If you listen to it casually, Catalan rumba can still be mistaken for flamenco. On stage, however, this confusion completely disappears before a different energy unfolds… We, who witnessed this Sunday explosion at the Ministère, experienced the unique identity of Catalan rumba, a powerful force of construction with eminently curative effects.
What a party Maruja Limón put on!
The electric bass that triggers samples (among other things) of synthesizers or Afro-Cuban percussion (Carla González), the solidly executed drums (Elisenda Fabregas), the electronically filtered trumpet (Mila González), the acoustic guitar with effect pedals (Cristóbal Salazar, replacing Vicky Blum), these are all elements that testify to this updating.
Except for the acoustic bulerías performed with a single guitarist (Cristóbal Salazar) and singers (Esther González and Sheila García), except for the vocal inflections typical of the Iberian Peninsula and its Arab-Andalusian roots, the music of Maruja Limón summarizes the updates inherent to the current period.
These musicians are all highly skilled, but they can’t be called virtuosos. The fascination lies more in the collective force of their performance than in the individual contributions of each member. Their cohesion, enthusiasm, and dynamism are the key to their evident success. Any minor flaws or technical limitations one might point out are irrelevant in the context of such an experience.
Through various musical expressions from Catalonia and Spain, flamenco, rumba but also reggaeton, Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban rumba or pop/rock, this squad of happiness and Latin sensuality transmitted a great energy to the dance floor densely populated with new captivated fans.
Over an hour and a half of pure energy, a packed Ministère venue filled to the rafters by a multigenerational crowd that was incredibly enthusiastic from start to finish, and which is already spreading the good news for the Barcelona sextet’s upcoming North American tours. It’s easy to predict that this group will be back often; the buzz they generated there will spread like wildfire.
