AWARDS NIGHT
8:00 P.M. Gold curtain rolls slowly upward. House lights dim to out. Stage lights dim with curtain, till curtain- curtain fully up; lights gradually dim to center spot. Blackout, three beats, while red curtain is opened. Spot quickly hits awards table, stage right. Off-stage voice (Marlene) announces, "Ladies and gentlemen, hermanos y hermanas, good evening and welcome to the First Annual Latin NY Music Awards Show," Spot hits Louie Ramirez (center rear) who is facing audience. Marlene announces: And now, Louie Ramirez and the Latin NY Orchestra. Louie wheels, leads orchestra into overture (2 minutes)
Opening, from Script for Awards Show 05/04/75.
With that, Louie led the 15 piece orchestra {later, two voices would be added for coro into his Overture arrangement. With the final notes resounding and Louie's body conducting the electricity with a final sweep of his arms, the 2400 people in attendance burst into one one with wild applause. If this was just the opening, what would the next three hours bring?
The answer was soon coming. A voice whose lush tones said could only be a Latina announced, 'Ladies and gentlemen, the Publisher and Founder of Latin NY magazine and Co-producer of tonight's show, Izzy Sanabria. Again, the response was deafening as Izzy's familiar form strode on stage, splendidly arrayed in a tux with tails. With lhe quiet authoritv that comes trorn years before such audiences of Latin music lovers, Izzy began his Opening dialogue. In clear terms he stated the purpose of the evening with reflections that struck home deeply to those present.
Then, as if on cue lzzy said, "The purpose of tonight is to raise the level of awareness of SALSA and Boldly present it, for the art form, that it is.
The essence of our music is percussion. And percussion produces rhythm. But where do our rhythms come from? AFRICA! " And the air was cut by the sound of Bongo, Conga, Timbal and Bass.
Thus began a "History of the Music" in which Izzy and Lourdes Ramirez
(unrehearsed) traced in dance a musical voyage through time. Guided by Louie and the band's symphonic backdrop, Izzy and Lourdes whirled across the Caribbean dancing the Cha-Cha, Bomba y Plena, Mambo, Merengue and into New York's Palladium era. Those old enough to remember grew sentimental as Izzy's words recalled the Palladium era.
Bringing things up to date, Izzy cued the orchestra into a composition especially written for the occasion by the multi-talented Maestro Ramirez
"Latin New York."' The thundering applause which met the number's finale
successfully brought the first segment of the show to close while signaling the start of a memorable evening.
With that, Louie led the 15 piece orchestra {later, two voices would be added for coro into his Overture arrangement. With the final notes resounding and Louie's body conducting the electricity with a final sweep of his arms, the 2400 people in attendance burst into one one with wild applause. If this was just the opening, what would the next three hours bring?