Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk - Café Samo strikes a chord

Lillian KalishStaff WriterCafé Samo brought the soul back into some classic pop music last Friday. The  show ran through Saturday featuring a night or late afternoon (for the early birds) of  passion, soul and funk through song and the occasional dance. This showcase of talents is a choir tradition that allows choir students of all levels to take a break from Duruflé, the composer of choice for this year’s Masterworks concert, or whomever else students happen to be singing in school ensembles.Instead, students are able to practice and perform songs they are really passionate about, ranging from Taylor Swift to Edith Piaf to Wiz Khalifa. With this opportuniy, students are able to put some soul into some of their favorite classic and popular song, and raise a ton a of money.This year’s show was a bit different from years prior, not just in the songs themselves but also in the organization.The first thing I noticed that had changed from last year were the tickets. The tickets had numbers written on the back of them for a perhaps easier crowd management and to encourage guests to come earlier. When the doors finally opened, the ushers allowed guests in to find seating in chronological order, calling out numbers by tens. Unfortunately for me, I was ticket 113.After a few minutes of waiting for the crowd to squeeze into the Humanities Center, I eventually found a seat in the back. I had a direct view of the stage, set up with amps, a full drum kit, a piano, a few guitars, and a multitude of mics.The stage design immediately caught my eye. There were CDs tied onto strings that were hung from the ceiling as a backdrop. This wall of CDs created a moving rainbow as they swayed on the stage, setting a whimsical and magical mood.Soon the chatter subsided, the lights dimmed and parents took out their iPhones, the optimal device to catch their children in action. Director of Vocal Music Jeffe Huls came out on to the stage to welcome the audience.He joked, “if you like the show tonight, I taught them everything they know, but if you don’t like it, then it is completely student-run.”Though Huls was joking, there was truth in his jest. Café Samo is an almost completely student-run event lead this year by seniors Elena Kivnick and Henry Boyd and junior Matilda Mead, who organize the list of students performing, select acts, brainstorm set design and staging and help to make the show as diversified as possible. Huls did however, help out with auditions and made sure students stayed on the right track.“I’m happy that students have a venue where they can express themselves with popular music,” Huls said.Sophomore Micol Azcarate, newcomer to Samo and to Café Samo came out second on to the stage. She began singing Kristen Chenoweth’s “Girl in 14G,” a complicated uptempo that jumps from a theatrical style to full-on Opera.  The audience was pleasantly surprised when they realized the complexity of singing style that was required of Azcarate.And as the first few acts came out, including the show’s opener, Henry Boyd singing Edith Piaf’s lesser known “Milord,” the senior duo Tory Dawson and Brittany Jolivette singing “Local Natives Medley,” and girls’ a cappella group Valhalla with “Put Your Records On,” I too was surprised with the show.I realized that each performance was completely different from the next — there was no consistent theme throughout the show, and that’s what made it interesting.The audience was able to hear a wide variety of singing styles, ranging from Opera to rap to showtunes.This year, Café Samo limited the productions only to songs, though a few were accompanied by dance (although if you’re going to go ahead with contrived choreography, you should at least invest yourself fully).“There weren’t any skits this year,” senior Christina Lamell, Chamber singer and Valhalla leader said. “There were fewer funny things in the show and a lot more duets. We had to cut down on the solo numbers. More people worked together this year, and I think that shows the unity the show has brought.”This year the show was much more dominated by duets and group songs than in years prior.“I like this show better than last year’s,” senior Lizzy Johnson current Chamber singer and Café Samo spectator said.“This year there was a great committee to choose the acts and more instruments this year. There was also a lot more collaboration with underclassmen.”Senior Meghan Aguilar chimed in. “I agree, there were more acts this year and a lot more people tried out, especially underclassman. There were also a number of ballads which was different from last year.”The variety of songs throughout the evening created a unique and mixed atmosphere that Café Samo hadn’t had before. In years prior there was more of a central theme in the produtions while this year it was more of a mash up. Though there wasn’t a main theme to tie the night together, there wasn’t a need for one. Throughout the evening, the amount of soul the students brought into the room with each passing song intensified. Students belted out their favorite hits and the audience could visibly see all of their hard work, dedication, and spirit.These changes are what made Café Samo enjoyable and perhaps also what made it profitable. This year, Café Samo brought in $5000 in funds, a fiscal triumph for the choral program — during Huls’s first year of its production in 2005, $6000 were raised with the help of a silent auction. I can assure you that the performers from this year’s Café Samo were anything but silent and the take away for performers and audience members alike: priceless.lkalish@thesamohi.com