The singer never ceases to impress fans with her charisma
If you were lucky enough to be in the gleaming presence of R&B singer Sabrina Claudio on Oct. 17 at Corona Theatre, then you are well aware of the lasting impression she left on audience members.
Clad in a sparkly corset and three-piece lingerie set, her hair tied up in a tight bun, with hips that just refused to lie, and a voice too sultry to ignore, I think it’s fair to say that the audience got a firsthand look at the physical manifestation of utter beauty. Period.
Claudio started off her set with the first song off of her latest album released on Oct. 4, Truth Is, titled “Take One To The Head.” Her stage presence immediately captivated the audience, who were ooh-ing and ahh-ing as soon as the first verse left her mouth.
She followed up with a classic Claudio bop, “Unravel Me,” which sent the audience into a frenzy, with many attempts at impersonating Claudio’s falsetto.
Claudio is known for being very in-touch with her fans, both online and onstage. This was especially conclusive when she took a few minutes to discuss the meaning behind her masterpiece, Truth Is, and what led to the creation of the cover art for the album.
“You guys will be surprised to know that despite all of this (referring to her sultry outfit), I’m quite the shy girl,” she said.
Claudio is known to be very private in terms of writing and producing her music. Although she usually takes the bull by the horns, she decided to incorporate the work of other producers and singers in an effort to change up the creative flow for Truth Is. She made a point to state that the efforts of so many successful female writers and producers behind this album made it the solid piece it is, hence why it is her favourite album to date. Thus, she decided to have some of their faces sketched onto the cover art.
Pulling up a stool closer to the stage, we entered the more sensual part of the concert. “Let’s see how many of y’all are emotional,” said Claudio, a playful smirk forming as she teased the audience and jumped into her timeless ballad, “Frozen.” In a nutshell, the perfume of romance was in the air, and couples were swaying along to the track throughout the crowd.
“Belong To You” came up next, with a twist from the original cover. A jazzier take, if you will. Next came “Holding The Gun” – another favorite from the new album – the lighting was dimmed down to create a more somber atmosphere to fit the lyrics of the song.
Claudio ended the night with the obvious, “Truth Is,” interchangeably mixed in English and Spanish. The half-Puerto Rican, half-Cuban artist from Miami is no stranger to bilingualism; this was made abundantly clear.
Just when we thought the night was over, we were given a last encore, with the song that some may say launched her career in music, “Confidently Lost.”
“I’m alone but I’m not lonely…,” the first verse rang through the crowd with such depth that many were straight up yelling the lyrics from across the venue in an effort to reach her.
A perfect ending to a perfect night. Fans can rest assured that Claudio will come back again, just as she has for the last three years. They can also concur that there is a god, and her name is Sabrina Claudio.
Photos by Britanny Clarke
