Playing For Change

On Sunday we went to the Ordway to see a "Playing For Change" concert.  (I am feeling very cultured because I went to the Guthrie and the Ordway in the same week).  Playing for Change is non profit organization with a goal to "inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music."  I saw their video a few years ago where people all over the earth and from all the continents played the song, "Stand By Me."  Each local musician interpreted the song in their own style.  I thought the video was very cool.  Last night was a live concert and the first night of a new world tour to promote the organization and raise money to build music schools in impoverished nations.  They already have 7 schools established with 3 in Africa and 4 in Asia.  On stage they had about 10 performers singing, playing instruments and dancing.  Many of the songs were African but not all.  My favorite performer was Grandpa Elliot, an elderly, blind performer who usually performs on the sidewalk in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  After the group sang two songs and was near the end of the third song, a tall young man jumped out of his seat and rushed over people's legs to get to the aisle.  He ran up toward the stage and onto the dance floor and started shaking his long and limber arms and legs.  He had so much pent up dance energy he couldn't sit still any longer.  Others saw that and within 2 minutes the dance floor was full of people and remained full of people until the concert ended hours later.  The audience was unusual because the ages varied.  There were equal numbers of people in all decades of life.  I really enjoyed this  unusual music and dance concert.