Like a paradise in the middle of the Spanish capital, the Babel River 2023 offered this weekend three days of artists for all tastes that made us forget the heat. Madrid’s Caja Mágica put aside the rackets to host a poster with international artists such as Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 o Jamiroquai in the lead, as well as proposals from the Spanish indie scene such as Sen Sense o Alizz.
With a diverse audience, which changed according to the headliners of each day, the festival gave us very good sensations: easy access, correct organization and an offer of comic stand-ups to liven up the suffocatingly hot afternoons with a smile.
Sen Sense
The Peugeot 205 of the Galician Sen Sense He made his first stop in Madrid with a small choir behind him and his eternal desire to break the mold. The songs of the new album ‘PO2054AZ’ – license plate of his father’s car – skidded masterfully through the main stage. Well-treated sound and feeling in the form of a voice that, despite the usual autotune effects, always pays attention to detail.
Álvaro Díaz and Julieta Venegas joined him in their respective collaborations: “Not every day you sing with your favorite singer”, announced a Sen Senra who put the finishing touch at sunset with No matter what people think. It was with this choral version that the end of this journey came to an end, which perfectly reflected that “Senra DNA”: meticulous, angelic and brilliant.
Julieta Venegas
Following the flash of the banks of this river, we find, with barely two minutes of rest, the classic Julieta Venegas. Delicate voice and songs overflowing with the tenderness and nostalgia that characterize the Mexican. Taking turns between accordion and keyboard, she completed the sunset with her immortal “Limón y sal” chanted by an audience whose affection she completely won over. A flow of sensitivity and tenderness that left us fascinated.
The Handsome
Despite the fact that the sound was not excellent and it took a couple of songs to reach its maximum splendor, the group made up of Leiva, Adán Jodorowsky, El David Aguilar and Jay de la Cueva ended up making the ugly, handsome and any other being dance the Boogaloo. show was coming up. The band managed to make seventies rock a genre of rabid news and capture, with their impeccable white suits and irreverent cockiness, their only premise and promise: to have fun.
With his silver guitar solos, Leiva blew up the entire repertoire of the group; including a My rock friends who, I assure you, gain a thousand years of life on stage. Suggestive and provocative, rebellious and presumptuous, the Mexican-Spanish mix group seduced even the last of those present with their vintage sound proposal. Definitely, The Handsome They have come to our city to stay.
Guitarricadelafuente
Getting to know Russia
The course of the first day of the Babel River continued with the torrent of the Colombians Morat and a last tide of Latin pop-rock from the hand of Getting to know Russia. The Argentines made clear their affection for Spain – excuse the overdose of countries – with their glittering live versions of “Cabildo y juramento” or “Cage of gold”. The latter, of course, escorted by Leiva, together with whom his “30 años” rang for eternity and closed the doors of the first festival day.
Mr. Kilombo
With the catchy and lively rhythms of Mr. Kilombo we dive into a second day of festival packed with hip swaying and multicultural beats. As the Colombians Aterciopelados already announced, a whirlwind day between “Latinos and Spaniards” that contrasted with the more concise and select public on Friday.
Between Miki Ramírez’s perpetual smile and his passion to connect with the crowd, Mr. Kilombo’s concert was a gift of radiant choruses and energy. “En plena calle”, “Cortocircuitos” and even his recently released “Palabrería” rumbled between restless feet in these sixty-minute concert that the artist stretched out until they sounded invincible.
Guitarricadelafuente
The rapids then gave way to a calmer sound course – although no less exciting for that reason – with Guitarricadelafuente. With a band in keeping with that duality between custom and freshness, double bass, keyboards and percussion merged on a stage presided over by a gigantic stone that intrigued and calmed me in equal measure. Lafuente managed to make the most “new wave” sounds flow, electronic and distorted, with his Aragonese roots in “A thousand and one nights” or “Agua y mezcal”. Tradition and intimacy on the big screen that fit perfectly with the charisma of the singer-songwriter.
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
Let me use my 21st century words to describe this show: I was blown away. Although I was not the only one: none of the 18,000 people who lived in that Dominican paradise could stop dancing in almost 2 hours of concert that felt like a few minutes. At 66, Guerra turned Madrid into a merengue, salsa and bachata party of all colors.
His “Rosalía” woke up a Caja Mágica that, turned into a dance floor, crossed the “Niagara en Bicicleta”, went through “Fukuoka” and was moved with “Estrellitas y duendes”. They say that music makes the pulse of those who listen to it synchronize. On Saturday night, the heart of Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and all of Latin America beat in unison: 4.40 revolutions per second. At some point in the show I came to think what would happen if an alien ship landed on Earth at that moment. No doubt they would have joined the dance. The Martian conquest can wait.
Jamiroquai
MODA day
Neither the sweltering heat nor the untimely storm could prevent the folk from Burgos from making the capital their own on Sunday. Two songs were needed for all of Río Babel to be shouting their hymns. An irrepressible cascade of “great songs” starring seven artists who live each concert as if it were their last. “We feel like the luckiest band in the world” shouted David Ruiz (vocals), seconded by the affection of a track that they earned with their humility and charm. Hard not to feel at home with these guys.
Bogota burns
Changing the A-3 for the M-30, Bogota burns flooded the Babel River with the power of his “What a hard life” and “Antiaircraft”. Perhaps it was because the bar for the studio album was high or because the weekend overflowing with concerts took its toll on those in Cartagena, but a certain strength was missed in “El beso” and “Besos y animales” (by coincidence, to think that it was lovesick anyway). Despite everything, the cowboys of the moment made an audience dotted with hundreds of t-shirts of their merch jump. It is clear that Antonio García’s voice causes a sensation and he has a long road ahead of him.
Alizz
With the one from Castelldefells we reached the peak of “indie” at the festival. The Catalan producer combined the electronic nature of his songs with more organic details (lots of guitar and percussion) that turned it into a “futuristic technorock” show. to each bowl that passes, Alizz gain confidence on stage and, with it, splendor live. Special mention to the visuals on which each song is based: designs that correctly capture the essence of the Catalan producer and that manage to incorporate us into his musical bubble.
Jamiroquai
I preferred not to spoil myself and get to the direct of Jamiroquai ready to surprise me, and so it was. The last thing she expected from her front-man Jay-Kay was for him to appear, once again, dressed as an Indian and in a tracksuit, but that’s how it was.
Their galactic-disco funk had the main stage dancing from the first bar: backed by a fully synchronized choir and a crew ready to make any spacey sound possible, the Brits took us on a journey on this final night with tracks brimming with nostalgic sparkle. Shouting self-mockery “You used to be a rockstar!” They delivered supersonic melodies like “Alright” and “Virtual Insanity” to the Madrid public, with which they didn’t officially close because they couldn’t help but give us “Deeper Underground” the stellar show.