One of my first extracurricular activities at Forest City Middle School happened in my first week! On Tuesday there was an assembly for the musical group Baladino! Okay, I thought heading into the gym, I hope this is good. Boy, was I in for a surprise!
Not only was Baladino good, they were excellent.
They are a band from Israel, but made musicians of a variety of backgrounds. They identified themselves as an Israeli Mediterranean folk band. There was a female vocalist, then male percussionist, bass, strings, and horns.
They started off with an energetic, upbeat song in their native language. This song, like all their music is composed and created by the group. It was amazing! It featured quick violin, quick but steady percussion and bass beat, a strong voice, and beautiful saxophone notes.
Here’s an introduction video to who they are:
I loved watching them perform. They used no music or music stands–they just sang and played to the crowd, and seemed to listen to one another to know when to solo or to continue with the beat. The middle school crowd was mesmerized!
Their visit to FCMS was a part of the Arts Midwest World Fest as well as the Waldorf College Community Artist Series. I was so impressed by their sound, energy, and skill! I’m glad I could attend both the assembly and the public performance in Forest City tonight!