By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, the legendary female vocalist of the Buena Vista Social Club, will hold a concert in Seoul on May 1.
The concert comes one-and-a-half years after Portuondo's last performance at Yonsei University in Seoul in 2005, where she collaborated with 13 musicians.
For this year's concert, she will bring six band members _ guitarist Swami Jr., double bassist Fabian Garcia, pianist Emilio Morales, violinist Osiris Valdes, percussionist Andres Coayo and trumpetist Roberto Garcia.
She will sing not only Cuban and pop songs, including ``Chan Chan,'' but also some Korean songs. The audience will be given wine and roses by the concert organizer to boost the romantic atmosphere of the show.
The 77-year-old diva will present exotic rhythms fused with American and European music flavors, creating her own unique ``colors'' without electronic effects.
Portuondo is the only surviving member of Buena Vista as other members _ guitarist Compay Segundo, pianist Ruben Gonzalez, and lead vocal Ibrahim Ferrer _ have already passed away.
Gifted with a ductile voice, she sings a wide range of genres from bolero and ballads to guaracha and jazz.
She is known as an excellent communicator capable of establishing a musical dialogue with her audience.
About three million copies of her albums have been sold worldwide. Portuondo's debut solo album was ``Magia Negra'' in 1959, which was an adventurous combination of Cuban music and American jazz. Her best albums include an album she recorded with Adalberto Alvarez in 1984 and two other albums, ``Palabras'' and ``Desafios'' in which she collaborated with Chucho Valdes for the Spanish label Nubenegra in the early 1990s.
Duetting with Ibrahim Ferrer, Portuondo sang on the album ``Buena Vista Social Club'' in 1996.
Since then, she has received international recognition and has given performances at Carnegie Hall with the Buena Vista troupe.
Her reputation was also enhanced when she appeared in Wim Wenders' film ``The Buena Vista Social Club.''
She released two more albums for the World Circuit label _ ``Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo'' (2000) and ``Flor de Amor'' (2004).
She won the prize at the Billboard Music Awards in 2005 with ``Flor de Amor,'' and the prize at the Grammy Awards with ``Veinte Anos.''
The concert will be held at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall at 7 p.m. on May 1. Tickets cost from 55,000 to 132,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1400.