Lady Zen Sings the Anita Baker Songbook

Lady Zen has called San Miguel home for nearly ten years, and local audiences have had many opportunities to hear Zen sing – a world-class artist in a relatively small city. Zen has long been regarded as San Miguel’s best-kept secret. But the secret is out: Last month, in New York City, Zen was invited by Jazz at Lincoln Center to perform for 1,200 spectators at the Rose Theatre, and meanwhile sang at the fabled Birdland jazz club in midtown Manhattan. Zen was a sensation at both places, and the reviews were rapturous.

Zen has been invited back to Birdland, and will likely be touring more frequently. But the artist’s love for San Miguel and its audiences is undeterred. Though perhaps with less frequency, Zen’s local concerts will continue – and the next big event, for the Thanksgiving season, is scheduled for two performances, at 6pm and 8pm, on Sunday, November 30, at Hacienda El Santuario, a luxury boutique hotel in Centro, at Aldama 41.

Zen has put together a show called “An Evening of Soulful Gratitude: A Tribute to Anita Baker.” With the backing of the Royal Court Band, a topflight ensemble of R&B musicians – “cool cats from Mexico City,” in Zen’s words – the concert will feature Anita Baker’s greatest hits. Baker was a multiplatinum artist in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with albums such as Rapture, and songs such as “Giving You the Best That I Got,” “Sweet Love,” “Caught Up in the Rapture,” “You Bring Me Joy,” and many others.

All seats are reserved. There will be 12 tables, each with either 4 or 6 seats, for a total of 60 seats per show. The three front tables comprise the VIP section. A VIP ticket includes exclusive perks in addition to the concert: complimentary hors d’oeuvres, access to a private reception area before and after the show, and a private meet and greet with Lady Zen. VIP tickets are 1000 pesos. All other seats are priced at 650 pesos.