Music Monday - #SOSVenezuela Edition

While we were working to produce a Google Hangout with activists, lawyers, and filmmakers from Venezuela and MENA, we came across #SOSVenezuela Concerts. The organization is a collective of classical and jazz musicians who are hosting concerts to bring awareness to the current events in Venezuela.

Susana, one of the co-organizers of the concert in New York City, graciously invited us to their rehearsal to chat about the event. One of the important things that Susana explained to us was that the concerts are a way for the musicians and their supporters to speak out against the human rights abuses that are happening in Venezuela. [More from Susana about the event is available on SoundCloud]

The concert is not available online, so for now, here is a music playlist that includes a few of the musicians and Maestros that performed during the New York program.

“Schumann Piano Concerto: 1st Movement” – Conducted by Carlos Izcaray, Soloist Vanessa Perez. I was able to find this piece that Maestro Izcaray and Vanessa Perez performed back in 2008 with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela.

“Amare” by Ali Bello & The Sweet Wire Quartet – while this isn’t the performance from the concert on June 5th, it is from Ali Bello’s YouTube Channel.

“Cazón w/ Tonada Intro” by Ali Bello & The Sweet Wire Quartet – this performance is not from the NY concert either but it is one of the songs performed that night.

Maestro Jan Wagner conducts Johannes Brahms “Symphony No. 2 in D Major” – For the #SOSVenezuela concert in NY, Maestro Jan Wagner conducted the opening song

“Adagio for Strings, Op. 11” conducted by Carlos Izcaray – During the NYC concert this is another song that Maestro Jan Wagner conducted.

Manena Contrera’s speech at the SOS VE Concert in NYC – 3mins.

“El Río de las Siete Estrellas” – I added this track by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela. I’m including it because it is the song that opened the concert and I will add a Sound Cloud interview with Jan Wagner about the choosing of it.