Omara Ovated by Audience at Murcia Festival

July 20, 2022

The audience that filled the auditorium at Torres de Cartagena park (Southeast) gave a standing ovation to the diva of Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban Omara Portuondo, at the beginning of her farewell tour, in what turned out to be a magical night for the "bride of feeling" who at 91 years old surprised with a performance lasting an hour and a half.

On stage she was accompanied by musicians Andrés Coayo (percussion), Martín Alejandro Chávez (drums), José Raúl Machado (bass), Yadasny José Portillo (piano and artistic direction), the latter constantly attentive to Omara, who remained seated throughout the concert in a large wicker armchair 'Pavo Real', which she only left midway through the concert to rest while the group performed the changüi from Guantánamo Pa Jesusín composed by this pianist.

On her farewell tour Omara Portuondo performed timeless songs, such as Solamente una vez, Bésame mucho, Veinte Años, Tal vez or Quizás, quizás, Tú me acostumbraste, Amor de mis amores, Mi mejor canción and Dos gardenias, which the audience sang along with the legendary artist.

The concert began with Tabú in a deathly silence given the anticipation in the atmosphere to witness Omara's entrance on stage, who already received in 2014 the award from La Mar de Músicas, and who has a fondness for this city where she began her Vida World Tour.

Next came Amor de mis amores and Con dos que se quieran, in which the audience accompanied Omara with hand claps when she sang to the chorus "maybe for next year", a moment in which the concert changed completely and the magic occurred that made Portuondo show a happy and content face because of the complicity she was awakening in the auditorium.

After the intermission, almost an hour into the concert, Omara returned to perform the song that made her known to the general public thanks to Buena Vista Social Club, Veinte años.

By chance, Omara Portuondo and her band recorded in 1996 in one of the rooms of the mythical EGREM in Havana at the same time as BVSC.

Ry Cooder, the producer, heard her and decided to include her in the album. From this song on, Omara enjoyed herself with every song she performed until reaching an hour and a quarter into the concert with a temperature that reached 30 degrees.

When the pianist stood up to end the concert and headed to the chair to accompany Omara to the backstage, the audience began to whistle and request the classic encores that Portuondo was eager to perform despite accumulated exhaustion.

There were two immense classics like Dos gardenias and Bésame mucho, which were sung by all those in attendance standing. Not satisfied with the encores, Omara began to sing "déjala que siga andando, que siga guarachando" with the accompaniment of the rhythm section in an endless beat that had its culminating moment when with barely any strength she stood up from her chair and made a move to dance under the watchful eye of her assistants.

"It saddens me," said some spectators at the end of the concert knowing that most likely they would not see her again.

"She's very old," others commented as they left, but the general comment was about the spirit of an artist of worldwide recognition who wanted to say her final goodbye with a farewell tour.

In 2019 it was announced that Omara was retiring and she came to the jazz festival in Cartagena (Spain), but Portuondo is too much Portuondo, and she still had the strength left to do her last great world tour.

When the City Council found out in February, the festival was already scheduled, but they had no doubts about incorporating her into the programming.

"For me, singing is living, it is my way of being. If they ask me about my favorite place, it will always be the stage, the song I sing, the next applause. As long as I have a voice and someone wants to hear me, allow me to sing," the artist told the organizers.