“Somebody to love”, “Bohemia Rhapsody”, “We are the champions”, among other musical songs by the band What in will sound this Saturday at 9pm at the University Theater. It’s that she returns for the fourth time Master Strokethe tribute group that garners fans for the incredible tribute they perform to Freddie Mercury and to the British team.
The history of Master Stroke was born in 2016 when Emanuel Caradoso (Voice) and Brian Morua (Guitar) they know each other. Then, they begin to perform different Queen covers on their YouTube channels and other social networks.
The impact of those first contents reached an unimaginable place: the legendary musician Brian May shared on his account Facebook and Twitter the local version of “Lily of the Valley.” Thus, it reached fans from different parts of the world. This fact gave impetus to the search for the rest of the members who would finally make up Master Stroke.
In 2018 The band was completed with the arrival of Manuel Olveira on Bass, Agustín Albertini on Drums and Alberto Ludueña on keyboards, traveling, since then, an ascending path.
In this new presentation in the hall of the National University of La MatanzaCaradoso tells some details of what viewers will see this Saturday.
For the fourth time they return to the Teatro Universidad. What will the public find?
As always, we try to renew our shows. We are fortunate that Queen has a very prolific career, therefore, there are many songs that have not been played live and we try to get along about the new shows, without leaving aside the classics. We always make a selection of the most well-known songs and those that are B sides. Also, we make a selection of the musical themes according to the stages of Queen, thus, we put together the shows based on those two pillars.
What differences will the viewer notice in this new feature?
You will find songs that are not usually played live and that the band Queen itself did not play at their concerts. We consider it positive because one, as a group, rethinks how those songs would sound, how Queen would use it live. When it came to recording, Queen had a lot of production of a lot of things, voices, guitars, keyboards and, when it came to capturing their studio versions in the shows, they were always completely different; Many of the times they were even faster, that is, they sounded much more rock-oriented. An example is the album Hot Space (1982), where its songs are in the funk style, and some are danceable, with many rhythmic bases. However, live, it is completely different, that is, more rocking. All this for us is a great challenge and a game that we love. At the same time, we put our mark to capture these mythical songs in the shows.
What are the licenses that Master Stroke takes on Queen songs?
I think that one can always have one’s small arrangements or one’s imprint on the essence or basis of what one is interpreting or the song one is making. Furthermore, we are making art and this is handled from a perceptual perspective. So, we try different arrangements, notes, sounds, rhythms and if we feel or perceive that it looks good, we leave it. You don’t have to be afraid of those kinds of things, because you try and learn. Sometimes we see that certain arrangements or small changes enhance the show. We do it from the most sincere with respect.
How do you define Master Stroke?
We define it as a great tribute to Queen, music and art. Although art and music have different layers, for me, music is there to entertain and share with your loved ones. Then there is the deepest and most important layer where the art is found and conveys emotions. In addition, we define the group as a project where we celebrate Queen, music and art, in turn, there is feedback from the public since we manage to transmit emotions and that is noticeable on stage.
To what do you attribute the success of Master Stroke?
We are five musicians who go out on stage, you can see the transparency and passion we have for music and for Queen. We love sharing different musical themes with people. Also, there is great work behind the scenes since we are very detailed in terms of sound and we keep the essence of the band intact so that people get excited and can experience an incredible show. We believe that in some way we are getting close to that or we are doing a good job because then we have that feedback from the viewers and that is like the best thing that can happen to us.
Many Queen songs are passed down from generation to generation, what do you think are the reasons?
It is difficult to know why, since there is no concrete explanation. Because one cannot determine when a song or this type of song transcends. I think there is no formula… they are songs that do not rust over time. There are songs that are from the 1970s or 1980s and sound current, modern… that is incredible and magical! These compositions themselves transcend the decades in which they were recorded.
If you had the opportunity to have a conversation with Freddie Mercury, what would that meeting be like?
The first thing I would tell him is that I admire him a lot, not only from an artistic point of view, but also from his personality. In the 1970s, he had to face different situations; it was a very difficult time where there were many topics considered taboo. Freddie lived his life his way and did what he felt. His fight for life is admirable. Also, he would tell her that he is an example and inspiration for artists.
An unexpected message
In September 2021, Ema Caradoso and Brian Morua paid tribute to Freddie Mercury for his birthday anniversary with a re-version of vocal harmonies and guitars of the anthem “Don’t Stop me Now”. So, Brian May did not overlook such a tribute and decided to share it on his personal Instagram along with an exciting text.
“’Don’t stop me Now’! Attention! Queeneros! This is worth a minute of your time! I’m fascinated by this version of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. It’s much more than a simple cover. It’s like this guy is painting with the colors we created – reminds me of Queen II – and applying them to a later song. It really gives me chills. Wildly beautiful Queen-style vocal harmonies and guitar harmonies – some chords we wouldn’t have considered (!) – and truly excellent lead vocal quality. It adds up to an arrangement that is new and strangely fascinating to me. Respect!!!”, the renowned artist wrote in his personal account.
Master Stroke… tickets on sale
Tickets can be purchased at the venue’s box office from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. or at Ticketek.
