The concert began with a delicates notes and a Cohen in off reciting "Poem" from "Let us Compare Mythologies" ("I heard of a man..."), Constantino Romero continued it in Spanish. He has a deep and clear voice, he does not recite, interprets as an actor. Among the diverse selection of poems we listen "God is alive, magic is afoot", "The Faith" (Dear Heather), "Gift" (in Catalan) and poems of "Book of Longing". The idea of including poems in Leonard Cohen's tribute remembers that his work is more than songs.
Perla Batalla appeared with his formidable Suzanne. A beauty.
Adam Cohen's was a pleasant and extrovert guy, he spoke in a very correct Spanish, he said an American Spanish of LA, he sang "Bird On The Wire". A very good cover with interesting musical variations.
Yes, Antonio my friend, not always we will be able to be ready to fly from the wire, it is necessary to be enough young, and for Adam it's better this song than Tower of Song. Certainly he has potential to be a good ladies'man, with another style, of course.
Gerard Quintana sang his recent cover Al·leluia.
Duquende with "Mi gitana" (My Gipsy Wife) in "cante jondo" (sing depth).
The beautiful Christina Rosenvinge sang an exquisite "Impermeable Azul" (Famous Blue Raincoat).
Next Javier Muguruza with "Chelsea Hotel" and "So Long, Marianne" (Euskeda).
Already we knew that Suzanne Vega would not be, she was not in the program, maybe for a change with Elliott Murphy appeared, a wonderful surprise. He interpreted a formidable "Diamonds In The Mine". Bob Dylan in his good times could not have does it better.
And it was the moment of Anjani Thomas, she was wonderful and happy, she sang "Half A Perfect World" and "Thanks For The Dance". Great.
John Cale also with piano and coloured hairs sang his powerful "Alexandra Leaving".
And Jackson Browne the great "Thousand Kisses Deep" with one magnificent prologue of Raúl Rodríguez's guitar.
Adam returned to the stage, he said to us that he was sharing the passion of his father for Lorca, remembered the name of his sister, for this song he needed the help of his friend; Anjani, together sang "Take This Waltz" in Spanish, memorable and familiar. Did Leonard see the rehearsal?
In Spanish and with a certain mariachi tune, Perla Batalla and Javier Colis sang "Ballad of the Absent Mare", ended up by dancing, very nicely.
Later Colis and Javier Mas performed "The Butcher", very hard style.
Santiago Auserón sang "You know who I am" with fragments in English and Spanish.
Toti played Susanna the mythical version Catalan of 1972, one special ovation.
For some reason Aute delayed a time to go out to interpret "The Future" version with a very hard lyrics, then he commented that the original one was tougher, I don't know.
Perla as master of ceremonies presented the band, congratulated Kevin on his birthday and announced the last song "Dance me to the End of Love" in Spanish and she invited to all to sing together, another nice moment.
After a long ovation, John Cale went out and sang Hallelujah with all the artists. A fantastic atmosphere.
The band sounded fantastically, the sound, the lighting, everything was perfect for me, the correct rhythm for the artists' changes and a very elegant hand's program. The problem, the serious problem of this concert has been the trouble of the mobile cameras on the stage. There were two teams handled two enormous utensils with two persons each one. They were going in and going out constant and were turning I half-close the musicians managing to intervene between the artist and the public. As Perla said, with this the concentration gets lost. In Sydney she did not see cameras. In a song there is a story and a communication that must not break. At least let's hope that they will release one DVD.
The personal sensation of my wife and me, is than we lived a magnificent and unforgettable day, from the morning until high hours of the night. An authentic dream. We were with our friends in Barcelona (and Lleida), the Cohen's fans, and also we have met personally others who were intimate, warm and not conceited, at all. We have their memory and keep it intimately with thankfully.
It will be a silly thing, but I wanted to send a message of admiration, I believe that this message already has gone to its destiny. I know that I am one more than a lot of similar people that yesterday in this tribute or that we come to this forum or that we have got excited with his music and his poetry and we think that he it's a piece of our lives. Every time it seems that we are more: anonymous as me or artists able of taking part in a concert as this one. Maybe demonstrate this gratefulness is superfluous, I known it, but yesterday I felt a great happiness and peace.
anToni - ForYourSmile
Photos from audience without flash.
