Thursday April 7th’s evening was captivated by the marvelous concert, presented by the chamber choir from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) Chorium, “Hotel Delirio.” Chorium, along with its President, Luis De Jesús, and Director, Professor Edgar Vélez, gave it their all at this outstanding performance that delighted the audience with music from Puerto Rico and all over Latin America.
By 7:30 pm, a vast line of people was waiting for the doors of the Chapel Amphitheater to open and witness the concert that made everyone travel back to the 1950s. Students, faculty members, and onlookers from all over Puerto Rico were filled with awe and excitement.
Social Sciences sophomore, Michael Andretti, shared his reason for attending the event, “I love Puerto Rican talent; I’m fascinated by what’s called culture, this is something that should be encouraged because Puerto Rico is losing that essence. Thanks to these cultural activities we can gain the impulse for that culture to keep flowing.”
An hour later, the wait was over as the third call for order was given and the show started. “Hotel Delirio” followed married couple Josemanuel (Samniel Borreli) and Azucena (Keysalis Fermín) as they celebrated their wedding anniversary at a hotel ballroom which hosted superb singing and instrumental pieces, centered around the ‘50s era.
The first performance of the night was by Cristina Acevedo, who sang “Obsesión,” followed by “Mar y Cielo” by Cynthia Figueroa, “Alma Mía” by Stephanie Rivera, and “La Pared” by Fabiola Fuentes. Massive rounds of applause were booming after each singer displayed their talent with great passion. Continuing with the concert, Enrique Más sang “Nuestra Luna” and Carolina Rivera interpreted the song “Cómo fue.” Nelson Carmenatty, who was also acting as another spectator spending the night with his companion at the hotel, performed the song “Inolvidable” and Jesly Güivas finished this first act of the show with the song “Qué te pedí.”
After a 15 minute intermission, the songs “Júrame” and “Tú me acostumbraste” were serenaded by Viviana Colón and Wendalyn Hernández respectively. Andrés Sánchez beautifully performed a classic instrumental titled “Reloj” on the piano. It was the only instrumental piece of the concert and it was delivered to the audience with just as much passion for melody as the others. Subsequently, Alberto Pérez interpreted “Ausencia” and Samniel Borreli (aka Josemanuel) sang “No me platiques más.” The song that gave the concert its title, “Delirio” was performed by Kenneth Cotto and a duet by Cynthia Figueroa and Karl Schindler delighted the audience with the interpretation of the song “Perdón.” To conclude the musical program, few announcments were made by master of ceremony, José García, and a hilarious plot twist by Azucena (Keysalis) took place, following her performance of the eclectic song “Nada.” The amphitheater thundered with applauses and cheers as all the performers took a bow in front of the happy crowd.
When asked about her character Azucena, Keysalis Fermín expressed, “when they told me I was going to be Azucena, that I was going to personify this strong woman who’s respected, I was in love with the character. It was hard because I have never done this before [referring to theater and singing alone in front of a crowd], but overall it was a great experience. I loved it!”
Chorium succeeded greatly by sharing their talent and their passion for the musical arts at this stunning recital. “Hotel Deliro” was more than expected to all of those who came to enjoy the activity and to the people who made the event happen. It was truly a night enlightened by gorgeous, melodic flair.
*Photo credit: Marilyn Justiniano