SPA Presents Opening Night with Latin GRAMMY®-winning Vocalist Nella
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOUSTON (September 15, 2021) – Society for the Performing Arts opens its 21/22 Season with Venezuelan singer and actress Nella, on Friday, October 1, 2021 at Miller Outdoor Theater. The concert begins at 7:30 pm and will last for approximately 90 minutes. For those unable to attend, the performance will be livestreamed on Miller Outdoor Theatre’s Facebook page.
Nella won the 2019 Latin GRAMMY® Award for Best New Artist. A recent Berklee College of Music graduate, her full-length debut, Voy (I Go) received praise from NPR and the hit single “Me Llaman Nella” (They Call Me Nella) reached 1.4 million Spotify streams and 1.4 million views on YouTube. The New York Times named the album’s title track the 14th best song of 2019 in any genre.
Merging the folklore roots of Venezuela with modern production and Andalusian inspirations, Nella’s voice connects with audiences around the world. As a solo artist, she’s performed at sold-out venues throughout the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. As a collaborator, she’s accompanied Alejandro Sanz, Jennifer López, Carlos Vives, Luis Enrique, Susana Baca, Los Amigos Invisibles, Monsieur Periné, Caramelos de Cianuro and Guaco.
In May 2021, Nella released her first album as an artist on the Sony Music Latin label—Doce Margaritas. She emphasizes that her music is very personal—“For me, singing from my soul is only possible when I tell stories that I connect with immensely.”
Nella is the first of many musicians on SPA’s 21/22 Season, including: actor Jeff Goldblum, playing jazz with The Mildred Snitzer (January 28, 2022); mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile (February 5, 2022); pianist Seong-Jin Cho playing Chopin (March 11, 2022); Drum Tao (April 4, 2022); and Black Violin (May 17, 2022). As part of SPA’s new Houston artists series, local performers Say Girl Say, Riyaaz Qawwali and Loop38 will be featured at part of Houston Artist Commissioning Project Live: Parts 1 & 2 (October 15-16 & November 12-13 at Jones Hall).
All are welcome to attending SPA’s Opening Night with Nella. Tickets are not required, and seating is freely available on the Hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Please note that masks are strongly encouraged. Limited reserved covered seating is available through the venue.
This will be SPA’s first large, live and in-person performance since Harry Connick, Jr.’s True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter, on March 11, 2020.
About Society for the Performing Arts
Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest non-profit arts presenter in the Southwest. Founded in 1966 as a resident organization of Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world’s most remarkable artists, featuring a huge range of arts disciplines. In addition to performances at Houston’s Theater District venues, SPA provides learning experiences for all ages through master classes, lectures, and special performances, as builds strong supportive relationships with schools and community organizations throughout the region. More at spahouston.org/