El Cigala and Omara shared the stage for the first time last year at the Hollywood Bowl, during the U.S. tour of the Buena Vista Social Club, and there was certainly a remarkable chemistry between them. In July, they will return to the stage for a new musical adventure. Omara celebrated her 85th birthday last October, which inspired the name of the tour, showcasing her as vibrant and energetic as ever.
After completing the "Adiós Tour" with the Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo is preparing for the "85 Tour," featuring a repertoire full of classics from Cuban music, which El Cigala will bring to life with his deep singing style. The tour is expected to be a grand celebration of the extraordinary singer's remarkable career.
Accompanied by old and new friends as they interpret great Cuban classics, the "85 Tour" will reflect various aspects of her long career: from her youth and enduring love for cabaret to the days of Buena Vista and other moments from both the past and present, as Omara has sung a significant number of the memorable songs written in Cuba throughout the 20th century.
Regarding El Cigala, first it was Bebo Valdés, then his son Chucho, and soon it will be Omara: all accompany the famous cantaor to affirm this renowned interpreter's admiration for the song, the bolero, and the filin of the music produced on this island.
The Madrid-born Ramón Jiménez Salazar recorded the remarkable album Lágrimas Negras in 2003, alongside the late pianist Ramón Emilio “Bebo” Valdés, produced by Spanish filmmaker Fernando Trueba under his label Calle 54 Records. The emotional fusion of Latin jazz, filin, bolero, and flamenco won a Grammy.
"Lágrimas negras" set the stage for the concert featuring El Cigala and Bebo's son, Jesús “Chucho” Valdés, a living legend of jazz and popular music in Cuba. This event also resulted in a remarkable live album, showcasing classics such as the aforementioned "Lágrimas negras"—as famous in Cuba as the patriotic "Guantanamera"—alongside "Inolvidable" and "Veinte Años," to name just three timeless pieces.
“There was a before and an after in my life, both musically and personally,” Cigala admitted a couple of years ago. “I discovered Cuban music thanks to Bebo Valdés, and I owe everything to Bebo Valdés,” added the singer, who will once again experience the joy of performing alongside Omara Portuondo, with whom he shares many songs, including two or three versions of “Veinte años,” which place Omara among the greatest Cuban singers of the 20th century.
The start of the 85 Tour is scheduled for next July, and while it initially covers Europe, there are plans to visit venues in the United States and Latin America afterward. The Diva of the Buena Vista Social Club celebrated her 85th birthday on October 29 of the previous year, immersed in the Adiós Tour, a farewell journey for that legendary group.
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