Natalia Lafourcade must not have known that the flowers that give her latest album its name – De todas las flores – were going to find their garden in Pedralbes, on the opening evening of the brand new Festival Les Nits in Barcelona. The Mexican artist, who had not published a new work for seven years – and presented it with well-known collaborations (David Byrne or Omara Portuondo) – was greeted last night by 2,300 people in that auditorium built against the clock by Clipper's in front of the mansion.
It was April when this space was awarded to the company that also runs the Cap Roig Festival, forcing Concert Studio once again to emigrate, this time with its Jardins de Pedralbes Festival, to Poble Espanyol. But the people who came yesterday to enjoy the Veracruzana, which is quite an institution on the other side of the Atlantic, were happy and oblivious to all those troubles.
María and Teresa, a Colombian mother and daughter, waited patiently for the gates to the gardens to open at 8:00 p.m. a few minutes late. The blue carpet matched the acrobats who entertain the arrival on stilts. “Lafourcade is wonderful, she sings from the heart and in a wide variety of styles. Listen to her talking about death and how you have to water living flowers, ”says her mother while, still outside the venue, they offer her a flyer to eat Mexican.
Already in the village, the gastronomic provision was similar to that of previous years. "It is a success that at the entrance they give you the menu of all the food stalls," says a woman. Burgers from Deleito, Japanese from Nomo, pizzas from Madrelievito, wok from Kao, molletes from Casa Pepe, sweets from Sauleda and guacamoles from Camarasa. Although you only get those from Cal Bay to drink...
Sitting at one of the tables, Sara and María are also mother and daughter. “Lafourcade was discovered by Maria. Before, she always went with her headphones on, but since she puts music in the car, I hear wonderful things ”. The young woman found the Mexican on TikTok, with Never enough, which will sound at the concert. Just like The Right Place from the new album.
Lafourcade, 39 years old, 18 Grammys and 5 MTV awards behind her, says that this album is a reflection of a miracle that as a child saved her family. Separated from her parents, the guayabera at home began to bear fruit without stopping. She spit guavas "when my mom needed it the most." She made them into jams and sweets to sell.
The connection with that childhood and the lesson of respect for the land that Lafourcade drew were transmitted last night to a heterogeneous public, eager for his personal voice, from the roots, with which he reflects his inner gardens. Lafourcade arrived wearing a very long black skirt and sat down like Frida Kahlo, guitar in hand, letting a poem by the indigenous poet María Sabina (Take care, mijita...) play. She started with Vine by herself, following the order of the album. All the flowers, the days go by or the wonder, Take me wind... “Moltes gràcies d'assistir al meu concert, is it said like that?”, launched the shaman to the fervent audience, before making everyone participate in Hummingbird. Nit was going to be magical.
Alizzz, by the way, fell off the sign tomorrow. The one from Castelldefels would not have sold tickets...
