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Placido Domingo's Smooth Moves Calm Chichen Itza Kerfuffle

October 5, 2008 at 11:29 AM | 0 Comments

A concert by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo went off without a hitch last night at Mexico's Chichen Itza archaeological site, silencing for the moment a controversy about whether the ancient Mayan ruins are an appropriate venue for such a modern spectacle. Prior to the event, a union of archaeologists pressed prosecutors to file criminal charges against the concert's organizers, saying that the event violated a law that states the ruins must be preserved for educational purposes.

A few deft moves by Domingo and his people, however, apparently smoothed enough ruffled feathers to allow the show to go on. The opera legend, who moved to Mexico with his family at the age of eight, was joined on stage by the Modern Mayan singer and musician Armando Manzanero, and the two performed a selection of opera classics and Mayan-inspired music to a crowd of 4,000. Security was out in full force, but there were no major incidents and no damage to the ruins.

We understand the importance of cultural preservation, and probably wouldn't back an AC/DC concert in the same sacred location, but this particular show seems to have enough artistic merit to count as "educational" in our book. Heck, they let Yanni perform at the Acropolis and it somehow survived. How much damage could an opera singer do to a big pyramid?

[Photo: AP]

Related Stories:
· Placido Domingo Sings at Mexico Pyramid [AP via Yahoo! News]
· A Tour of Chichen Itza [mysteriousplaces.com]
· Pyramid Coverage [Jaunted]

Where: Merida, Mexico

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Author Photo: Victor Ozols by Victor Ozols

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