My dearest Choristers,

Donald sent me these pictures of our Spiegeltent gig a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to write a proper letter to you all ever since.  What a great night it was!  The best way ever to go out.  As you can tell from my face in the pictures I was so excited to have had the opportunity to perform there – thanks again to Ruby for inviting us along.  The show was spectacular and as for the choir, I couldn’t have been more proud.

I noticed that night that the level on confidence in our voice had gone up a couple of notches .  You guys sang beautifully.  And the flash mob on the tram!!  Soon I will be done – I loved watching peoples faces as this happened.  Do we have any video footage??

Colombia so far has been treating me very kindly.  I spent the first bit in Bogota and as I mentioned in my email to Donald (see below) I got stuck straight into finding musicians and performing right away.  Now in Cartagena, beeeeeautiful Cartagena, I have connected with a jazz bar that coincedentally opened the same week I arrived (meant to be I say).  I’m rehearsing with their Saturday night band this Thursday and performing on the weekend. With any luck it might become a regular gig, if nothing else it’ll at least sound interesting on my bio.

Other than that, I’m mixing with good people.  Colombians are super friendly and helpful and the backpackers have been fun to do the touristy stuff with.  I had a mud bath INSIDE the mouth of a volcano the other day and slept on a hammock on a tropical island the next. In the evenings here, when the temperature drops, the town comes to life and the plazas are filled with vendors, buskers and people of all ages just hanging out and socialising.  There’s something magical in the air, a refreshing breeze after the oppressive heat of the day and a softness in the atmosphere as if someone has adjusted the humidity level to ‘perfect’.

My next goal is to start a weekly vocal workshop.  I’m calling it Beautiful Noises With Voices – not a choir as such because Cartagena is more a stopping point that most people are passing through – but more of a play space for people to get down and experiment with their voices, a lot more improv and short songs.  I think to begin with it will mostly be with english speaking backpackers but as my Spanish improves and I learn more Latin songs I would also like to do this with locals.

I haven’t taken many photos yet but these will hopefully give you a bit of an impression of where I am:

Great news to hear you will be performing at Sports For Change again this year.  Thanks Franca for organising it, it’s a really good cause.

Well that’s all from me for now!  I’d love to hear what’s happening on your end – you all have my email address so don’t be shy to drop a line.

Oh!  And when I was on the tropical island the other night I was playing my ukulele (which happens to look like a watermelon) and somebody asked if I knew “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke.   DO I EVER!!

You are still with me BC/GC.

Love, Jolene xo