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The house lights dim, and Bozena Castaldo
steps out from behind the curtain to welcome the (enthusiastic) full
house. Dressed in a beautifully tailored black cocktail dress enhanced
simply with a string of pearls, she looks exquisite.
“Hello and welcome, and thank you for coming,” she says. “Twenty
years ago I arrived from Poland into Chicago as a new immigrant, trying
to make a life in a new country under a lot of pressure. So to release
my stress, I listened to a lot of music to soothe myself when a friend
gave me a (tape) and said that I had to listen to this artist. So I did,
and I fell in love with the voice and the music.
A few months later I came from Chicago to New York and living a
single life, I met the artist. I was instantly dazzled, by the music and
the man. Fortunately for me, he was single. So the past is past, the
present, and the future and let me introduce to you my terrific husband,
fantastic father, brilliant musician, and Italian entrepreneur. Have a
great time.”
With that, the crowd applauds generously and the curtains open to even more applause as
Micheal Castaldo
steps onto the stage. Behind him, magnificent moving imagery projecting
images of his beloved Italy. To his right, the string quartet from the
Richmond County Orchestra and center stage, four magnificent dancers.
The Hyblart Dance Company is a modern Sicilian dance ensemble and have come from Ragusa Marina in Sicily for today’s concert.
Castaldo opens with
‘Il Mondo’.
Any concert that opens with such a beautiful introduction spoken so
lovingly is unquestionably destined to be a performance filled with
love. And that is exactly how the rest of the afternoon played out –
with a generous outpouring of love.Micheal Castaldo (always with his
hat) looks impeccable dressed in black, a white button down shirt,
pocket kerchief and a red rose on his left lapel.
His stage presence is ‘enormous’. Warmly, he welcomes his adoring audience and introduces his string quartet and the dancers.
'Notti di Luci'
follows performed in Italian and English, and you cannot help but
believe that “And I love you, yes I love you”, sung with such passion,
is dedicated to his beautiful wife Bozena.With much pride and a beaming
smile, Castaldo announces that he will be singing on The Red Carpet at
the Columbus Day Parade in New York City. The crowd goes wild.
'I te vurria vasà'
comes next and Micheal interjects
“You know the words to this song – join along” and the audience does.
There is much joy in the auditorium – you can feel the excitement. The
sound is full, the voice, impeccable, and the visual – dazzling.
Sitting in the dark watching and hearing, one feels as if you are
transported on an exotic journey to Micheal’s beloved homeland – Italy.
The staging is simple, sunning, and very, very ‘effective’. So simple
that it is a multi dimensional spectacular feast for the eyes.
“This concert is dedicated to an incredible, incredible friend who
passed away in July. I met her two years ago at Hofstra University at a
festival, and even though we only met two years ago, I felt like I’d
known her for a very long time. She battled breast cancer for many years
– she was a survivor. Many of her family members are here this evening
and I want to dedicate this next song to Lorena."He performs
'Pray’r (Io Credo)'
in memory of Lorena. There is not a dry eye in the house. The song is
performed from the heart of a very kind, caring, and enormously generous
man – you ‘feel’ it. His facial expressions are so very heartfelt and
meaningful. You can tell that this is his ‘heart’ singing.
Next up is a personal favorite of mine, the
'Va Pensiero'
(composed as Castaldo jokingly puts it by Joe Green aka Giuseppe Verdi)
for the majestic opera Nabucco. Micheal brings a new height of
sensation to this piece – he performs with enormous passion – a past
master of his enormous talent. He weaves the glorious music with
‘stories’ of his life, his ‘passions’ and entertains with much grace.
Every now and again, a (tongue in cheek) joke brings the audience to
roars of laughter.
And as lovingly as the afternoon began, the momentum continues.
‘He lives in you’, ‘Senza catene’, and ‘Brucia la terra’
follow, each performance as immaculate and well presented that one
(with closed eyes) might thing that you are enjoying a studio recording.
The voice is strong, articulate, warm, and ‘enormous’.
Visually, the production looses no momentum at all. Castaldo has
orchestrated a phenomenon on stage. At most, with the string quartet and
the dancers, including Castaldo, there are at any one time only 9
performers on stage and yet, the visual with the projected imagery and
fluid dance movement is simply spectacular. The stage appears to be
full. You are on a virtual journey filled with the glory of the music
and the camaraderie between the artist, his fellow performers and most
importantly his adoring audience is connected as if everyone were a part
of the production.
Micheal continues with
‘Guarda questa terra’, ‘Alleluia’, the world premier of ‘Calabrisella Mia’. 'Calabrisella Mia'
is a traditional Calabrian folk song with a flamenco vibe, sung in the
Calabrian dialect and will be featured in Micheal’s new CD to be
released in 2013. By the time he completes his afternoon performance, he
and his audience are ‘one’.
A spectacular, spectacular performer, Micheal Castaldo takes music to
the highest of heights. He performs with majesty and grace. He is
generous with his warmth towards those who have come to enjoy the
performance. Always articulate, Micheal Castaldo is, and will always
remain one of my most favored performers and I highly encourage anyone
who has a love for Italian music and culture, to keep watching his
website (
http://www.michealcastaldo.com/)
for his future live performances. See him. You will enjoy time in his
presence that will not easily fade from your memory. Castaldo’s fine
music is available online – get it – this is music that every
Classical-Crossover genre admirer MUST own!
What touches me the most takes place at the post concert reception.A
woman walks up to Micheal and with much heartfelt expression in her
face, and voice, she says,
“Thank you for taking me home to my
beloved Italy today, and for rekindling my warmest and most heartfelt
memories of my parents who formed part of those first immigrants who
came to the United States.”
Any performer who can connect his audience to their heritage with
such enormous intensity is with no doubt, enormously gifted and
talented.
Castaldo definitely is!
This exclusive 2AFRIKA African safari special is unquestionably another one of those amazing safari specials that you simply cannot afford to pass up!
Combine this safari with the Victoria Falls, and Cape Town, and you will have created a memory of a lifetime that will NEVER fade!
Mapula Lodge has become synonymous with providing a true wilderness offering. It is situated in the northern area of the Okavango Delta just outside the Moremi Game Reserve, which in turn enables the lodge to offer a full spectrum of activities, all with a guide and tracker. Mapula lodge is a land camp and water camp with day and night drives (guide and tracker), bush walks, boating and mokoro excursions.
The Savuti has developed a reputation over the years as a prime area to view predators in Botswana, especially lion and spotted hyena. The Savuti lies within the Chobe National Park and boasts one of the highest concentrations of wildlife on the African continent. The Savuti Channel itself was a river and in 1982, it abruptly stopped flowing. The event was so unusual that it was extensively covered by various wildlife documentaries. Miraculously, in 2010, the Savuti starting flowing again!
This exclusive offer, only available from 2AFRIKA, includes:
4 Nights accommodation in accommodation with private bathroom facilities at Mapula Lodge and Camp Savuti
All taxes
Fully inclusive meal basis
Charter flights routed MAUN / MAPULA LODGE / CAMP SAVUTI / MAUN
Safari Activities daily
National Park entrance fees
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$2,435.00 p/p sharing for the entire package
EXCLUSIVE ONLY TO 2AFRIKA PASSENGERS …. REDUCE THE PRICE BY $350.00 PER PERSON FOR ALL BOOKINGS MADE AND PAID FOR BY LABOR DAY 2012 FOR TRAVEL ANYTIME DURING THE VALID SEASON!
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VALIDITY:
Daily from November 01, 2012 through March 31, 2013
Legendary performer Felipe Rose, the Native American of Village People, and J.E. Anzalone, the biker in the group are heading to Africa on safari and you’re invited to join them.Their luxurious 8-day/7-night (excl. flying time) safari visits Kenya’s bustling capital city Nairobi (1 night), Mt. Kenya(1 night), Samburu National Reserve (2 nights), and the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve (3 nights). The accommodations are of the finest quality that Africa has to offer. In Nairobi, guests will stay at Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel. Further afield on safari, accommodations are at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, originally the retreat of movie star and Club founder, William Holden. The Club's illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby.
Samburu Intrepids is the luxurious choice for the visit to Samburu National Reserve and in the south-west, accommodation has been arranged at the classically luxurious Mara Intrepids tented safari camp overlooking the Talek River, at the very confluence of the Mara’s four game-viewing areas.
All transportation, inter African flights, sumptuously prepared meals (23) and all safari game viewing activities are included in the unbeatable price of only $4,499 per person sharing accommodation. A single supplement of $1,299applies to guests who wish to enjoy the privacy of their own accommodation. This exclusive safari originates in Nairobi on Saturday, January 12, 2013 and terminates in Nairobi on Saturday, January 19, 2013. An early-bird saving of $250 per person applies to all reservations received by August 31, 2012.
Space on this very exclusive departure is limited to only 40 guests and you’re encouraged to make your reservation as soon as possible. Further details are available on request by contacting Kenneth Hieber via kenneth@2afrikamail.com.
International flights are not included in the shown price but assistance can be provided.
Kenneth Hieber and Felipe Rose of Village People continue their legendary Summer Series on ONE VOICE RADIO on Wednesday, August 08, 2012 at 8:00PM (EST) with our very SPECIAL GUEST – Ms. Gloria Gaynor.
Gloria, in keeping with our 'Summer on Summer – a tribute to the late Donna Summer' series performs her remix of singing a collection tribute in memory of Donna Summer – the first time heard on radio ever! So join us – you’re in for a treat.
In addition to this great tribute, Gloria, Felipe, and Kenneth, will catch up on 'old times', what she has been up to since she was last on the show … and of course, you can expect to hear many of her great performances.
We end tonight with the 'Highlight Round Up' a segment which briefs you on your hosts’ best restaurants, best musical theater experiences, best new recording artists to watch, and much more.Estela Nena AKA Mambo Queen weighs in with her selection also.
Join Kenneth Hieber and Felipe Rose on ONE VOICE RADIO and on Face Book to stay informed. Click Kenneth Hieber, Following Felipe, and ONEVOICE RADIO, and become friends.
This episode of ONE VOICE RADIO is brought to you by America’s trendsetting destination specialist 2AFRIKA, INC. for all of your African Safari Reservations.
From an early age, René García studied in painting workshops offered at the house of culture in Macuspana. It was there that he discovered his skills at drawing and painting. As his world evolved he entered the broad and complex spectrum of visual arts. Having studied with both Mexican and foreign masters like Mark Kurtycs, Carlos Torralba, Fernandino Sciana, Hector Herrera, Lola Valverde , Xaro Castillo, Augustine Fructuoso, Jorge del Moral, Tomas Barrera Inda, he mastered different facets of art styles of the late twentieth and early twenty-first.
García is a fervent promoter of the arts in his hometown, where he works and brings expertise as a teacher of photography andgraphic design.
In 2008 he received the third place in the drawing competition organized by Vazquez Fontanelly of the Tabasco Institute of Culture. Similarly in 1993, he received second place in the regional competition of photography on the environment organized by the CONALMEX and UNESCO.
René García makes his New York City debut honoring the work of the legendary Frida Kahlo. His exhibition, simply entitledFrida’s Portraits opens to the public on August 07th.
EL COCOTERO
228 WEST 18TH ST., #1
NEW YORK, NY 10011
I am honored to be presenting the opening remarks and doing to ribbon-cutting. I do hope to see you there and to helping me to welcome RenéGarcía to our city.
With well-deserved Awards too many to mention, CLICK HERE and you will soon realize that Jimmy Lee Young is no 'ordinary' performer. He is exceptional!
Last night on ONE VOICE RADIO, Native American performer Jimmy Lee Young delighted hosts Kenneth Hieber and Felipe Rose of Village People as well as our international audience with his words of wisdom and three tracks off of his album 'Great Spirit'.
Jimmy’s most recent very well deserved awards are; Winner at the 2011 Nammys for Best Music Video; 5 time nominee, twice winner at the 2011 Indian Summer Music Awards for Best Country and Best Folk Song. Currently triple nominee at the L.A. Music Awards for best Album, Best Male Singer Songwriter, and Best Hot Adult Contemporary Single for 'Dreamer'.
Ending all his communication with "Rock On!", we urge you to get your own copy of Jimmy’s latest record 'Great Spirit' – you can get a download from Amazon.com and all of his albums are available at CD Baby – simply click the links to be directed straight to the appropriate page and get your own copies now.
Both Kenneth Hieber and Felipe Rose are left with no doubt that sometime again in the future, Jimmy Lee Young will return to ONE VOICE RADIO for a full show until which time as he always says, "Rock On!" He certainly is an artist who deserves to be in your music collection.
To keep up to date on Jimmy’s music, meet him on Face Book.
CLICK HERE to LIKE ONE VOICE RADIO on Face Book and get entertainment news as it breaks.
All ONE VOICE RADIO episodes are available On Demand by CLICKING HERE. You can also download our FREEpodcast from the Apple iTunes Store simply by clicking here. Enjoy the show!
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