For Manolo García, the pandemic hiatus made him create more and more songs, up to 27, which make up his two-headed release last spring, the albums ‘Mi vida en Marte’ and ‘Desatinos plucked’. And if in his music there have always been signs of a desire to get off the world, which we can all share at one time or another, now the brush with reality is even more contrasted, and from there come concerts with a point of catharsis and flight to a parallel sphere, like the one offered this Friday at the Porta Ferrada Festival.
A citizen García in full form, after overcoming that covid that assaulted him a few weeks ago, at the gates of the tour, and that forced the postponements of the first four dates. And with a plus of rocker verve, and a fondness for songs that came out of the time tunnel, from previous lives. That start was unprecedented with three songs in a row from his time with El Último de la Fila, beginning with ‘Insurrección’, hanging electric guitar (in juicy entente with Josete Ordóñez’s mandolin), spliced with ‘Lejos de las leys de los hombres’ and with another reflection of the old days, ‘Pen and Ink’.
Connection with the public
Scenes of relief and liberation, all of us getting rid of so much accumulated (pandemic) dust. “Are you happy? Joy and reunion. To take the mask for a sack, what a pain! & rdquor ;. Night with contours of social event in the Guíxols Arena, with 3,500 attendees ready to celebrate its crossing of dreamy poetry and caloric physical deliverywith all the refined instrumental art (seven trustworthy musicians) and an explosive connection with the public.
Manolo García did not offer reduced-format concerts in times of restrictions, and it could be said that his return to the scene, two and a half years after the end of the ‘Geometry of lightning’ tour, modified some of his laws. “This year, the most important thing in the world is that you sing, that you can sing & rdquor ;, he let us know. “It’s funny, because I hadn’t realized that on other tours. This year I need you to sing, and that is why we are playing more songs that everyone can know & rdquor ;, she reflected, while alluding to the “anguish & rdquor; that seems to be floating around us, “which has taken a very strange turn, very ‘for them’ & rdquor ;, he pointed out. “It is important that we defend ourselves by singing & rdquor ;.
appetite for life
The most electric part of the new material, that of the album ‘Mi vida en Marte’, was noted with a sequence of songs that ranged from mid-tempo ‘Diez mil Veranos’, with its longing for vitality, to the blues of ‘Reguero delies ‘, with the accomplice voice of the violinist Olvido Lanza. From there to the fishy reggae of ‘I’m cheerful’ and the sensual ‘Sometimes it’s turned on’, again with a view to El Último.
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The other of the new albums, ‘Desatinos plucked’, with a more acoustic touch, had less presence, but ‘La maturranga’ opened a more serene sequence with violin and guitar plots. Manolo García has his reservations when it comes to considering that what he does can be considered flamenco, with all the lyrics, but in ‘Labyrinth of dreams’ there were rumba touches that he wanted to put in context. He recalled that he grew up in Poble Nou, where he “sounded everything & rdquor ;, including the” rumba laietana and that of Gràcia, rumba of the people for the people, with joy and self-confidence & rdquor ;. The adolescent Manolo loved Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as much as Peret. And already put, Sisa and Pau Riba. “Estimava life, com ara tots here. Visca la rumba catalana!”.
Enlightened by that maxim, and without lowering the electric guitars, he once again made the public sing, his first mission on this tour, in a ‘medley’ based on ‘Somos levidad’ and in encores that once again pointed to El Último with ‘Aviones silver’ and ‘Sara’. Manolo García in an integral way, without skimping or reserving energy or tricks for the future, giving it all in a show that includes two other dates on Catalan stagesthis Saturday at the Arts d’Estiu festival in Pineda de Mar, and on November 5 at the Palau Sant Jordi.