Teatro Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica

International Guitar Festival

Scott Oliver - September 2008

It's been about 33 years since Geraldine, a beautiful, athletic, young teenager with long flowing blond hair bought me an album with a recording of Ravel's Boléro...

It's a famous piece of music used in the movie 10 to great acclaim; the gorgeous 'babe' played by Bo Derek kept restarting the music on a record player, while trying to seduce the character played by Dudley Moore. Thankfully, this was also what Geraldine had in mind for me.

Cuban guitarist Jorge Luis Zamora

But Ravel's Boléro was composed for a large orchestra and I had certainly never heard it performed in the way it was played last night on the solo guitar by José Angel Navarro.

Last night 24th September 2008 was the first night of the 15th International Guitar Festival at the Teatro Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica and starred the Cuban guitarist Jorge Luis Zamora playing traditional guitar pieces by J.S. Bach, Leo Brouwer, J.K. Mertz, Heitor Villalobos, Nico Rojas and Eduardo Martin.

Jorge Luis Zamora was followed by another Cuban guitarist José Angel Navarro who, apart from the Boléro, only played his own, very much more technical and contemporary pieces of music. The concert was wonderful and the audience, which was full of guitar students of all ages from a variety of music schools, was most appreciative.

As usual I was chastised by the ushers for taking photographs, (the things I do for you guys) even though I used no flash and made no sound but, the large gentleman sitting directly behind us, after chattering away to his lady for most of the first half was not punished in any way when he fell asleep and started snoring.

Needless to say I had not paid the grand sum of $50 for two of the best seats in the house to listen to someone chatter or snore so I woke him up... A little later during the intermission, my lady and I were surprised to see the same couple enjoying a glass of wine and not speaking a solitary word to each other.

How does that make any sense?

Intermission

Written by Scott Oliver, author of How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa and Costa Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore.