Review: Mo’Ju together with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Sydney World Pride

Award-winning singer and songwriter Mo’Ju (Mojo Ruiz de Luzuriaga) played old and new songs from their albums arranged together with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House

Touching. I think that is the only word that can describe all the different emotions I felt during the 1 1/2 hour performance of singer and songwriter Mo’Ju together with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House last night.

But let’s begin at the start of this incredible show. Still being excited just by the fact that I am sitting in the concert hall of THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, the event started with a short presentation of the artist and the event itself on the occasion of Sydney World Pride:

“We need to build a society where it should not matter who you are, where you are from or who you love. You should be able to fulfill your dreams and aspirations!”– Standing ovations and applause before the show even began.

After a few more words, Mo’Ju entered the stage together with their six band members who played, among others, a drum kit, a bass guitar and a synthesizer. Mo’Ju was also accompanied by three singers and the whole Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Buc.

As a third-culture kid of Wiradjuri and Filipino blood, Mo’Ju filled the concert hall with deeply personal music and touching lyrics from the moment they began to sing.

What fascinated me most during the overall concert was how brilliantly the performance of the band around Mo’Ju and the classical sounds of the Symphony Orchestra matched. It is unimaginable how much work must have gone into this show, especially by the arranger Jamie Messenger who wrote the orchestral arrangements to Mo’Ju’s songs. Although I had never heard of Mo’Ju before and I didn’t know any of their songs, the vibe and the combination of a huge variety of different sounds immediately hooked me with the beginning of the first song “History” from their album “Native Tongue” from 2018. It was also one of my favourite songs of the whole show – the perfect start of a diverting night.

Besides the wonderful arrangements, Mo’Ju also brought a great sense of humor on stage that not only connected us to them in a more personal way but it also lead to loud laughs, whistles and minutes of applause between their songs. As a spectator, I could really feel how honoured they felt to get the chance to play on stage in the concert hall of the Opera House. And their performance didn’t dissappoint: every song transported a different message, different sounds, a different mood but all songs had one thing in common: a passion for singing, performing and entertaining which touched everyone around me (including myself of course). The songs were also accompanied by a lightshow that perfectly fit the melody and the sounds of each song which underlined the deeply touching and personal lyrics of their songs.

Another song I can’t get off my mind anymore is one of Mo’Ju’s most popular songs “Native Tongue”. Starting with the whole band humming casted a spell over the whole audience. Interjections saying “I LOVE YOU” and applause in the middle of the song say it all: the audience was thrilled.

The grand finale was provided by Mo’Ju’s song “Leave It All Behind” from his album “Ghost Town”, accompanied by standing ovations and everyone wavig their flashlights to the last sounds of the song. The artist also played different unreleased songs from his new album coming up on 24 March for the first time.

After this show I can definitely say: I think I got to know a touching, entertaining and, above all, super talented singer who, together with their band, perfectly matched with the great sounds of the Symphony Orchestra. I couldn’t have asked for a better concert as my first Sydney-Opera-Experience!