At the age of 78, Rubén Rada showed a talent whose time was only shining

Rubén Rada’s talent remains intact. An artist who delivers immense music surrounded by unique grace. A charismatic musician with a great job that allowed him, on his return to Buenos Aires with his show around japandevelop a concert without ups and downs, of an enviable force for the 78-year-old singer and percussionist from Montevideo who made candombe his flag.

Last night’s show had a lot to review his career, with songs chosen correctly to form a solid presentation, with room for the band to shine, but it wouldn’t be the same without that natural grace that Rada has and gives its presentations inevitable fun surrounding them.

A great band, with the kids

Rada arrives with a tight band; it is clear that his tour of Spain and Japan gave him a fluidity that allowed him to noticeably instant burn.

Matías Rada on guitar, Gustavo Montemurro on keyboards, Nacho Mateu on electric bass, Nelson Cedréz on drums, supported by a string of drums with Lobo Núñez on piano, El Caña on boy and Noé Núñez on peal with the voices of Lucila and Julieta Rada is wearing a safe walk, seamless.

So the concert began Fingers, a loud funky more to come, ran into the audience. Well -groomed voices and a strong rhythmic section put the public in orbit at the Opera theater, enjoying 100 minutes of Uruguayan music crossed by different genres, though candombe is always there.

With the sheer force of the beginning Rada himself asked himself “Can we continue the climb or will it never happen from here on out?”. Maybe. Two songs from his time by the historical group Totem, days of thosea funky Latin with a beautiful solo by Noé Núñez, and Don Pascuala mid-tempo song of careful late payment.

the public status

At this point in the concert, the public mood is on a crescendo that has reached a peak Candombe for Gardela composition with special sensitivity and prevented by the “tribune” from singing the venue while standing: “The boys from the street bar / We feel the candombe very well / We sat down to sing on the sidewalk / With drums some Gardel tango / And a girl who passed by / watching the tambourine / poorly told me / How hot in April ”.

The stage remains in the darkness for the great candombe string, in the direction of Lobo Núñez, true guitar guru and drum luthier of great prestige. The trio has an impeccable rhythmic game, there are different, nuances of sound that end with making the drums speak.

Rada returned and put firewood on the fire If I don’t ask you anything, a candombe that starts softly and is accompanied by spectators from their seats until the need to dance prevails, yielding too much drumming, too much percussion and too much driving from a band as solid as Rada himself. The ending has an up-time that leaves the audience tired.

And now try one of the songs that will be part of his new album Candombe with a little help from my friends: 11 and 6by Fito Páez, but in the tone of candombe.

Despite being a theme familiar to her composer, the singer somehow manages to fit and surprise with an arrangement in the final fade out that bounces off the chorus repetition.

a special guest

Julia Zenko he was the guest at the Opera, a wise choice because of Rada’s chemistry with the singer; two themes, goodbye branch Y who is the singer. The set of voices of the two, to which Julieta and Lucila are permanently added, gives these songs an exceptional treatment.

In addition to being a great singer and percussionist, Ruben Rada is a showman; with his charisma and the grace with which he was, he was able to move the hands of the spectators in one way or another, after they had sung or danced. Occasionally and for no apparent reason, he asks the audience to do the “crazy scream” and the public screams. In other words, the actor and his public.

More hits and different genres

A strong tandem is coming Ugly and its noisy introduction and blumana (“Tocá Che Negro Rada”), in which Matías Rada makes great solitude, organized, intense due to repetition and somewhat impactful.

Rada’s music moves freely in a variety of genres, but cleverly the rhythmic force of the drum strings attracts the proposal towards the candombe. We can almost point out that despite the songs, the sounds of the candombe are present all the time on stage.

Another funky companion Don’t Stop Candombedancing, playful and moreover stone in the street, a composition from the late ’70s, during La Banda. Here Rada recounts how León Gieco gave him a precious hand by leaving him a hot audience at a celebration so he could perform the song live.

In fact, the song is rock and roll but in the Uruguayan way and in sound that at this point is a hallmark of his compositions.

Rada today told the story of the successful album that Cachorro López made for him: “I sent him the songs and he said to me,‘ now it’s gone because if you’re there you’re complicating it ’(surprised face ) and soon I saw the finished album ”. And he came out on the field Female Cha Cha and the people were dancing and rejoicing.

There was going back and forth for the concert to continue, although Rada closed it out nicely Dying whole and come back for a long encore along I do not have time anymorewhere musicians and the public sing “Because of your love/ I have no time left/ The wind took it away/ With my breath”, a song that gave more space for choir singers to perform elegance and for each other. the musicians.

A generous, grateful actor with talent at the time just shone. A musician who has gone through a golden age and enjoys an audience that matches him with full obedience.

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