It was such a pity...the sky had seemed to clear for a moment during the afternoon, after another storm had battered the Southern Pyrenees all morning. Hopes were raised, and hopes were dashed as the rain began to chuck it down not long after Chile's legendary group Inti-Illimani Histórico (one half of the original group founded in 1967, following a scission due to an on-going legal battle for the original name) took to the impressive floating stage on the Lanuza reservoir, framed by the majestic mountains of the Pyrenees and facing an open-air auditorium - the perfect place for a summer festival. But the biting wind and ominous clouds made even the hardy locals think twice and Inti-Illimani began their concert to a sparse congregation of aficionados. But as ever, those who had come were not going to let the weather stop them from having fun and they gave it their all, dancing and cheering the group's performance of music which transported us to another, higher mountain range, The Andes, where this group's name comes from and whose musical culture has so inspired them.
Call it Germanic wizardry or just good luck, the skies dried their eyes just in time for Señor Coconut and his Orchestra's concert, which attracted a sizeable crowd, eager to dance to all their old favourites given a tropical make-over by this o so elegant combo and its enigmatic dandy leader. The only Latino on board, singer and front man Argenis Brito, roused the crowd from the start and gave voice to a seemingly endless list of pop classics from the Baile Alemán, Around The World and Fiesta Songs albums. Songs by The Eurythmics, Prince, Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, Sade and the list goes on, to which Señor Coconut has given his special electro mambo, cha cha cha and cumbia treatment in his Santiago studio and was now performing on stage with his highly talented Nordic band playing marimba, vibraphone, percussion and a horn section worthy of any Latino outfit.
Classy, amusing, catchy...in a word, irresistible.
A concert broadcast live on Radio Gladys Palmera's ONLINE MUSIC channel...
Marushka
