“It is about reclaiming Núria’s musical legacy, not just her side as a popular figure, which is what she is most remembered for. We want to honor the enterprising woman, the pioneer, the socially involved, the one who knew perfectly well what she wanted to sing and how to do it, and the one committed to the language.” Mireia Feliu, niece of Núria Feliu, draws for the QF of La Vanguardia the main lines of the tribute that her charismatic uncle, who died in July 2022, will receive this Wednesday at the Palau de la Música. In short, recognize the great lady of popular song in Catalan and leave aside a somewhat caricatured image that she also suffered during her lifetime.
Expectations are high. The show and the announced poster are promising, because there will be many of those who shared the stage and experiences with the singer from the Sants neighborhood of Barcelona throughout more than 50 years of artistic career. Laura Simó, Carme Canela, Cris Juanico, Els Catarres, Luis Cobos, Joan Fortuny from Elèctrica Dharma or Marina Rosell together with Antoni Ros Marbà are some of the names that will be honored.
It is worth highlighting the presence of Joan Manuel Serrat – accompanied by his inseparable Ricard Miralles – who, despite the withdrawal from the stage, did not want to miss the event in order to remember a close relationship with Feliu perhaps unknown to the general public. “They were friends from a very young age. Few people remember, for example, that the first performer to record a Serrat song was Núria Feliu,” explains Mireia, who, by the way, as a continuing singer of the saga, will also take the stage. (She will also do it with her sister Lali, an actress, because her breed suits her.)
Despite the string of artists, no one expects a disjointed and incoherent show. Under the artistic direction of Enric Majó and the musical baton of Esteve Molero, a big band made up of renowned jazz musicians from Catalonia will act as the resident band, providing consistency to the tribute and trying to recover the sound of the sextet that always accompanied Feliu.
Thus, the repertoire will not have any mystery: it will be varied as their albums were. Of course, the jazz standards will be played in the versions translated into Catalan that she herself popularized; but there will also be no shortage of cuplé, bolero, soul, chanson, Broadway musical, traditional music or sardana. For this last genre, and in case there are no musicians, the Cobla Ciutat de Girona will also participate.
Presented by Òscar Dalmau and Helena Garcia Melero, the show has been designed with care down to the last detail because “she was very meticulous, and we wanted it to have that essence.” Oh, and no crying: “We want it to be a great party.”
