By José Gandue @Gandour Photos by Julián Gutiérrez
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After experiencing 25 editions of Rock al Parque, I've come to a conclusion: The festival serves as a way for me each year to try and shake my heart, To find exciting stories and to feel that, sometimes, precisely but fleetingly, I have found a moment that justifies my decision to be a man connected to music. I am a person who believes that good stories, their context, their momentum. Music (and some musicians) not only gives us the soundtrack we want and deserve, but rather it brings us the relief or the anguish that overwhelms us in life, It leaves its mark on us, and that's why we should be wary of people who tell us that music doesn't matter to them, that it doesn't affect our lives at all.
Of what I saw yesterday, two concerts stand out for me in particular.
See Christina Rosenvinge At fifty-five years old, not only as one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen up close, but as a great source of inspiration and admiration, with honest songs that betray a courageous passage of time, It fills me with encouragement and satisfaction.
I, a couple of years younger than her, I confess, behaving like a late adolescent, that, Ever since I saw her, back in my university student days, as a presenter on FM2, a television program on TVE directed by journalist Diego Manrique, She has been my platonic love. She was an absolutely gorgeous girl who spoke knowledgeably about great music., How could I not fall in love with her? I also listened to their Alex & Christina songs and, while I wasn't blown away, I found them amusing. Then I confirmed my crush in 1994 when I saw It's all a lie., The film in which she stars alongside Penélope Cruz and Coque Malla. And that same year, upon releasing her album My little animal, Under the production of Steve Jordan and Nico Bolas, I realized that The roughness in her melodies completed the picture; this was the rock woman I had hoped to hear.
If you observe the progression of his career, you will notice that Christina Rosenvinge could have taken the easy way out of life, but clearly she didn't. There was risk, courage, and curiosity. There was research and experimentation. Of course, there were what some would easily and irresponsibly call failures, but she didn't fall into the tired formulas of others. She is, in herself, a weapon of empowerment, of strength, who knows and is aware of her sensuality., But she is not a manipulable doll, she is a goddess who speaks clearly and directly. His songs are like that, his live show reflects that, and his calm demeanor when answering questions from the media confirms it. Yes, he's still my platonic love, and that's why, during the festival press conference, I didn't dare approach him and say anything inappropriate. In any case, thank you for being there.
The second concert I will refer to is that of the district band Morphony.
I must say something before getting into that specific topic. The outcome of the conventional district call for proposals (we'll talk about the other one, the one for special shows, tomorrow, among all the conclusions to come) did not convince me. I feel that a good portion of those selected from Bogotá to participate in the festival were not up to par. And that cannot be understood as a lack of talent in the city, but rather a short-sighted and mistaken perspective of the judges. In Bogotá there are many better bands than those that were chosen, and especially, bands that more fully reflect the reality of our scene. Unfortunately, that happened in an edition that attracted many more people than usual, and which would have been a fantastic opportunity to showcase what really happens around here.
Include Morfonia as a last-minute guest, In light of the irregularities that led to Doctor Krápula's removal from the festival's official lineup, It was an accidental correction on the part of the organization, which was not acknowledging its error in preparing the calls for special shows, preventing this band from putting its proposal on the table. If there is a band that, regardless of their twenty-six years of experience, can say that they are part of the current avant-garde sound of the city, it is them. Throughout their career they have taken a different approach and made every effort to break the mold. Sometimes they have succeeded, other times it has not worked, but what they have done (oh coincidence with what was said about Rosenvinge) has been courage in its purest form. I believe (and it feels a bit strange to say this) that this is the best moment of their career. It's curious that all these years have had to pass before we can say it. Using their own particular vocabulary, they remain, at heart, mischievous creatures who know how to have fun on stage, and who retain that essence of resistance worthy of true rock. Their message is elaborate, consistent, and convincing. And, in purely musical terms, they continue their search for novelty, for surprise, for sonic invention. As my friend Manuel Estevez says: If the festival hadn't featured Morfonia, the big loser would have been Rock al Parque.
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Sure, I saw more things yesterday. I enjoyed Babasónicos for a while, and from a place of discomfort, I listened to some of my favorite Fito Páez songs. I'm glad Pornomotora was able to have one of the best shows of her life, And thus shut the mouths of more than one person and know that Santaolalla presented a memorable concert.
Tomorrow, after the necessary rest and reflection time, Zonagirante.com will present its conclusions about what was seen and experienced at the # 25th edition of Rock al Parque. We have a lot to say, But, while others rush to bombard with data without reflection, we have preferred to organize our ideas and calmly present what we believe should be written about it.
