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\u2026 We, who witnessed this Sunday explosion at the Minist\u00e8re, experienced the unique identity of Catalan rumba, a powerful force of construction with eminently curative effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What a party Maruja Lim\u00f3n put on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The electric bass that triggers samples (among other things) of synthesizers or Afro-Cuban percussion (Carla Gonz\u00e1lez), the solidly executed drums (Elisenda Fabregas), the electronically filtered trumpet (Mila Gonz\u00e1lez), the acoustic guitar with effect pedals (Crist\u00f3bal Salazar, replacing Vicky Blum), these are all elements that testify to this updating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Except for the acoustic buler\u00edas performed with a single guitarist (Crist\u00f3bal Salazar) and singers (Esther Gonz\u00e1lez and Sheila Garc\u00eda), except for the vocal inflections typical of the Iberian Peninsula and its Arab-Andalusian roots, the music of Maruja Lim\u00f3n summarizes the updates inherent to the current period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over an hour and a half of pure energy, a packed Minist\u00e8re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n