D10 ■ The Times Argus & Rutland Herald ■ March 23-25, 2019 VERMONT ARTS

„ HIGHLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS Fatoumata Diawara performs at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro. Tickets are $23-$38 ($10 for students); call 748-2600 or go online to www.kcppresents.org or www.catamountarts.org. PHOTO BY KENNY MATHIESON Celebrated Malian singer and guitarist Fatoumata Diawara performs an afternoon show March 31 at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, in support of her Grammy-nominated 2018 album, “Fenfo” (“Something To Say”). FATOUMATA DIAWARA brings spellbinding sound to Northeast Kingdom By TOM HUNTINGTON guitar,” Diawara told Vancouver’s Diawara’s lauded debut album, of Blur and frontman Village Voice music critic Rob- ARTS CORRESPONDENT North Shore News. “I didn’t take “Fatou.” Released in 2011 in that brought ert Christgau dubbed Diawara Born and raised in the musi- normal guitar lessons. I play with Europe and a year later in the western and African musicians the “subtlest of desert divas.” cally rich West African country my heart. It’s kind of my blues. U.S., the album topped the together. She has also made a “To hear Diawara’s joy- of , Fatoumata Diawara I use a modern instrument, European world music chart for name for herself in film, and ful-sounding songs on Fenfo, — already an established actor instead of the kamele ngoni or over six months and was dubbed works as a political activist you’d never guess her painful and dancer — ran away to Paris the kora, but I’m transposing the No. 1 world music album of and ambassador focusing on history or revolutionary subject to escape an arranged marriage all those sounds to my Gibson the year by the Sunday Times. improving conditions in her west matter,” said the Financial and pursue a career in acting. guitar.” The Telegraph called Diawara African homeland. Times. Now a rising star on the world Diawara is touring in support “the most beguiling talent to hit Released last May, “Fenfo” “I want to show what I have music scene, the 36-year-old of her acclaimed 2018 album, the world music scene in some was called “a classy affair that learned,” said Diawara in the singer and guitarist brings her “Fenfo” (“Something To Say”), time” in its five-star CD review. demonstrates her impressive London daily paper. “But also, I spellbinding music and stage which received a Grammy nom- And Nat Geo Music called it musical range” by the Guardian, am not healed yet. My husband, presence to the Highland ination for Best World Music “one of the most exciting world while RootsWorld called Diawara my manager, they try to talk to Center for the Arts in Greens- Album. And her vocal work sam- music releases of 2011.” “a performer that brings African me about the future. But I live boro on March 31, stopping by pled on British electronic duo Since then, the Paris-based music into contemporary day by day, second by second. the Northeast Kingdom between Disclosure’s big summer dance artist has recorded with Herbie sounds and styles” and “takes This is a survivor’s life. It is why dates in New York City and single, “Ultimatum,” earned her Hancock and . the dazzling colors and patterns I can give everything at every Montreal. another Grammy nomination She has toured with Cuban of tradition and effortlessly show, because I do not believe “In Africa, you do not often for Best Dance Recording. pianist and as makes them seem relevant and there will be another.” see a woman playing an electric “Fenfo” is a follow-up to part of Africa Express, a project modern.” Success only encourages classic rockers Air Supply

By JANELLE FAIGNANT ARTS CORRESPONDENT I have memories, from 5 or 6 years old, of being held hostage in the car PROVIDED PHOTO while running endless The Metropolitan Opera will broadcast “Die Walküre” errands with my mother, to Middlebury Town Hall Theater March 30 and Rut- the radio my only solace. land’s Paramount Theatre March 31. Air Supply was almost always playing. “I’m all out of love, I’m so lost without Wagner’s epic you,” I belted out, long before I understood what they were talking about. ‘DIE WALKÜRE’ Graham Russell was the songwriter behind that hit, and if you told me back then that one day I’d live at the Met be talking to him on the phone I never would have STAFF REPORT decisive moments of their believed it. The Metropolitan Opera lives: Wotan, the leader of “This is our particular broadcast of “Die Walküre the gods; his wife, Fricka; genre, and we kind of (The Valkyrie)” is expected his twin offspring, Sieg- invented it,” he said to be a Wagnerian event mund and Sieglinde; and, Monday afternoon from for the ages, as soprano above all, Wotan’s warrior his ranch in Utah. “That’s COURTESY PARAMOUNT THEATRE Christine Goerke plays daughter, Brünnhilde. what people want to see Air Supply brings its “Lost in Love Experience” tour to Rutland’s Paramount Theatre Brünnhilde, Wotan’s willful These characters and oth- when they come, and March 30. warrior daughter, who ers follow their destinies something happens — loses her immortality in to some of Wagner’s most even if they’re not a fan His songwriting talent “Lost in Love,” “All Out „ PARAMOUNT opera’s most famous act remarkable music. before, something’s going THEATRE is a natural one. He wrote of Love,” “The One That of filial defiance. Tenor “Die Walküre” is set in to happen to them during the song “Lost in Love” in You Love,” and “Making Air Supply presents “Lost Stuart Skelton and soprano mythological times, when the show, and that’s why in Love Experience” at 15 minutes, and his songs Love Out of Nothing at Eva-Maria Westbroek play gods, giants, dwarves and we call it the ‘Lost in Love 8 p.m. Saturday, March usually come out that way. All” have all achieved the incestuous twins Sieg- humans all grappled for Experience.’” 30, at the Paramount “I think about it for a multi-million plays on the mund and Sieglinde. Greer power. While the first part Air Supply’s “Lost in Theatre, 30 Center St. in while,” Russell said. “I don’t radio. Grimsley sings Wotan. of the cycle, “Das Rhe- Love Experience” tour Rutland. Tickets are $69- sit down and write. I wait “People say, ‘why don’t Philippe Jordan conducts. ingold,” moves between is stopping at Rutland’s $89; call 802-775-0903, for all the information you do something differ- “Die Walküre” will be realms above and below Paramount Theatre at or go online to www.par- that I need in my head, ent?’ All your songs are broadcast “Live in HD” the earth, “Die Walküre” 8 p.m. Saturday, March amountvt.org. and then it’s kind of like very romantic, and they to Middlebury’s Town takes place entirely in 30, in support of its new pushing ‘enter.’ I sit down are, but we didn’t choose Hall Theater at noon on human territory, as the live album, also titled “The soft rock, Russell said, “We at the piano or guitar and that, it chose us,” Russell Saturday, March 30, and balance of power in the Lost In Love Experience,” came along and everybody everything comes out. It said. “So we kind of rebroadcast to Rutland’s cosmic struggle tips ever so which co-founders Russell kind of laughed us off.” happens really quick.” figured that out, we don’t Paramount Theatre at slowly toward humanity. and Russell Hitchcock At that time ballads They made the single have to make excuses noon on Sunday, March In Middlebury, a free recorded with the Prague weren’t in, AC/DC was for “Lost in Love” in one anymore. After 41 years, 31. Estimated running time pre-performance talk will Symphony. one of the big acts of the afternoon, and it shot to we’ve figured out what we is 4 hours, 55 minutes. be given by Greg Vitercik “But it’s not Russell and moment, and everybody No. 1. Their second single do. And we’re in a very The second opera in at 11:15 a.m. in the studio I on acoustic guitar singing told Russell they were crazy, was “All Out of Love,” fortunate position because Wagner’s monumental downstairs. ‘ooh, ahh,’” Russell said of with his heartfelt ballads which went up the charts every show we do we sell “Ring” cycle, “Die Middlebury tickets are $24 the concert. “This is a rock and Hitchcock’s soaring even more quickly. out.” Walküre” has long stood (plus fees), $10 for students; ‘n’ roll show. It’s loud and voice. But they made a Despite being starkly “Russell and I said many on its own as an evening of call 802-382-9222, or go it’s passionate and it’s in record and the last record different from the popular years ago we’ll keep play- extraordinarily powerful online to www.townhalltheater. your face, and people will company they went to put it bands of that time, Air Sup- ing as long as the people theater. Part of this appeal org. Rutland tickets are love it, as they always do.” out and a week later it went ply’s success caught on like keep coming,” Russell lies in its focus on some $23, $10 for students; call In 1975, Hitchcock and to No. 1 in Australia. “That wildfire, and Russell said, “I said. “We’ll know when it’s of the most interesting 802-775-0903, or go online to Russell formed Air Supply was the beginning of our think everybody was ready over. But I can’t see that “Ring” characters at www.paramountvt.org. in Australia. Often labeled journey,” Russell said. for something different.” happening just yet.”