
Only a few minutes remain before the performance begins at noon time. All the lights in the concert hall are off, the audience already seated. Perhaps one or two people are still finding their seats in a sold out concert. No printed program or detailed description about the show are offered…just a ticket at the entrance with a foto and the name of the venue.
A spotlight shines on an empty stage, suggesting that the performance is seconds away. The moment of suspense is interrupted by the presenter, who walks out on stage to give information about the music and the artists. Big applause follows to welcome the musicians as they walk on stage.
To my surprise, the artists are not as young or dressed up as I thought they would be: elegant but not overdressed, just formal and clean. It looks a bit as if they were aficionados who had gotten together casually and spontaneously to improvise. Despite their humble appearance, they are professional musicians full of focus on what’s about to happen.
A melody comes out of the first instrument – without even checking the tuning, the whole ensemble joins in.
What music is this? Who composed it? We don’t know. We are all just there, hypnotized by the music. The musicians’ personalities spontaneously create a unique performance experience. No one is competing for the limelight; they are all so different from one another, yet it is obvious that they want to be supportive, to present the best show ever. They all know that the stage can be a scary place.
Not until this moment had I understood the sacrifice, love and care they have invested over the years to prepare for this one moment. The “stage high” doesn’t come by coincidence, it is the result of knowledge of the art, effective communication and hard work, period. This is not the first or the last show of their lives; there have been many others before, and there will be many more to come and often in a very competitive environment. The pressure is always on, and even more is expected when performing in a cosmopolitan city full of similar shows with an audience that has seen it all.
The handsome, male guitarist can’t take his eyes away from the female dancer and her beautiful dark hair. She is probably the same age as him. She relies on his experience to catch her and support her every move. It is the most romantic scene ever to watch how much they care for each other. I couldn’t believe I was eavesdropping on such an intimate dialogue! I felt myself blush; tears came to my eyes. I know myself what it feels to give your whole body and soul to the audience, and for sure I’m aware of how rare it is to find such chemistry on stage. This can only happen when there is true love for art itself.
I take a quick glance at my cellphone to check the time: 1:20pm. I feel a wave of gratitude for having been away from the news and the ridiculous, endless noise of social media.
Art happens when we don’t feel the time going by so quickly but it is even more delightful for me to see artists (in particular female artists!) giving their heart and soul to the art despite their life’s stage or generation.
…I truly appreciated being inspired by professional artists at their mature age. Their body movements and facial expressions have a wise eroticism, something that is in too short supply in a repressed society that can so easily be distracted by the superficialities of our ever spinning world.