Spirit of Oya

Almost without warning, a
beautiful woman with long,
rich hair, adorned in a sexy
black dress, with dark pool
eyes, took the stage and the
microphone.
People were so busy
jabbering, laughing and
generally making noise that
no one seemed to notice.
Until she sang.
Oya, a Los Angeles-based
singer and songwriter,
brought her beautiful voice
and her appreciation for
music history to the Masonic
Temple Saturday night to help
raise money for the local Boys
& Girls Club.
I sincerely hope she comes
back.
Most people who
purchased tickets to the
Harvest Ball had no idea that
the event would feature the
quality of entertainment that
this performer brought to
the stage. The purpose of the
evening was to raise money
to help the Boys & Girls Club
keep its doors open and its
programs viable.
She didn’t have to bring her
“A” game, but it was evident
from her first note that
her heart was centered
on offering a magnificent show
that would make the evening
special and give the kids
something to aspire to.
Her range and knowledge
of music history was nothing
less than spectacular. She
recreated a host of star
performances by Etta James,
Aretha Franklin, B.B. King,
Marvin Gaye, and others,
before bringing the audience
to its feet at the end of her
performance.
If you were old, and white,
which this author is, you
couldn’t help but squirm in
your seat when this beautiful
angel started singing Gaye’s
famous tune, “Let’s Get It
On!,” to the whoops of a
younger, hipper and more
attractive audience. It
honestly made me worry I’d
start chasing nurses around
the rest home someday.
The club’s Neighborhood
Committee, which organized
the ball, can feel proud of
their efforts, and had better
begin planning right now
for next year if they have any
hope of topping the success of
last Saturday night.
It was a wonderful evening,
and it’s on my calendar for
next year.
- Journal Standard Newspaper by Eric Peterman - managing editor