The Panamanian artist Rubén Blades moved the hips to around 4,000 spectators who gathered in the annex of the Gran Canaria Stadium to bid farewell to the salsa poet, who on his "Walking, goodbye and thank you" tour leaves the stage After more than 50 years of musical career.
The son of the composer of "intellectual sauce" invaded the area of a catchy energy and an eternal youth, which precipitated thousands of attendees at a party of Latin rhythm that reviewed decades of trajectory on the floor, a path plagued by immortal success .
The companion of Medoro Madera, an alter ego that accompanies him in his history with the tropical genre, dressed in a dark suit, in his usual hat and accompanied by his faithful maracas with the Panamanian flag, was wrapped by the dozen members of the orchestra of Roberto Delgado, with whom he has worked for 8 years.
The icon of the salsa started with "Pablo Pueblo", a song that he composed at the age of 19 and with which he lit the public that burned at a contagious pace for hours.
The winner of eight Anglos Grammy Awards, six Latin Grammy Awards and composer of more than 25 record productions broke the ice on his return to the island, which he last visited in 2008. Demonstrating the talent that gave him fame, Their musicians surrendering to improvisation and their audience, letting the night take possession of the naturalness that characterizes them and that of "life gives you surprises."
Among the themes that accompanied the composer of the San Felipe neighborhood, there were five decades of music, details of his life and great works such as "The streets", "Decisiones", "Cain", "Buscando guayaba", "El cantante "," Maestra vida "or" Plantación in ", which merged the salsa poet with the attendants into a farewell concert in which there was room for some nostalgia in a 4/4 beat.
The poetry, philosophical and political lyrics and the verses that give life to characters such as "Maria Lionza" with which she showed her support for Venezuela, "Ligia Elena", "Juan Pachanga" or "Paula C" .
"They all come back", with which he reminded those who are no longer, "They are looking for you", "Without your affection", "The past does not forgive", "La caína", "Buscando América" or "Amor y controle" With which he showed solidarity with those who suffer from health problems, were some of the winks that reminded Blades of the stages and his collaborations with dozens of artists of all genres, such as Michael Jackson, Maná, Chayanne, Juan Luis Guerra, Joan Manuel Serrat, Calle 13, Sting, Luis Enrique or the lanzaroteña Rosana.
"When I met Canarias I was shocked," he said, and for that reason, he explained, he dedicated his theme "En Canarias" to the islands, a work that recalls the transatlantic similarity between Latinos and islanders, although he wrote it 25 years ago Still alive and that defines to both borders "like sisters".
It was midnight on Gran Canaria Stadium that the colophon of the concert with the immortal "Pedro Navaja" and the song "Muévete" arrived, with which the last note was added to an emotional closure in which the voice of thousands of followers accompanied The artist.
The one who was Minister of Tourism of his country and who has acted in 35 films and three television series, was comfortable on the Gran Canaria scene, a habitat that leaves on this tour and at 69, "to my surprise," he joked.
His plans include dedicating himself to other projects, where salsa will continue to be an essential condiment of his life with an upcoming album with Brazilians Boca Livre, which will be added to the work of boleros along with Costa Ricans Editus, a new line of themes that Include rock, pop and reggae in several languages, and even opens the possibility of running for the presidency of his country.
Gran Canaria has been one of the last stops of his tour, which previously devastated in Vitoria, Madrid, Barcelona and the neighboring island of Tenerife.
The composer's tour will end in September back in the Caribbean Sea on the island of Aruba, the last stage that will enjoy his dance moves.
Despite being a farewell, the firm step of "Walking, goodbye and thank you" crowned him as the eternal leader of salsa, with a march in which the veteran artist came out the big door becoming a legend and with the characteristic " Tumbao de gallán "of the now retired Pedro Navaja.
