uk'Aida': Royal Opera House London WC2 020 7304 4000 to 28 Nov A scattering of Nelly's own tunes - "Andale Andale", new single "Iz U", and "Pimp Juice", the name of Nelly's energy drink which was boycotted by many African-American groups for being demeaning (and you can see their point) - are punctuated by bastardised covers of MOP's "Cold As Ice", Eve's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", and an elongated interlude in which the dancing girls, in crappy crop tops and white trainers, shake their stuff one by one, not particularly well, to Sean Paul and Beyonc?its."Hot in Herre" is, of course, a fantastic single, horny and funny at the same time. Like Eminem's D12, they give the impression that he isn't a loner, that he rolls deep. This backlash is largely due to "Dilemma", the soft, wet ballad which, like LL Cool J's "I Need Love" all those years ago, threatens to permanently derail his credibility. Well, I happen to like that soft, wet ballad, and I found it difficult to dislike the balladeer. It's the way he acts in the video, standing behind Kelly Rowland with his arms around her, grinning in disbelief: "Look what I've got! One of Destiny's Child! A no-good thug like me!" This, of course, is why St Lunatics - the crew he was with before he ever made it solo - are so important to Nelly. Now, I've got a lot of time for Nelly, which in hip-hop circles is becoming a capital crime. If you had a room of 15,000 people in the palm of your hand for one night, what would you make them do? Play the world's biggest game of Twister? Conduct an experiment in mass telekinesis? Raise a people's army and seize control of the state? I only ask, because when the Elastoplast-faced St Louis rapper Nelly finds himself in this position - having just brought the house down with a rendition of the wonderful "Work It" (sans Timberlake, of whom, more later) - the only thing he can think to do with all that power is to instruct us to throw our hands in the air and, furthermore, to wave them like we just don't care. It's a moment which, with its soul-destroying predictability, encapsulates a disappointing evening. Let's hope that Nitro makes it into the main auditorium next time and that Le Gendre might kick things forward into the 21st century by proving that there's more to black opera than Scott Joplin and the Chevalier Saint-Georges.a.picard independent.co.uk'Aida': Royal Opera House, London WC2 (020 7304 4000) to 28 Nov. Nitro did an amazing thing last weekend; they stormed the Bastille. But the main stage of the Royal Opera House, like many others, remains closed to all but a shamefully tiny handful of black singers and its seats are, in terms of popular perception, likewise off-limits.
A lovely singer with a sweet, clear mezzo voice, easy high notes, a gracious, sympathetic presence, excellent diction, quick musical wit, a slim figure and a very pretty face. Oh, and one enormous handicap to being cast in a major role in this country; her colour, which, as the droves of young black opera singers leaving Britain for America would indicate, remains a serious problem. Of these, the finest was Trinidadian composer Dominique Le Gendre's deftly coloured, expertly paced, inventive, humane and poignant Bird of Night; which featured an outstanding performance from Jacqueline Miura Who? Exactly. Clearly the Royal Opera House has its work cut out if its audience is to become a fraction as diverse in age and ethnicity as those of Opera North or the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.Nitro are promising a return visit; a bigger and longer affair that is set to include an expanded version of one of the three short operas premiered at the Linbury Studio that day by director Bill Bankes-Jones, conductor Yoran Zorn and Nitro's excellent cast. Why? Don't even go there! For many this was their first visit to the building. |
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