By Ana Toledo
Dom La Nena’s Brazilian beats has mesmerized the whole Barbican Centre in her opening show for Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler, last Tuesday (2nd) in London.
With all her Brazilian style, stereotypes aside, La Nena surprised. Right from the start the positive vibe got the place going. Next to me there was a middle-aged man that sighed and had restless hands, at times he felt like clapping, sometimes he would bring them to his face.
Dom La Nena (Photo: Como No)
In her last song, the singer raised the audience coordinating a timid and pleasant dance to Sambinha. Then the lights came on indicating the first break of the concert. Visibly touched, the gentleman next to me wanted to know who that sweetheart on the stage was. I found a Swiss overflowing with Latin America nostalgia.
The lulling of Dom La Nena made the public sambar, and it was highlighted by Jorge Drexler when he felt like doing the same. The connection between both of them exposed the accurate choice of the producer of the show, an excellent partnership between Barbican and Como No!
This connection is worth understanding since both singers have a multicultural background. Dom La Nena is Brazilian, spent her teenager years living in Buenos Aires and today she lives in Paris. And Drexler descend from German background, but he was born in Uruguay and also spent some time living in Brazil. It explains a bit the taste of Bossa Nova in Drexler!
Drexler sang some of his most famous hits as Guitarra y Vos and Universos Paralelos. His audience was excited creating a unique atmosphere in that place. The Uruguayan promptly answered it by performing a capella of Al otro lado del río, which is the sounftrack of The Motorcycle Diaries film.
Dom La Nena and Jorge Drexler turned the Barbican Centre into a real South America Embassy. Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay… All those countries well represented. The nostalgia of the South Continent overflowing not just the Swiss gentleman next to me, but whole audience by seasoning the mix all these culture with the same feelings.
Before Drexler’s last song, Bolívia, the singer explained when his family fled nazi Germany in the past. At that time, they were welcomed by the poorest country in Latin America until today and that one of the reasons he named this song. Bolivia was the first country they lived before moving to Uruguay. Nowadays, with all refugee issue in Europe it is important to bring his history forward to shed some light on the matter. Let’s make it clear.
