Coachella Gets Coached!
Written by Oyella Odong
Beyoncé performance at Coachella, may have left the festival “upgraded”
Most people have heard of the phrase: “Sundays are for lay-ins”, this quote didn’t apply on 15th April. Almost the whole nation either stayed up or set an alarm clock, to watch Beyoncé perform at 7.00am GMT at Coachella. For the others; the ones that accidently slept through or even deliberately - I hope the sleep was well and truly worth it!
I on the other hand woke up to the sound of the alarm ringing; instantly being reminded of Beyoncé’s lyrics “Ring the alarm”. The truth was that we all had been “waiting for too long” – one year to be frank! But not that I was counting …Okay maybe a little.
Beyoncé was asked to perform last year at Coachella, but unfortunately couldn’t due to being pregnant. Turning down the opportunity, Lady Gaga took her place instead. A lot has happened to Beyoncé – finding out she has a cheating husband; dropping Lemonade as a result and giving birth to twins. This not only makes her human but also relatable to many. Performing at Coachella marked yet another double victory for the artist; a chance for Beyoncé to remind the world why she’s called “Queen B” and breaking history as the first black female artist to perform!
Roughly 20 minutes into Coachella, our ears are filled with the sound of horns trumpets, trombones, and sousaphones playing. The band started departing one by one, before revealing a super toned woman – who had her back turned toward us. Turning around, we are shocked to find out this woman; with the super slimed waist is in fact Beyoncé; now a mother to three. The artist wasn’t joking when she sang “Strong enough to bear children and get back to business”. Yes, she was living proof that a woman can do all! The artist was now performing at Coachella to thousands and with millions tuning in – at that precise moment, Beyoncé “Ruled the world” and will continue to do so for the next two hours.
The 36-year-old star was supported by a marching band; which she created and goes by the name of “Beta Delta Kappa”. There were also roughly 100 dancers; heavily involved in whacking, chanting and heavy stomping. The achievement of her being the “The first black woman” was echoed in both the custom and performance. Yes, wearing what seemed to be a headwrap/crown and getting involved in stomping.
The dance originated during the slavery era and was designed to help the slaves communicate amongst one another. This slowly transformed into a dance. Nowadays, we can see the style in movies, music videos and of course Beyoncé’s performance.
Beyoncé’ has always been known for deconstructing her music. This was seen in “Crazy in Love” – given a jazz feel and “Bow Down” with a tempo vibe. Recently returning from Jamaica, the artist brought the Caribbean feel to California when she sang “Baby Boy”. The song had a unique arrangement – thanks to the fantastic band.
That night wasn’t only about the band but also the people that she loves; who helped to pave the way for her. The artist gave them recognition. She mentioned her children, preformed with her husband to one song. In addition to this – we saw the reunion of destiny Childs. Considering that we have followed them from their teens to womanhood, they were honestly looking better than ever! Kelly Rowland figure was out of this world; wearing her natural hair in a high pony tails and Michelle looking equally as good. They all wore similar aesthetic, which was designed by Balmain.
Amongst all her support and even custom changes, Beyoncé went on to bring her sister; Solange to the stage. They did a very sweet sisterly dance to “Get me bodied”. This performance was executed to perfection and mixed with humour. It was the kind of chorography that you could only preformed with your closest sibling, and on a drunken night out. In doing so, the night club would scream in pure excitement; as people circled and watched two siblings; friends do carefully practiced dance routine. That’s what happened when the sisters performed. But instead of it being a handful of people, it was to thousands and even millions of people (Tuning in) and we all screamed/yelled after being entertained.
Beyoncé’s Coachella performance was far from a little show. The 36-year-old, did a whole concert and with very little break. Watching eagerly in suspense, I had mixed feelings. Firstly, sad that it had come to an end, but also happy that “Queen B” could rest; well for a bit. But looking at Beyoncé on the screen, she easily looked as though she could go again.
Will this Queen ever stop?