Los Alumnos to stage parang music drama

GARY CARDINEZ

FOR its latest concert, Los Alumnos de San Juan will take a novel step forward with the staging of a full-fledged parang folk drama at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port of Spain.

Led by Wayne Jagdeo, pioneer of pan in parang, Los Alumnos de San Juan, is also a platform for stellar performances by famed lead singer Alicia Jaggasar; this concert will be history in the making for the nine-time champions of the National Parang Association (NPATT) competition.

For the presentation of the drama, titled The Parrandero and His Wife, Los Alumnos has partnered with poet and playwright Pearl Eintou Springer, who has written the script and will direct this excursion into parang musical theatre.

The October 21 concert, starting at 6 pm, will showcase Los Alumnos de San Juan’s outstanding command of traditional parang, Latin songs, and soca parang.

National-award recipient Springer will bring to the event a distinguished reputation that includes her annual Carnival Friday Kambule street theatre and popular plays such as the Emancipation drama, Freedom Morning Come, and Hyarima.

The Parrandero and His Wife will feature actors Shanya Springer, Emmanuel Ansolia and Soga Somorin.

Making use of humour and sharing information about parang, The Parrandero and his Wife explores the tension between a man and his wife as the parang season approaches. On show will be the full repertoire of parang, and Latin musical forms, from the traditional to the innovative.