Mérida Fest ended its activities with Ibrahim Ferrer Jr. and his Cuban son

January 27, 2022

Ibrahim Ferrer Jr. and the group La Siembra were in charge of closing out the 2022 edition of Mérida Fest. With his Cuban son, the youngest son of the founder of Buena Vista Social Club delighted those who attended the finale at Paseo de Montejo to bid farewell to the festivities marking the city's anniversary.

After the third call, the stage was painted with the colors of Havana and the places where Ibrahim Ferrer grew up were drawn behind the musicians, while he—wearing his classic pulled-down beret, guayabera, and white pants—appeared before more than a thousand people who filled the esplanade.

In addition to the birthday of the capital of Yucatán, Ferrer and La Siembra's recital served to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Buena Vista Social Club, a mythical album that brought together Cuban music greats of the caliber of Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo, and Cachaíto López, produced by American Ry Cooder.

During a two-hour span, guarachas, boleros, chachachás, and Latin rhythms translated into Flor de azahar, Perfume de gardenias, and Pueblos nuevos got the crowd dancing at the Montejo finale. Pablo Milanés and Silvio Rodríguez also featured in the singer's repertoire.

As he anticipated, Ibrahim Ferrer Jr. gradually accelerated the pace of his recital. The duration of his performance escalated from boleros to salsas with which he got a large part of the spectators dancing. With his particular sense of humor, the singer also drew more than a few laughs from those present.

For many, the performance of the Caribbean star was "the main event" of Mérida Fest and according to comments after the concert, it did not disappoint. Some described it as masterful and others less accustomed to Caribbean rhythms also could not help but have their bodies dance involuntarily to the music of La Siembra.

Over the course of two hours, those present enjoyed the classics of Cuba with which the community crowned the festivities in honor of the Yucatecan capital. For 18 days Mérida was the stage for a varied display of artistic and cultural activities that over the years has become a benchmark in the Mexican southeast.