Bugs Bunny + Bach, among the unexpected combos at Kennedy Center Iberian festival
By hola | Published | No Comments
Continuing coverage of the Kennedy Center’s Iberian Suite: global arts remix festival
Near the beginning of its Kennedy Center performance last week, Metales M5’s frontman Alex Freund launched into a discussion of Bugs Bunny’s taste in classical music. Then, almost before the audience could react, the brass quintet launched into Bug’s favorite, a Johann Sebastian Bach composition called “Fantasie in C Major,” taking the crowd back to their childhood cartoon experiences—and even further back to a musical masterpiece composed three centuries ago.
It was also a signature Metales M5 move. The brass band from Michoacan, Mexico, is renown for taking classical music to audiences better versed in the repertoire of the cartoon bunny than the German composer.“Did you know that Bugs Bunny has great musical taste?” Freund asked shortly after taking the stage. Then, almost as an after thought, he told the audience that the original piece wasn’t even written for brass.
The band’s performance of the Bach tune, more than anything, displayed how Metales M5 takes well-known pieces and transforms them completely. The original piece might not have been intended for brass, but the performance was its own original experience.
In fact, about half the pieces in the Mar. 4 performance weren’t originally composed for a brass quintet. But each rendition inspired frantic applause for Freund and his band mates: Oscar Villegas Miranda on the trumpet; Juan Carlos Quiterio Miguel on the French Horn; Roberto Carlos Cruz on the trombone; and José Lopez Juárez on the tuba.
In an earlier interview, Freund said the quintet strives for a distinctive, memorable sound. More importantly, they want their audience to engage with the music. Their Kennedy Center performance last week more than delivered. The small venue made the experience seem more intimate. Freund kept a running commentary between pieces, pulling laughs from the audience and sharing tidbits of musical trivia.
The concert was part of Iberian Suite: global arts remix, a festival this month at the Kennedy Center that celebrates the cultures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, and salutes the way other cultures have historical influenced the Iberian Peninsula’s own artistic expressions. Also included in this month’s Iberian showcase are Picasso exhibits, performances by dance troops inclduing María Muñoz, Mal Pelo, Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo, and Compañía María Pagés, and concerts by Carmen Souza, Eugenia León, the National Symphony Orchestra and more.
“An artist has to love what he does,” according to Freund, say it’s crucial to an artist’s performance career.
It’s obvious that every member of Metales M5 loves performing. Between pieces, they couldn’t stop smiling, joking and sharing their joy with each other and the audience.
Freund told me a musical group must get along or it won’t last, a statement brought to life in the way Freund and Villegas, the other trumpet player, perfectly mirrored each other’s actions and postures, obviously enjoying playing side by side. In fact, all five easily danced in each other’s space, using each other as props and staging mock sword fights with their instruments. The antics amped up the energy of the concert, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish.
The most beautiful compliment that the group ever received, according to Freund, was that the audience “left 10 years younger” because Metales M5 wants musicians and audience, alike, to have a good time; something the performance most certainly achieved.
The Iberian Suite festival runs until March 24th. More information on the Kennedy Center’s website.
—Airica Thomas
Recent Stories
