Fundraising concerts feature versatile performer

Meredith Kennedy is not the kind of performer we get to see every day. For one thing her hair is really blonde. More importantly, her performance involves elements of song and comedy that are seldom combined on the Belizean stage. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has a preview.

Meredith Kennedy, Singer
“I’ve been singing since I was a kid. My mother was a singer and I learnt to sing from her and also studied piano when I was a little kid. Even from, I don’t know, eight, nine, ten years old I have been singing. I’ve been singing with school choirs, a little bit of solo work.”

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
And while Meredith Kennedy eventually grew up and pursued a career as a vet, five years ago she decided to go back to school in the hope of turning her hobby into a profession.

Meredith Kennedy
“I just graduated last month with a Master’s Degree in vocal performance. During those five years I have been singing with the university choirs at Cal State Long Beach and we’ve travelled all over the world doing concerts and tours and everything. … But now that I’m graduated what I wanna do is kinda branch off on my own as a solo performer.”

While in Belize, Kennedy will be appearing on stage for two shows: the first is this Friday at the Bliss.

Meredith Kennedy
“It’s called Moonfall Belize. It starts out with Phantom of the Opera, then we move through to some musical theatre and then we have a middle section where I am changing costumes and I am becoming a different character. This character is called Pearlene. [With southern accent] She’s from the south in the United States, she’s real sweet, she don’t know too much but she’s got some ideas on falling in love, finding a guy and stuff like that, so that’s a lot of fun; that’s the middle section. And then for this third section then we move on to more like pop.”

On the twenty-second, Kennedy moves to the George Price Centre in Belmopan where she teams up with the Foré Afrique Drumming Group.

Meredith Kennedy
“That’s called the New World concert. It’s the new world because we’re taking some new styles and some older styles and putting them together and it came about based on an idea of what would happen if you took a classically trained soprano and put that together with an African rhythms drumming group, so it’s kinda like the ultimate crossover.”

And while she makes a name for herself solo performer, Kennedy is also raising money for two worthy causes.

Meredith Kennedy
“Some of the proceeds from that will benefit the Foré Afrique group, which is the drumming group. They are actually in the process of building a new drum school out in Gales Point, so we’re gonna try and help them out with that. … The Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is sponsoring having me be here, so part of the proceeds will be donated to the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.”

Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

Friday’s concert at the Bliss begins at eight. Tickets are thirty dollars.