Mexican singer Eugenia León may have been relatively unknown in Muscat before Saturday night, but after her concert at the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) she had hundreds of new fans.
The Mexican star, who has had a career lasting since the 1970s, delighted the audience with her energy, passion and beautiful voice as she shared a mix of traditional and popular music from her homeland.
As her six musicians (a pianist, two percussionists, two guitar players and trumpeter) began to play, she swept onto the stage like a star, a voluminous cloak covered in sparkling peacocks swirling around her, and launched into song, her presence captivating.
"It's a great pleasure to come from Mexico all the way to Oman. We have prepared a special selection of songs from our past and present to bring you closer to our country," she told the audience.
Her programme included catchy mariachi songs, ranchero tunes, and pop songs, each one giving a different taste of Mexico today and from past years. León proved to the audience why her career has lasted so long, because regardless of the genre of music, she sang with incredible enthusiasm and each type revealed a different side of her dynamic voice.
There were moments of pure power, others of soft romance, and others filled with humour and expression, such as when she imitated a rat in a playful song that had the audience laughing, even if they didn't understand the Spanish lyrics.
She also sang a touching song, La Paloma, which she said means a lot to her because it is about the injustice and suffering in Mexico. The emotion in her voice as she sang it was strong enough to give one goosebumps.
León used the stage to her full advantage, too, moving back and forth, and often dancing, making great use of her sparkling cloak. Truly at home on stage, she danced as though she had an invisible partner up there with her, which brought to mind the expression "Dance as if no one is watching."
Then there was her rendition of La Bamba, the well-known song which had everyone moving in their seats, feet tapping, and many singing along. It was also a chance for a ripping electric guitar solo, something not often seen at the ROHM.
Eugenia León's concert at the ROHM was one of those wonderful events when many people took a chance on an artist they didn't previously know about, and were completely charmed and entertained by her performance, having been introduced to one of Mexico's favourite stars.
Click here to see more photos from the evening.
