Carlos Varela celebrates 35 years of 'Jalisco Park' in Spain

March 2, 2024

Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Varela celebrated in Tenerife, Spain, the 35th anniversary of his debut album 'Jalisco Park', recorded precisely in that Canary Island city.

The artist commented to Cuba Noticias 360 that the concert was "very moving" and highlighted the joy of celebrating this important date in his musical career.

Likewise from his Instagram profile, Varela thanked Tenerife "for so much love" and emphasized the emotion of "so much energy vibrating and floating in the theater. Thank you for giving me an unforgettable concert and for sharing your souls and your voices with me".

The concert took place at Teatro Leal de La Laguna, where the Cuban performed not only his iconic creations, but also dedicated space to new songs that have recently come to light.

This is exactly what Varela had announced in local media, in which he also recalled that La Laguna was his home in 1989 and the place where he recorded precisely his first album.

In statements to Diario de Avisos, The newspaper of Tenerife, the singer described himself as "a Cuban composer from the generation of the 80s, who moved musically between American rock and singer-songwriter music, addressing different social issues of my generation in my lyrics".

He later stated that "without realizing it, over time I became an uncomfortable artist for those in power. I only write and sing what I think and feel. I have always been honest with everything I have written and sung, and I have paid a price for it".

Regarding the creation period of 'Jalisco Park' he acknowledged that "those were very complex years in Cuba. There were many misunderstandings with my songs and with artists of my generation. I had been censored in my country's media for some time".

And he recalled that "in 1989, Silvio Rodríguez invited me to sing with him in his concerts in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Silvio knew my story well and told me: 'If you can't record in Cuba, why don't you stay for a while in the Islands and record your first album?' That's how it happened. I spent a long time living in Pedro Guerra's house and recording my first album, 'Jalisco Park', at Estudios Manzana, with several Canary Island musicians and friends".

The author of songs like "Guillermo Tell", "Habáname" or "Foto de familia" made some comments about the current state of singer-songwriter music, asserting that "there are very good young composers doing very interesting and very different things, both in Cuba and in Santo Domingo, Spain, Mexico, the United States or England".

Finally, Varela concluded: "No one said it would be easy. This profession is difficult and requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice, study, patience and perseverance. We'll have to see how many of these young musicians and composers survive these times and don't get lost along the way".