Vocal talent like no other
Julián Fontalvo is a man who believes in the power of his dreams. Starting from his childhood in Columbia, he sews together the story of his life, with the songs he loved, and takes us on the journey of his life through school, to New York City, and then to Madrid, meeting the love of his life along the way, and finding his calling.
In a sold-out venue, he demonstrates his gift for imitating voices, in speech and in song, in a tightly choreographed routine, that showcases his extraordinary vocal talent. After an initial showcase of Sting, and Rick Astley, we are dropped into Julián’s childhood, as he explains his passion for music and dance, how that boosted his social life, and how that contradicts with his mother’s view of a career. A marine biology degree later, and our hero is in New York City, working 3 jobs and trying to make it as a star. There, he meets the woman he’s destined to marry, and ends up in Spain, where he finally makes his dreams come true.
The storytelling is neatly constructed, with some lovely accent work portraying the various characters from his life, and occasional apt sound-effect from the backing track. His Scottish accent was probably hammed up a little for this performance, but landed nicely with the crowd. His timing is impeccable, and doesn’t miss a sound cue throughout the show. However, the highlight of the show is without doubt his singing voice, and the array of his vocal talent is displayed in full.
Aping not only the vocal performance, but also the characteristics of the original performers adds an extra dimension to the show. Some of the songs are played as they were recorded – sometimes varying in length from a line or two, up to a verse and chorus. We race through the Proclaimers, Bryan Adams, some Latin numbers (in a charming call-back to his heritage), a variety of vocalists from We Are The World, Macy Gray, The Cure, James Blunt, Eminem, and more. At the climax of the show, Julián increases the tempo yet again, and we plough through snatches of Gnarls Barkley, Phil Collins, Maroon 5, Elton John, Shakira, Pavarotti, Green Day, U2, Queen, Elvis, Amy Winehouse, Bee Gees, Bon Jovi (among others!) and superb renditions of “Simply the Best”, and “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”. However, my personal favourite was the Bohemian Rhapsody parody between Julián and his mother, where they squabble and he ends up being grounded with no tv. This comic element was a delight, and I’d have loved to have seen more of this playfulness in his show, as he really shone here.
The dramatic round venue, together with staging and lighting matched the tone of the show perfectly. The ecstatic reception from the crowd was more than befitting for the spectacle we witnessed, and there is surely more to come from Julián in the future.