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Mosaica sings The Lion King
By Jean-Claude Elias, Jordan News
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After many years of live performances, many international awards,
and numerous accolades, the members of Mosaica, Jordan’s most celebrated choir,
along with their conductor, artistic team, and organizers, have rolled up their
sleeves one more time and decided to take up a new, sizable challenge: to
interpret the songs of The Lion King.اضافة اعلان
(Photo: Handout from Mosaica)
In the world of music and movies, The Lion King is a rare instance. It “became the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage works and films, surpassing the record previously held by The Phantom of the Opera. The musical has grossed nearly $8.1 billion as of 2017,” according to Wikipedia. In the US, the show still runs on Broadway for the 25th year.
Written by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, as adapted from the classic Disney work, the lyrics are by Tim Rice, whereas the music is by Elton John, Julie Taymor, Hans Zimmer, Lebo M., Mark Mancina, and Jay Rifkin.
To perform the music, Mosaica geared up for four shows, from June 9 to 12, at the OES (Orthodox Educational Society) Culture & Sports Theatre in Amman.
Last week Jordan News was invited to a rehearsal and had the opportunity to listen to The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) and The Circle of Life, two of the most exhilarating and captivating songs on the program. From a purely musical viewpoint, the quality of the sound generated by the ensemble is pristine, by any measure, and it is up to the highest international standards. The stage presence and the visual impact of the choir members and their conductor is a true reflection of their genuine enthusiasm and strong commitment. Surely, the output heard results from a fine combination of talent and a substantial amount of hard work.
Mercedes Alonso, co-founder and artistic director, said: “The Lion King is a real challenge for the choir; we are really thrilled to take it up and strongly believe we will be up to it”.
The program’s leaflet further explains: “As a choir, we sought to better understand and appreciate the magnificence of the music, the beauty of the story, and the artistry behind the choreography. Each time we sing a different style of music or sing in a different language, we are exposed to a new culture which enriches our understanding of humanity.”
Some of the songs are in Swahili. This required the singers to make an extra effort to deliver the proper sound, articulation of words, and the right atmosphere. The result heard at the rehearsal was more than convincing, and it certainly will be more so on the day of the live performance before the audience.
The 50-members strong choir will be accompanied by a set of 10 musicians from Jordan and other countries. From abroad, more precisely, Syria, comes the pianist and arranger Nareg Abajian, who has already collaborated with the choir on several previous occasions. Mosaica will interpret 16 of the set of songs originally featured in the musical and in the movie.
From the absolute must-play piece, the catchy, infectious Hakuna Matata, to Elton John’s emotional compositions The Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight — to name these three pieces only — the ensemble will be sailing through the beautiful music of what the program leaflets describe as “ a story about self-discovery, leadership, love, loss, and redemption. … Today let us take you on a magical journey.”
Playing the main characters and performing as soloist singers are Violet Bawab, Siba Zada, Benedikte Have, Jalal Haddadin, Ayyoub Tams, Omar Sabbagh, Hasan Sughayer, Yazan Jurf, and Leen Abu Lail.
The writer is a computer engineer and a classically trained pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles, reviewing music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
Read more Opinion and Analysis
Jordan News
(Photo: Handout from Mosaica)
In the world of music and movies, The Lion King is a rare instance. It “became the top-earning title in box-office history for both stage works and films, surpassing the record previously held by The Phantom of the Opera. The musical has grossed nearly $8.1 billion as of 2017,” according to Wikipedia. In the US, the show still runs on Broadway for the 25th year.
Written by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, as adapted from the classic Disney work, the lyrics are by Tim Rice, whereas the music is by Elton John, Julie Taymor, Hans Zimmer, Lebo M., Mark Mancina, and Jay Rifkin.
To perform the music, Mosaica geared up for four shows, from June 9 to 12, at the OES (Orthodox Educational Society) Culture & Sports Theatre in Amman.
Last week Jordan News was invited to a rehearsal and had the opportunity to listen to The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) and The Circle of Life, two of the most exhilarating and captivating songs on the program. From a purely musical viewpoint, the quality of the sound generated by the ensemble is pristine, by any measure, and it is up to the highest international standards. The stage presence and the visual impact of the choir members and their conductor is a true reflection of their genuine enthusiasm and strong commitment. Surely, the output heard results from a fine combination of talent and a substantial amount of hard work.
Some of the songs are in Swahili. This required the singers to make an extra effort to deliver the proper sound, articulation of words, and the right atmosphere. The result heard at the rehearsal was more than convincing, and it certainly will be more so on the day of the live performance before the audience.Nedy Muna, the conductor, co-founder, and musical director of Mosaica, said: “It is the first time we approach African rhythms and work with them so intensely and so deeply”. Hala Qubain, co-founder and the choir’s operations director, added: “We researched extensively African music, rhythms, and the music associated with them, so as to interpret the songs in the most authentic possible way.”
Mercedes Alonso, co-founder and artistic director, said: “The Lion King is a real challenge for the choir; we are really thrilled to take it up and strongly believe we will be up to it”.
The program’s leaflet further explains: “As a choir, we sought to better understand and appreciate the magnificence of the music, the beauty of the story, and the artistry behind the choreography. Each time we sing a different style of music or sing in a different language, we are exposed to a new culture which enriches our understanding of humanity.”
Some of the songs are in Swahili. This required the singers to make an extra effort to deliver the proper sound, articulation of words, and the right atmosphere. The result heard at the rehearsal was more than convincing, and it certainly will be more so on the day of the live performance before the audience.
The 50-members strong choir will be accompanied by a set of 10 musicians from Jordan and other countries. From abroad, more precisely, Syria, comes the pianist and arranger Nareg Abajian, who has already collaborated with the choir on several previous occasions. Mosaica will interpret 16 of the set of songs originally featured in the musical and in the movie.
From the absolute must-play piece, the catchy, infectious Hakuna Matata, to Elton John’s emotional compositions The Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight — to name these three pieces only — the ensemble will be sailing through the beautiful music of what the program leaflets describe as “ a story about self-discovery, leadership, love, loss, and redemption. … Today let us take you on a magical journey.”
Playing the main characters and performing as soloist singers are Violet Bawab, Siba Zada, Benedikte Have, Jalal Haddadin, Ayyoub Tams, Omar Sabbagh, Hasan Sughayer, Yazan Jurf, and Leen Abu Lail.
The writer is a computer engineer and a classically trained pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles, reviewing music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
Read more Opinion and Analysis
Jordan News
