A hopeful and strengthening beginning was experienced this Sunday, January 7th during the first concert of the Campbell 2024 Season with songs with renewing, rewarding and motivating messages full of reflective notes emanating from string instruments, air and percussions.
During the concert held at the Ángela Peralta Theater, maestro Gordon Campbell said that some of the songs that were about to be heard had been written by Doug Colter and that they were the most beautiful songs that had never been heard.
“I’m still strong” was the title of the first concert of the XIII Gordon Campbell Season, which from January 7th to March 3rd will offer concerts every Sunday at the Ángela Peralta Theater and at Casa Haas with the support of the Instituto de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlán.
The opening of the Gordon Campbell Season featured Doug Cotler and Lori Patterson and was accompanied by musicians from the Camerata Mazatlán and the group Mazazul, made up of Mexicans, Canadians and French musicians.
With images of natural landscapes and mountains projected on the stage, at the beginning of the concert Doug Cotler stated that mountains exist to be able to climb and never give up, since there are great joys in life but also tragedies and he shared a tragic chapter of his life on which served to give way to the first musical theme titled “The Climb” popularized by the singer Miley Cyrus.
“I started out as a Rock and Roll composer and the only things that can be sung on those songs are: love, drugs, alcohol and dancing, but after I won the Grammy for a rock and roll song I started composing for myself, and the songs that came from my soul were of reverence, of entering a cleaner field, of thanks for the gifts I had to improve my life, to climb the mountains of problems. These were the songs that came to me after rock and roll, my father was a priest and I learned his songs, I was a child, these songs are not religious, they do not talk about God or anything like that, but they are more universal, they are songs of self-improvement, and for that and for Lori who has also suffered many illnesses and deaths of loved ones, she has a powerful spirit and we both sing songs that help us,” said Doug Cotler.
Doug Cotler won the Grammy in 1984 for the song “Manhut,” which is included on the soundtrack of the film Flashdance.
Lori Patterson looked charming on stage, she is considered by American critics to be a gem for her exquisite soprano voice with which she captivated the audience when she performed “Landslide,” one of Fleetwood Mac’s basic songs with the voice of Stevie Nicks.
The atmosphere created during the concert gave the feeling of being in a haven of peace after being in tribulations, all the songs were translated and subtitled on the screen of the Ángela Peralta Theater, there were some people who raised their voices to thank the singers for their musical messages, with joy Doug Colter responded that the people of Mazatlán are kind, friendly, generous and praised the sunsets, he added that it is important to have moments to give thanks for blessings, which is easy when life is good, but That giving thanks when things are difficult is not easy.
The audience seemed thoughtful and animated and thanked the emotional concert with loud applause and smiles. The Campbell Season 2024 began with an evocation of gratitude and musical beauty, but above all with the inspiration that emanates from life’s circumstances.
