Díaz-Canel wishes a speedy recovery to Omara Portuondo: "You are a legend."

Omara, known as the "Diva of the Buena Vista Social Club," has decided to retire permanently from the stage, announced her son and manager, Ariel Jiménez Portuondo.

Omara Portuondo © Instagram/omaraportuondocuba
Omara PortuondoPhoto © Instagram/omaraportuondocuba

Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel wished for a speedy recovery for the iconic singer Omara Portuondo, who suffered an episode of fatigue and disorientation during her performance at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona on Wednesday, October 2.

"Dear Omara, we send you a big hug, with all our wishes for your quick recovery. You are a legend of Cuban music and your voice will always accompany us. We love you very much," wrote Díaz-Canel on the social network X.

After hours without details about the situation, Omara, known as the "Diva of the Buena Vista Social Club," decided to permanently retire from the stage, announced her son and manager, Ariel Jiménez Portuondo.

In a statement on social media, Jiménez expressed his gratitude for the displays of affection received and provided details about the health condition of the artist, who was carried in the arms of two members of the Orquesta Failde after showing signs of disorientation from the very beginning of her concert performance.

Portuondo entered the stage seated in a chair while the audience applauded her with shouts of "Queen Omara!". However, the excitement turned to confusion when the singer could only accompany the orchestra with a small part of the chorus of the song Lágrimas Negras, and suddenly fell silent despite the orchestra continuing to play.

After several unsuccessful attempts by the musicians to get him to resume his performance, he only managed to sing the fragment “Contigo me voy mi santa, aunque me cueste morir,” according to the Spanish newspaper El País.

The musicians' attempts to get her to resume the performance were unsuccessful, and she was finally taken off the stage amidst applause. It was expected that this would be her last farewell concert in Spain.

Dozens of people left the venue before the event ended and gathered at the doors of the Palau de la Música demanding a refund for the ticket prices, which in some cases reached 75 euros.

Several formal complaints were filed, and some viewers noted that the situation seemed like an abuse, as Portuondo appeared visibly anxious and disoriented.

After the performance in Barcelona - a city where she has performed several times in recent years - Omara was scheduled to participate in another concert with the Failde Orchestra on October 6 in Budapest, Hungary, as revealed by the group.

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