YANNI UNDER THE STARS

Courtesy of José Dueño Entertainment

               Around the world, fabled landmarks cast their spell: The Parthenon (Greece), Piazza San Marco (Italy), the Taj Mahal (India),  the Great Pyramid of Cholula (Mexico), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), the Great Wall of China, the Empire State Building (New York).
            San Juan, Puerto Rico, has world famous landmark too: a 472-year-old fort named Castillo de San Felipe del Morro but best known as El Morro. And on the nights of Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, the fort will be the backdrop for a Yanni concert that should be as memorable to his fans as its location.
            The Greek musician, with more than 20 million albums sold in the course of a career devoted to new age music or "contemporary instrumental" as he prefers to call it, has made it almost his trademark to hold concerts at famous landmarks. So far he has performed at the Acropolis (the 1994 release of Yanni Live at the Acropolis is considered the second best-selling music video of all time, according to Wikipedia); the Taj Mahal; the Forbidden City in Beijing; and the Buri Khalifa in Dubai. And now he will add El Morro to his list.
             That Yanni was impressed by El Morro comes as no surprise. Anyone unfamiliar with its astonishing  splendor would be too. There are several ways to get to the fort  but regardless which route you take, the moment you first lay eyes on it from a distance is enough to take your breath away. The six-level fort, 145 feet above sea level, has 18 foot-high, 5.5 meters thick walls of weathered sandstone. It was built at the very tip of the islet of San Juan on a promontory that is reached by walking across a vast empty lawn that seems to go on forever.
            It is the expanse and breadth of the location, spanning some 70 acres, that  exacts such a strong effect upon first viewing : all the eye can see is the immensity of the ocean, the vast green esplanade leading to the fort, the vault of the sky overhead, the bay of San Juan with cruise ships silently gliding by. Far off in the distance, the fort rises gray and solemn; it is only upon closer proximity that one can appreciate just how impressive and menacing it is. Which is how it must have appeared hundreds of years ago to the ships of pirates and would-be-conquerors eyeing an attack on the walled city from the prows of their sails-powered vessels. Buccaneers like Sir Francis Drake who attacked in 1595 and a few years later, in 1598, the Earl of Cumberland, who managed to take over the city but only temporarily. Construction on El Morro began in 1539 and continued for a century and a half as the Spaniards beefed up the fortifications to make Old San Juan ever more impregnable to attack. A United Nations World Heritage Site since 1983, El Morro draws a record 2 million visitors each year, proof of its perennial appeal among tourists and locals.
          At a time when we live life to the strains of music streaming through any number of portable devices, attending an open-air concert amid the grandeur of a famous landmark can have a lot of appeal regardless of one's  musical inclinations. Hopefully, it will be clear skies and nice weather on the two nights that Yanni will be performing.  And as the music envelops the audience, attendees will be able to enjoy the breeze, gaze at the star-studded sky and perhaps feel the awe of being in a place with such amazing history.
          Yanni's concerts feature elaborate lighting and a big orchestra so ticket prices run a little steep, from $125 to $250. They are available by internet at www.ticketpop.com, by calling 787.294.0001 or can be purchased  at the Coliseum ticket office in Hato Rey, according to the concert's local promoter, José Dueño Entertainment. For  those who won't be attending, the  good news is that the concert will be broadcast internationally.  Whether under the stars, or in front of the telly, Yanni at El Morro is sure to be a memorable night.
www.yanni.com
www.josedueno.com
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on Nov. 3 and is now re-posted after being deleted by mistake.

By Denise Blasor

Take from life what is pure
and for living what is sufficient.
-- Ghajat al hakim

NEW AT SuperMax De Diego : A new line of baby yogurts and a brand of lightly smoked sardines rate high on our list of favorites. The YoBaby line, introduced by Stonyfield, comes in a four pack with each small container carrying four onces of organic whole milk yogurt mixed with a choice of fruits into a smooth and creamy blend that should please babies and even adults looking for a mid-afternoon or late night snack. The sardines, packed under the Roland brand, are  excellent: these little fish are firm and full of smoky taste, beating out the competition by a large margin.

By Denise Blasor
Be content with what you are
and wish not change;
nor dread your last day, nor long for it.
-- Martial

                                  
ECLECTIKA SHOPPING: 
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend but wood jewelry can be beautiful too. At Eclectika in Old an Juan, you can find unusual  rings and bracelets made out of  tagua nut wood at prices that won't break your bank account. It also carries  lovely traditional crafts from Indonesia and the Philippines, decorative objects for the home, furnishings and textiles.
Two locations:  205 Calle Cruz; 204 Calle O'Donnell at Plaza Colón.

Copyright 2011 ©Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved