Monterrey to Leon - Travel Day October 14, 2009

The reviews are in this morning and Yanni is a hit in Monterrey!  The headlines read “A Show without Egos” (El Milenio) and “An Exciting Evening” (El Norte).  Both papers gave the Yanni Voices Concert rave reviews.  Although most of the orchestra and staff couldn’t speak the language, they still flocked to the airport newsstand to pick up their copies.  Of course this was after they had all visited the Starbucks for their all too familiar lattes.  For those of you who can read Spanish or just want to look at the pictures, here is the link to the article on the web.

http://www.milenio.com/node/302913

El Norte

El Milenio

A Familiar Sight at the Monterrey Airport

We boarded the charter plane at 2:00 pm and took off to Leon, Guanajuato.  It’s great to be on a plane where you know all of the passengers.  Here are some pics taken by Gary Westcott.

You can see the plane reflected in the windows...

Somewhere between Monterrey and Leon from the air.

We arrived an hour later and made it to the hotel in time to drop off our bags and a group of us left right away to the leather district.  The city of Leon is located in Central Mexico and boasts the largest trading area in the world for leather and shoes.  The hotel recommended a place called “Plaza de Zapatos” or “Shoe Plaza” and that’s exactly what it was, a mall of shoe stores.  Boots were on most everyone’s list and that’s exactly what they bought.  Apparently the “Plaza de Zapatos” was only the tip of the iceberg as far as leather shopping, but, unfortunately, our time was limited.

Boots anyone?

Most everyone made it an early night.  Starting tomorrow night we have three shows in a row.  One in Leon at the Poliforum Leon, then two in Guadalajara on October 16 and 17^th at the Auditorio Telmex.

Monterrey - Day of Show October 13, 2009

There has been lots of activity today.  Although the weather was rainy and a bit gloomy, spirits were still high from the great Puebla audience reaction.  Some of us went early to do a little shopping at the mall (we can always find places to shop!) across the street from the hotel while others relaxed for the day at the hotel.  We again climbed aboard the vans at 4:00 pm and headed to the venue.

We are back in Arena Monterrey located in Parque Fundidora (Foundry Park).  The Park is a living example of Monterrey’s industrial history and the first to develop the concept of an urban public park in northern Mexico.  The park’s 350 acres are packed full of facilities for sport, the arts, and entertainment. There is the mile-and-a-half Santa Lucia Riverwalk that winds through the whole park if you want to take a stroll or a boat ride to see all of the sights the park has to offer.

Parque Fundidora

Back to Arena Monterrey!  Yanni had a special guest before the show.  Her name is Andrea Montesinos, a Olympic hopeful figure skater from Monterrey.  Her father produced a video of Andrea competing in her figure skating championships.  She always skates to Yanni’s music in her competitions and has won 4 Gold Medals already.  Here are a couple of pictures from the meeting and the link to her YouTube Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLuu-s_0Tb4

Mucho Gusto! (Pleased to meet you!)

Andrea's State Championship Gold Medal

The arena quickly filled as soon as the doors opened at 8:00 pm.  Here are two young members of the Niki Nana Fan Club in Mexico.  They are big fans of Yanni and play his music everyday while they do their homework.

It is estimated that about 10,000 people attended the concert and they definitely showed their appreciation to Yanni and all of the performers on the stage.  Here are a few concert shots from before and during the show from Monterrey.

The Arena before the show...

Yoel doing his thing!

The Storm!

Our next stop is Leon, Guanajuato.  We’ll be playing at the Poliforum Leon on October 15, 2009.

Puebla to Monterrey - Travel Day October 12, 2009

As we bid a fond farewell to Puebla we look forward to another great show in Monterrey. We traveled by plane from Puebla to Monterrey. Here are a few candid shots of the orchestra at the airport.

Can you imagine sitting in an airport waiting for your flight and suddenly you hear Ender Thomas and Victor Espinola singing “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder?  Wow!

A very excited fan at the airport asks Chloe for an autograph.

Samvel enjoying his cup of coffee.

Also, for those of you who are curious about the orchestra members touring with Yanni in Mexico, here they are:

Charlie Adams – Drums

Briana Bandy – Viola

Ann Marie Calhoun – Violin

Jason Carder – Trumpet

Yoel Del Sol – Percussion

Victor Espinola – Harp

Benedict Fischer – Violin

Ming Freeman – Keyboards

Cesar Lemos – Guitar

Jim Mattos – French Horn

Sarah O'Brien – Cello

Anna Stafford – Violin

Dana Teboe – Trombone

Gabriel  Vivas – Bass

Erika Walczak – Violin

Samvel Yervinyan – Violin

Alexander Zhiroff - Cello

Puebla - Day of Show October 11, 2009

It’s been an incredible day.  The orchestra and staff had the rare treat of having the afternoon free before the show, so many went into town to do a little sightseeing.  The weather was perfect at a temperate 75 degrees.  Sarah O’Brien and Ann Marie Calhoun were spotted by a couple of fans as they ate lunch in the main plaza.  The fans asked for an autograph and let them know how excited they were about attending the show later that evening.

At 4:00 pm we piled into three vans that transported us to the venue.  The energy was high in anticipation of the first show.  Many snuck outside the venue to take a peak at one of the many wonders of Puebla, an active volcano while others practiced in their dressing rooms.  The doors opened at 7:45 pm and the Auditorio Siglo XXI quickly filled with fans who could not wait to see Yanni for his first performance in Puebla.  As the orchestra members came onstage to take their places the crowd starting cheering, however, they roared when the music started and Yanni came out and started the show with Santorini.  There was another deafening roar when Ender Thomas took to the stage and the familiar notes of Desire began.  The audience was loving and wildly enthusiastic right to end.  So much so that when the house lights came on after the encore they continued chanting Yanni! Yanni! The very humbled Yanni had no choice but to come out and do another encore.  Because they had already performed every song on their set list Yanni delivered an encore of Desire to fulfill his audience’s desire for more.  It was the perfect finish and a great start of his Mexican Tour.  Next stop, Monterrey at the Arena Monterrey on Tuesday, October 13^th.

Puebla - Rehearsal Day October 10, 2009

We’re back on the road again and thrilled to be starting our tour in the city of Puebla, Mexico at the Auditorio Siglo XXI. After a three-month hiatus it was a happy reunion, with lots of hugs and catching up and also a few new faces to meet and get to know. The first rehearsal went smoothly and finished much quicker than expected which gave us all a chance to go back to the hotel and experience some of the delicious local cuisine.

Sarah O'Brien, new face Briana Bandy, and Anna Stafford...

Gabriel Vivas, Charlie Adams, and Ming Freeman waiting for Rehearsals to begin!

Let the Rehearsals Begin!

After meeting a number of proud residents, I’ve learned a few interesting facts about Puebla; it is one of the oldest colonial cities on the continent having been established in 1531 as “La Puebla de los Angeles”, it is the birthplace of the delicious chocolate spicy sauce called “Mole” (pronounced Moleh) that I love on top of chicken enchiladas, and it was because of the defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 that we all celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The city is steeped in a rich history and culture with it’s Cathedral at the center and beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture all around. Being here makes me even more excited to visit the rest of the cities on the tour. We’ll be in Monterrey on Tuesday October 13; Leon Guanajuato on Thursday, October 15; Guadalajara on Friday and Saturday, October 16-17, and finally Mexico City for three nights at the Auditorio Nacional on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, October 19-21.

Puebla's Cathedral (really just a tiny part of it)

The Government Building.

Fountain in the middle of "El Zocalo" with the Cathedral behind it.

La Capilla del Rosario

Everyone is excited about the first show; we’re all well rested and are acclimating to the high altitude (over 7,000 feet!). It’s going to be a full house so the energy will be high and you couldn’t ask for a better way to start off a tour. Viva Mexico!