Singing and Dancing

Last night, purely by accident, I tripped over Channel 12 Mex in LA and got to watch two glorious hours of Selena in concert and interview, rehearsal and simulated performance for camera, most likely shot almost immediately after performance.

The Mexican American Selena (So American she had little Spanish, even though all, or nearly all of her Grammy winning, and other hit songs, were sung in Spanish) at the time of her murder she was on the verge of Mega-Stardom. Last night I got to see why. For those not familiar with her work, let me descibe her as a female Elvis, the Elvis at the time of his solo performance for camera at the height of his powers. They both sang while they danced. They both perfected a very rapid delivery sung with rich tones and gorgeous, perfect pitch. In fantasy I imagine them together in a musical, romantic comedy. Oh, how the sparks would have flown!

To be honest, music is not my cuppa. I just love it; can't play an instrument, and have grave vocal disabilities, which is one reason, of a few, that I so dote on hearing great voices, whether male, female, old, young, all Nationalities, especially including Japanese Kabuki, and the singing of the Geisha turned actress with Brando in Sayonara.

It is a measure of Selena's burgeoning fame that the footage I saw last night included hand-held, onstage photography of her taken with great skill and care, while she sang and danced. She didn't mind the camera one little bit, and flirted with the camera, which I loved! but mostly 'flirted' with an imaginary audience for whom she had just performed, live. In other words she was an ACTRESS par excellence. I can tell you why. I can't tell you much about the music, or even the specific genre of dance (But it must have owed something to Michael and to Elvis) but the acting I can speak about.

To sing, and dance, at the same time, without the movements of the dance merely mirroring the movement of the music, there can be no lock-step connection of the muscles which do the work in each sphere. There can't be a, "block between impulse and expression," (Strasberg) and specifically the vocal muscles, and the muscles which support the vocal muscles, as the diaphragm keeps pressure on the air column passing over the vibrating vocal cords setting off vibration in the chest, mouth, throat and head. If you can do it right it must feel like a million bucks, and sometimes earn you a million.

Selena almost seems like two people while performing.  What stunned me last night was how powerful was her presence, tiger like, aggressive, and if you will, as I said earlier, a female Elvis at his greatest.  Nothing dainty about Selena, nothing coy, nothing coquettish at all. She was the right female performer at the right time: the awakening of the Hispanic American woman. And, of course, she was wildly appreciated in Monterrey Mexico when she performed there so ably, a fact beautifully reproduced in the fine movie, Selena, starring a young Jennifer Lopez.

When I find out what the words of her songs mean I'll probably love her even more.

Barry