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If there was ever a time to produce an uplifting and fabulously entertaining showcase of young singers, this is it! After a challenging year of dealing with the pandemic, people were so ready to kick back for an evening of pure joy.
And that’s exactly what the Aventura Marketing Council/Chamber of Commerce’s (AMC) signature event provided at the beautiful Aventura Arts & Cultural Center recently. Twelve incredible young singers filled the theater with music covering all genres…from the jazz to pop to rock….and each and every Young Star was amazing.
AMC Chairman Gary Pyott welcomed a full-house audience, including Miami-Dade School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the family of Senator Jason Pizzo and Aventura Mayor Enid Weisman, Vice Mayor Rachel Friedland, Commissioner Bob Shelley, City Manager Ron Wasson, Police Chief Bryan Pegues and Major Michael Bentolila, Aventura’s new Police Chief as of Nov. 29th.
Band members were Music Composer Williams Sigismondi, Jr. on the piano, Mason Pace on guitar, Roilan Vazquez, saxophonist and Jose Ferrer on drums.
Cameron Wheeler, original Young Star from the first show in 2010, opened the evening by bringing Steven G, YSS title sponsor for the past four years, onto the stage and singing a few verses of “I Had the Time of My Life” dedicated just to him. The curtains then opened to reveal all the Young Stars singing “This Little Light of Mine”, in recognition of the hope we have for the future. In the middle of the song, Ran Oz, YSS Creative and Musical Director for the past 12 years, launched into a rap about hope and love, and the pace of the song immediately changed.
Mason Pace, star ‘rocker’, a Gibson guitar artist who performs nationally and recently released his first album, King of Hearts, literally rocked the house with “Bad Guy”. Sofia Gonzalez-Granda, who represented the USA in the TV show, Pequenos Gigantes in Mexico, took the stage next with “Open Arms”, singing half in English and half in Spanish.
Kennedi Duke, whose dream came true when she sang the National Anthem at the Dwyane Wade retirement game, followed with a great rendition of “Opportunity’. Picking up the musical pace was Martin Florez , Critic’s Choice Award and Thespian Festival award winner, singing “Don’t Stop Believin’”. Cameron Wheeler, the “Pop Powerhouse” who was a national winner of the iHeartRadio and LiveMe Music House Competition and opened for stars such as Billie Eilish and Katy Perry, took the stage with her original song, “Make It Up To You” Jazlyn Rose Ortiz who recently performed for American Idol and the Superbowl, sang a beautiful rendition of “All I Ask”, followed by little powerhouse Camila Pocovi who has performed in a music video with Graham Nash and the Little Kids Rock, sang “Don’t Stop Me Now”. Winner of a Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent, and a regular guest artists with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Angie Green closed the first act with “Hero”.
Mason Pace opened the second act with his original song, “Timmy and Jimmy”, a great song he recorded in 2019. The Young Star with the powerful voice, Emily Taylor Kaufman, with 29 musical theatre productions in her resume and a lead singer for the national kids’ a cappela group, ACAPOP! KIDS, had the audience spellbound with her song, “One Moment in Time”. Kristin Marii Olarte, who has released two singles,”Dial Up” and “Psycho Lover”, took on the persona of Blondie as she sang a medley of Blondie songs, looking and sounding so much like Blondie herself. Singer, songwriter, actor and one of American Idol’s Top 20 Nick Merico, another original Young Star from 2010, played the piano and sang his original song, “No Different”. Next up was a spectacular duet with Cameron Wheeler and Emily Taylor Kaufman of “Enough is Enough”, bringing cheers from the audience. Another fabulous duet followed with Jazlyn Rose Ortiz and Mason Pace in “Shallow”. R & B jazz artist who has released three originals, Aniye Strachan took the stage next with her superb Aretha Franklin medley, including “Natural Woman” “Think” and
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T”.
The show closed out with all the Young Stars and Ran Oz onstage singing “I Had The Time of My Life” to a standing-ovation audience. So the question remains…how do they top this incredible show next year!
For more information, aventuramarketingcouncil.com; yssaventura.org
