In addition to the workshops attended today, this was the day of the evening concert at UFRGS. Together with a few of the other ensembles who were performing, we boarded a bus a few hours in advance of the concert, leaving enough time for each of the groups to sound check. The hall was quite nice--a very large space. I am very happy to report that the sound and tech crew at UFRGS was outstanding, and very accommodating to a computer-based ensemble like Space Genetics. The sound techs in particular were outstanding, helping us set up a table with all of our gear preset. It was AWESOME to perform in such a big hall with a great sound system--we had a great monitor mix, making it easy to hear ourselves, and the full range of sound was great--from the lowest bass to the highest electronic sounds.
There was a very nice sized crowd in attendance who were continuously appreciative of all the performers. The concert began with a solo guitarist from Chile, followed by the marimba ensemble from South Africa that I had heard earlier in the week. A jazz trio from Sweden performed next, which provided a nice setup to our music which is at least somewhat rooted in the jazz tradition. Since there were several performers in the concert, each group had to do an abbreviated set. So we narrowed our larger "Thursday" set to one piece called "Blush of Rude" that we wrote and recorded on our first album together in 2008. Although I was concerned about the 'experimental' nature of our music feeling out of place alongside some other traditional music, the audience seemed to really enjoy what we did. Considering that the theme of the concert is "Listening To The Diversity Of The World", I think this concert was an excellent representation of a variety of traditions and musical styles. It was really thrilling to perform in such a space and for such an appreciative crowd. I will have video to come...
Following our performance were two Brazilian groups. The first was an ensemble of singers, recorders, bass, and percussion from Recifé (northeastern Brazil) which also featured a dancer on a couple of pieces. Their music was light, spirited, and energetic. They were followed by a percussion ensemble from the next town to the north of Porto Alegre. They also put on a very exciting and theatrical performance that featured a variety of Brazilian and fusion grooves. I sat backstage to watch their performance, and the head sound technician gave me a lot of cool information about the music and the geographic nuances of the styles. The entire concert was a blast!
The weather has gotten pretty bad lately--there has been constant rain since Tuesday night. In fact, it may get down into the 30's in the evening later in the week--someone even suggested snow might be possible this weekend!
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