Today we travel back to July 20, 2021 to remember the brilliant performance of Jorge Drexler for the fifth anniversary of our concert series. Two special nights in which the Uruguayan managed to weave a perfect harmony between the Madrid audience and the enveloping environment of the Jardín Botánico of the Complutense University of Madrid.
Nesrine and his son Pablo, known artistically as pablopablo, opened the first and second day, respectively, with which the creator of Amar la Trama materialized his return to the stage in the capital.
Not even the adversities and setbacks suffered due to the pandemic could prevent Drexler from taking the stage in the Complutense after 9:30 pm. Perplexed, we watched as the silence around the auditorium quickly dissipated with the first verses of Dos Colores: Blanco y Negro. A classic with which the Uruguayan burst onto the stage, both nights, in an intimate and solemn way.
Alone, accompanied only by a classical guitar as harmonic and instrumental support, he advanced to the edge of the stage to sing face to face to the more than 1,800 people who had gathered to see him twice. Verse to verse, body to body... an unprecedented connection between audience and artist in the fifth anniversary of our festival.
After a most overwhelming start, Borja Barrueta, the percussionist in charge of accompanying him in this format, appeared on stage. The night fell at Jardín Botánico while the singer-songwriter's hits were played, adapted to a style closer to folk and acoustic pop. Between songs, Drexler took the opportunity to talk with the audience, launching proclamations full of enthusiasm and excitement to return to the stage after the break of his Silente tour , months ago.
On the second night, Leonor Watling came up to accompany the Montevideo native in the premonitory Toque de queda . So did her son Pablo to interpret High and Dry. Then came the mythical Sanar, Movimiento or La Trama y el Desenlace before the big surprise of the night appeared on stage: The Gospel Factory Choir.
The group of voices harmonized the verses and choruses of the last three songs of the concert where Drexler included La Guerrilla de la Concordia, his last single presented until that date. Sea and the well-known Todo se Transforma put the finishing touch to two magical evenings to remember in the history of our festival.
Hours before his second consecutive concert, Drexler shared a few moments with us to tell us his feelings after being reunited with the audience and the Madrid stage after 16 months. He was forceful from the beginning and wanted to refer to his first evening at Noches del Botánico as one of the most beautiful concerts of his career.
"A high degree of excitement that is preceded by a high degree of uncertainty."
The first of Jorge Drexler 's two nights in our little oasis could be compared, in soccer terms, to one of those victories suffered with a goal in the 90th minute. The singer-songwriter and his band clung to the Cholista cliché of 'game by game' to end up winning the battle against speculation and celebrate the performances with the part of the team that had not been affected by the COVID-19.
"It was to prepare three different concerts in 10 days, each one with its own arrangements, repertoire and musicians". It was a task of rolling up one's sleeves and being full of skill in the face of yet another adversity in the most complicated times for live music. Even so, as Drexler remarked, being able to repeat the same format the day before in Cartagena, made the presentation in Noches del Botánico acquire a greater degree of preparation for them. A favorable wind that, together with the public's enthusiasm, reminded the three-time Grammy winner once again how lucky he is to be able to dedicate himself to this profession.
