What a day we had with Music around the World! Such music filled not only Ce Soir Castle, but four other venues as well – and what a great time it was. Benefiting RFL of SL, this event – primarily the brainchild of Liz Harley at Key West – brought together a collection of some of the best musicians presently playing live in SL from around the world! As they played and sang, the coffers for RFL of SL continued to fill at each venue until the 24 hours was through.

Mireille and I began the 24-hour journey with a visit to the wonderful PORTLAND venue to hear the fun and talented LINDIMOO. She sang her way through the opening hour, and as she did, Mireille wore her little cow – which was one of the ways LINDIMOO contributed to the cause. Everyone who bought a LINDIMOO cow donated to the cause and received one of her recordings. Now, that’s what I call a win/win! We danced and enjoyed the lighthearted banter and had a great time with the folks from PORTLAND – notably, Tigger Ohare and marb, both of whom steer and tend the PORTLAND venues with style and grace. LINDIMOO got the ball rolling in grand style – or should I say that she got the cow tipping…? Either way, it was a great kick-off!

We wanted to stay for more (check yesterday’s post for the whole stellar line-up), but we needed a little rest, because we had a BIG Saturday planned as part of this exciting event. So…we wandered home and fell asleep in the den. No kidding! We didn’t even make it up the stairs. It was a cool night, and after about four hours sleep, we finally made our way to bed. Ah, the sound of head hitting pillow. GLORIOUS…

After a night of dreams, we woke early and started our Saturday off with a visit to Rara Destiny‘s very cool outdoor venue – aptly named RARA‘s – to hear one of our long-time faves, Bright Oh. He was one in another great group of five SL performers and we sure enjoyed seeing – and hearing – him again! New songs and those from earlier times were a joy to listen to, and he hasn’t changed a lick, which is a very good thing! He is funnier than most anyone doing live gigs in SL, and he charms the ladies like there’s no tomorrow! Even I have to marvel at him! Ahem! Besides, who can argue with one very special bunneh named Prime Genesis, who got up on stage and entertained his heart out with some masterful guitar licks of his own?! It was a great hour of sweet ballads and happy banter – thanks Bright (and Prime) and Rara. It was great listening to that sweet CHA-CHING of the RFL of SL kioks going wild – even as Mireille swooned her way through the hour. Well done, Bright!

Before we knew it, it was our turn to host. We were very pleased indeed to have the wonderful Lyn Carlberg up first. This charming Welshman brought his A-game to Ce Soir and provided us with a sweet hour of beautifully played and sung folk music from a range of eras. It is very obvious that Lyn knows and is at home in his genre; he plays that guitar like it is an extension of himself and those ballads and folktales enveloped the crowd with sweetness. His lovely partner, singer Kiaranne Flanagan was present as well and they both encouraged those gathering to donate – and donate they did. I just wish I had more photos (and more are coming!), but here’s a great one of Lyn as he kicked off five hours of great music for this RFL of SL event at Ce Soir!

Up next was the fabulous PhoenixJ who certainly did not disappoint! Playing some great songs with guitar and some lovely pieces using piano, her sweet voice filled the air with a beautiful energy, and people responded. We danced and smiled our way though her hour, watching the RFL of SL kiosk total rise! PhoenixJ can sing the bluezz, people, and her jazzy way is just outstanding. When she sang “Wonderful World,” there was not a dry eye in the house, and the kiosks kept buzzing. A world without cancer: a wonderful world indeed, and PhoenixJ inspired us to dig a little deeper and build that total. Awesome indeed!

How to follow that? Well, we gave it a go with none other than the German sensation, Mike00 Carnell. He came in, loaded with great songs and a charming way that had all of us grinning and dancing through the hour. It sped by, as he shared his personal passion for filling the coffers of RFL of SL and the people just gave and gave as they dropped in to hear him sing and play. What a genuinely nice guy – with a bucket full of musical talent to boot! To say that we enjoyed the hour would be a terrible understatement. Mike00 has a fine vocal talent and a deep feeling for the songs he chooses. Next time you see him on the schedule, do yourself a favor and get there!

Good times just kept rolling, as the well-known and longtime fave SL live musician from Portugal Djoni TB stepped to the stage. Ukulele in hand, he played some of the most beautiful of his country’s native music! Djoni TB can rock with the best, but when he pours on the charm with that beautiful playing, well, the ladies go wild. Romantic music from the land of seaside beauty in southwestern Europe was just the ticket for another fantastic hour of music, fun, and fundraising for RFL of SL. Djoni TB is another who has a true passion for supporting RFL of SL in-world, and his fans came to support the effort. What positive energy and outlook, Djoni TB brings. Awesomeness!

The hours kept ticking off, and we were having such a FANTASTIC time! We had such help from the AMAZING SL MUSIC RACES FOR A CURE TEAM – from Team Captain Still Braveheart to Co-Captain Samantha55 Chester to music lovers par excellence Brianna Beresford and Twinky Waffle! Who could go wrong with that bunch on your team? These ladies brought such a delightful and charming way to their efforts to support and encourage our wonderful musicians and patrons for this outstanding event. The RFL of SL kiosks would not be nearly as full of heart-felt donations without their loving reminders of how important offering every $L possible truly is in the overall effort of fighting cancer on every front. Truly, our donations – whether they be $L10 or $L10000 – make a real difference in the lives of those battling this horrible disease as patients or those on the front lines as physicians, nurses, and researchers. Thank you, team! OUTSTANDING JOB – done with heart and spirit. WOOTS!

With all that going on, it did come time for the last musician to play at Ce Soir for Music around the World. What better duo to bring it all together than that enthusiastic and FUN Terrytoon and Blonde? These two talented musicians know how to PARTAY! From the sweetest, hoedowniest country tunes to the most beautiful of American standards, this duo is nonstop in their performance. They were up there on the stage, dancing and singing their hearts out for us and for RFL of SL. Having lost dear ones to cancer, they share the passion and bring it all to the effort. We had a grand time and exceeded our goal – by a LOT – and these two really made a contribution to that effort. We all worked together and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

What can we say? It was an incredible experience for us to be present for such talent and grace. The passion for helping others and doing the right thing was overwhelming and we loved it! What better use for our little corner of the grid? What better use for our time? It was wonderful, and we have so many people to thank. Of course, all those mentioned in this post get first dibs on our appreciation, but there are others…and you can see their names in yesterdays post of each venue’s lineup for Music around the World benefiting RFL of SL. THANK YOU!

Others deserve our thanks as well, and each and every one of you who donated even $L1 to the cause, have our heartfelt appreciation. Those who came to enjoy and encourage – even without a monetary donation – have our hearts as well. The whole experience hinged on the spirit of the thing, and that, mes amis, was simply stunning.

As the day unfolded, we found our way to visit at least one performance at every venue including the beautiful PANORAMA, where we enjoyed some fabulous Italian talent including sweet Amparia Ecksol. Mireille got to show off her poco Italiano and that was fun too! Seeing the totals rise on that kiosk was excellent, of course! And, after a break to enjoy the beautiful and talented LISA BRUNE at Ce Soir (it was impromptu, but as always most enjoyable – and more money was raised as well!), we took a rest before trekking out to Key West to ride out the event in style…

We enjoyed dancing to several of those who filled the final docket for this incredible event: we missed Nederlander Franck Molko (we’ll catch you soon, Franck), but thoroughly enjoyed the musical gifts of the lovely Alessandra Eberlain from Japan, flautist extraordinaire Phillip Moura from Brazil, and Korean sensation the richly voiced Mewz Artis. What a fantastic wrap party! Way to go Liz!

Thank you, everyone. What a special day!