VOA文化艺术--Music Stars Returning to Venezuela to Perform

Music Stars Returning to Venezuela to Perform

Famous music artists are returning to Venezuela to perform after several years of avoiding the country. The shows, however, come at an extremely high cost, even for middle-income Venezuelans.

Ticket prices for international stars go from about $55 to as high as $600. Last month, Mexican music star Alejandro Fernandez performed before thousands of cheering fans at a theater in Caracas. Some of the fans had gotten bank loans to pay for their tickets.

Such major performances in the capital were relatively¹ common in the past. Superstars like the Backstreet Boys were so popular that Venezuelans would wait in line, even overnight, to get tickets. Shakira, Guns N' Roses and Juanes are among others that used to perform in the country.

But in 2010, visits by major performers began to slow. Venezuela was entering an economic and political crisis that would continue for years.

Today, about 75 percent of Venezuela's population still lives on less than $2 a day. But for those who have found good private-industry jobs, entered the gig economy or have a business, things are improving.

The country no longer restricts transactions in U.S. dollars. The value of the bolivar, Venezuela's money, had dropped greatly as a result of inflation.

The change in monetary² rules signals to show organizers that more Venezuelans will be free to buy tickets. People can go to big shows in the country once again.

"They're going to book cities and venues⁴ based on venues they could sell," said Jeffrey Dorenfeld. He is a music industry professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. "Artists are not going to want to play to half houses. They don't like to see empty chairs. The objective is to fill the room with paid attendance," Dorenfeld added.

Caracas businessman Edgar Villanueva attended the Alejandro Fernandez show along with his wife, two daughters and a son-in-law. One of his daughters had learned of the concert on Instagram and immediately bought the tickets.

As he waited to enter the theater, Villanueva said he recognized his country's problems. But he added that he is not a politician and just wanted to have a good time with his family. They were hoping Fernandez would sing A Qué Sabe El Olvido. Or, in English, What is The Taste of Being Forgotten.

"We have always been fans of Alejandro. We are passionate⁵ about his songs," he said.

Mileydi Villamizar used to go to concerts often before the crisis. She was happy to go see Alejandro's show after years of absence.

Villamizar paid around $75 for her ticket. She hopes to see the Backstreet Boys return to Venezuela one day. Mexican rock band Mana is also on her list.

Still, attendance for her is very costly⁶.

"There is a part of the population that can still afford it," she said. "And there is another that, like us, has had to scrape together and even get a loan."

Words in This Story

income - n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc.

ticket - n. a piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event, travel on a vehicle, etc.

transaction - n. a business deal : an occurrence in which goods, services, or money are passed from one person, account, etc., to another

venue³ - n. the place where an event takes place

afford - v. to be able to pay for (something)

scrape - v. to damage (the surface of something) or hurt (a part of your body) by rubbing something rough or sharp against it or by making it rub against something rough or sharp

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

5 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。