Lyric Tenor David Rivera Bozón Talks Crossing Over to Cabaret for Thanksgiving Show

EDGE: Did you start singing from an early age, and did you have family support for your singing growing up?

David Rivera Bozón: There were three major figures that have supported me and guided me in my music. One is my sister, who started as a cello player. I also have two aunts that play traditional Columbian instruments. Music has been a part of my whole life. I started singing since kindergarten. When we had patriotic events, I would be asked to sing the National anthem. It was fun to be singing instead of being in class.

I wanted to make singing and performing the center of my life. I went to university in Columbia. But first, I pursued a prep program in high school to be prepared for university. I got my Bachelor's. I moved to the U.S. in 2014 to get my Master's at New England Conservatory [NEC], but first I studied English for a year so I could be prepared for auditions for the Master's program at NEC. Both degrees were in vocal performance with an emphasis in opera.

I graduated in 2020, and I was ready to go. Then COVID struck, and that changed the map. Since I graduated, I've been singing under an artist visa. I was advised to get more training. So, I'm now at BU getting a special degree that has acting, movement, and voice, all the skills needed for a career in opera. I will finish in 2026.

EDGE: Are you doing any performing while getting your degree?

David Rivera Bozón: I consider myself a working artist on the local scene. I have been singing opera, recitals, oratorios, weddings, and memorials, everything that includes a singer, including restaurants. I have been bringing my music and voice to different communities. Flash mobs, too... they are fun!

EDGE: What drew you to cabaret?

David Rivera Bozón: One of the spaces I enjoy the most is cabaret. You can pull together whatever repertoire that you like to help tell a story. I've been to Club Café many times, and attend many cabaret performances. My cabaret show will be very welcoming and meaningful. The cabaret scene brings something meaningful and beautiful. It is live, and we have an amazing connection.

EDGE: Your show is Thanksgiving-themed. As someone who wasn't born or raised in the U.S., what does Thanksgiving mean to you?

David Rivera Bozón: In Columbia, we have adopted a lot of American traditions. My family has been celebrating Thanksgiving for a long time. It is very similar, linked with gratitude. But instead of having turkey, gravy, and cranberries, we have Latin American food. We meet together with friends and family, and we go around the table to say thank you for all the blessings we have in the year. We give thanks for all the new people we have in our lives. If someone passed away, we honor their memory. We also have a moment of gratitude and hope for the future. The show will be like that, but without the food; it will be a taste of gratitude and hope.

EDGE: Many of us could use a good dose of hope right now.

David Rivera Bozón: Given that we're here in Massachusetts, and how the political change affects people, I need to connect with people, and show what it is to celebrate. We are full of reasons to celebrate. We have family and friends and music.

EDGE: You sing in many styles. Will your show be eclectic?

David Rivera Bozón: Very eclectic. I will open with "Cabaret," since it isn't often sung by someone classically trained. It will be my way to welcome everybody. I'll be singing from musicals. "Feeling Good" came from a musical ["The Road of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd" by Anthony Newley] that celebrates freedom. There will be two pieces for Thanksgiving [he softly sings the phrase "I have plenty to be thankful for" from one of the songs]. And, of course, I'll sing "That's Amore" as a singalong. I will be singing one of my signature songs, "Nessun Dorma" [the tenor aria from Puccini's "Turandot"]. I will also be singing from the opera "Susannah" that takes place in the American South, about how people choose what to fear and [how] they act on that fear in God's name. For balance, I will be singing "What a Wonderful World," because it is.

EDGE: I understand you have a partner.

David Rivera Bozón: I have a beautiful partner, Derek Gustafson, and we have been living together for three years. We are celebrating love and life. In fact, we are in the process of getting married. It will be only a few days after this show. We are worried about immigration. We worry that our dream may be interrupted. Derek proposed on the summer equinox, so we've been dreaming about this life together for a while. When the election came, we were prepared, and we thought it's best to do it now. So, we want to have our documents processed. We will have a spiritual wedding with friends and family in two years after I graduate.

EDGE: What is it you most want to do with your cabaret show?

David Rivera Bozón: What I try to do with music is to bring joy, reflection, and a connection with people.

David Rivera Bozón will perform "A Taste of Thanksgiving" Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 7:30 PM at The Cabaret Club at The Arctic Playhouse, 1249 Main Street, West Warwick, RI. Tickets are $20. For reservations, click here.