By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO–The line outside Smith Recital Hall, on the SDSU campus, curled across the quad as students and adults from the community waited to get in to hear “Souls On Fire: Music of Spain’s Golden Age.”
Twenty minutes after the scheduled curtain time, with extra chairs up front and every seat in the house accounted for, the April 13th program began.
Yale Strom, in red shirt and hat and Elizabeth Schwartz, wearing a red gown, flanked the other dark-clad musicians, Jeff Pekarek, contrabass, Adam del Monte, flamenco guitar, Jesus Montoya, flamenco vocals and Marco Emtesali, percussion. Lakshmi Basile, flamenco dancer, accompanied by del Monte’s exquisite guitar playing , Montoy’s exclamatory singing and ‘Emtasali’s drumming was an electrifying presence who mesmerized her audience. With several costume changes, she added color and variety to the show. Basile’s rapid footwork and undulating shoulder movements truly portrayed a soul on fire.
Schwartz’s singing in Ladino brought contrast to the program which gave examples of Flamenco, Ladino and Jewish music, including one of Strom’s original works in Ladino style.
The program opened with an extensive solo by guitarist del Monte who has done extensive research to confirm counter- influences between Flamenco and Ladino music. It closed with Lakshmi Basile, dressed in pants, doing her final virtuosic movements. This talented young woman grew up in San Diego. She is the daughter of contrabass player, Jeff Pekarek. Basile studied with Antonio Vargas while a student at UCSB, then traveled to Spain for serious work with famous teachers. She continues to dance in Spain and the U.S.
Strom, artist in residence in SDSU’s Judaic Studies program, continues to bring outstanding programs to the community. He and his band will soon be heard as part of the Lipinsky Jewish Arts Festival at the Lyceum Theater.
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Wingard, a retired symphony violinist, is a freelance writer based in San Diego.