Vocalist Angela Bofill returns to Washington to narrate the Angela Bofill Experience, a multimedia event featuring her band, the popular singer Maysa performing the songs that made Angela famous, and jazz flutist Dave Valentin. “Dave was my first crush, an old friend,” Bofill said, speaking from her home in California. “We started out together and it means a great deal to me that he will join me on this tour to play and chat with the audience. My band that’s based in D.C. will be there to back Maysa as she sings my signature numbers, ‘I Try’ and ‘Angel of the Night,’ along with lots of others my Washington fans always loved. Maysa and I first met when we appeared together at [a] jazz festival. I saw then that she is a nice person with a beautiful voice and I don’t know anyone I’d rather hear performing my songs.”
| The Angela Bofill Experience |
| » Where: The Birchmere |
| » When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday |
| » Info: $35; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com |
Bofill burst on the music scene in 1978 with “Angie,” her debut album that started her career as a Latin R&B singer. By 2004, she had recorded 11 albums, several of which have been reissued. During those years, she amassed many fans in the Washington area, playing to packed houses each time she came to town. In addition to her many dance hits, the ballad “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” always brings her to mind.
Today she is making great progress as she continues recuperating from the two strokes that left her paralyzed. After the first in 2006, she underwent extensive speech and physical therapy. To deal with her lack of health insurance, radio stations around the country held benefit concerts.
Just as she was improving, she suffered a second stroke in 2007. After considerably more therapy and a long stay in a convalescent home, she has recovered much of her speech and mobility. Best of all, with the help of her manager, Rich Engel, she is coming back with the remarkable tour. It begins this week in Philadelphia and Washington and closes in New York in September.
“The opportunity to work with Rich on this project and to reach people again gives me great joy,” she said. “I look forward to being among the people I love who have such a powerful healing energy. I hope they enjoy hearing me tell the stories about my songs and some of the experiences associated with them and seeing the video of my performances.
“Without the support of my good family and the unconditional love from my puppy Momo, I would not have been able to accomplish this. It’s a miracle I’m still around. The message I want to leave with people is that life is precious and they must not take it for granted.”
