A Triumphant Night in Madrid
From the moment she began her performance with ‘La Soledad’, the Movistar Arena in Madrid made it clear to Valeria Castro that she would not be feeling alone. On stage, she was embraced by an unexpected and emotional Eva Amaral and two of the Tanxugueiras. It was the first time the young Canarian singer-songwriter (born in Los Llanos de Aridane, 1999), accustomed to theatres and auditoriums, had given a concert in a major arena, and she did so with all 8,400 tickets sold. This followed an expansion of the initially planned capacity, as part of the tour for her album ‘El Cuerpo Después De Todo’ and Madrid’s winter concert cycle, Inverfest.
Overcoming Challenges to Reach a Milestone
The leap was significant and the stage was daunting. “Playing the Movistar Arena is no easy task… This is a real dream. I don’t think I’ll be able to process it until some time has passed. It’s probably the biggest milestone of my career,” admitted Valeria. She recalled that in mid-October she had to take a leave of absence for her mental health. That break coincided with a flood of criticism on social media after a performance on ‘OT’ (Operación Triunfo), as well as the defence and affection from dozens of fellow professionals. “Here we are, after all,” she declared, with her perennial smile and aware that her voice could continue to recover to sound better than it did on Friday, after having already sung ‘Tiene Que Ser Más Fácil’, ‘Honestamente’ and ‘Parecido A Quererte’.
An Intimate Atmosphere With Thousands
Without needing to say anything more, but having said it all, the audience responded to her words with a rapturous ovation. She had already warned that she would treat those present as if they were at a gathering of friends. Without inhibition on stage, as if she were indeed talking with her friends, she confessed weaknesses and shared a secret in the form of a new song, ‘Globo’, which she wrote almost as a premonition a few days before announcing a break in her tour. “Sometimes I think the body can’t handle everything, that at some point the balloon explodes,” she sang, accompanied by the distinctive clarinet of Joaquín Sánchez.
Special Guests and Emotional Circles Closed
After having shared a preview of ‘Globo’ on social media, Valeria wanted to have the detail of playing it there, in Madrid, where she arrived to study Biotechnology eight Septembers ago, when she was already beginning to accumulate online followers for her cover versions. One of those songs she covered was ‘El Universo Sobre Mí’ by Amaral, which she wanted to sing “to close the circle”—first at the piano and, after the first chorus, giving way to the surprise of a deeply moved Eva Amaral, who found it hard to start singing, culminating by showcasing her powerful voice and her essential harmonica. As had happened to Valeria herself at many moments in the concert, it seemed both women were singing the song to themselves as a reminder of the lyrics: “I want to live, I want to shout, I want to feel the universe upon me.”
By then, Aida Tarrío and Olaia Maneiro of Tanxugueiras had already been on stage, accompanying her with the highest vocals of ‘Hoxe, Mañá E Sempre’ and their tambourines. Valeria thanked them for their friendship: “They have known how to support me even when I couldn’t support myself.” Also present were the mariachi band Reyes de Madrid, who brought all their joy to ‘Debe Ser’, ‘Techo Y Paredes’ and ‘Sentimentalmente’, with which she concluded the recital.
A Setlist of Salvation and Dedication
On a sober stage, dressed in white like her musicians, Valeria delivered an almost complete run-through of her second album. “It’s a record that in some way saved my life,” she confessed, because, during the composition process, she put words to what she felt in songs like the powerful ‘Devota’ or the beautiful love letter ‘Sobra Decirte’, for which she came down to celebrate with the audience. Many tracks from her previous album, ‘Con Cariño Y Con Cuidado’, also featured, such as ‘Abril Y Mayo’, ‘Dentro’, ‘Poquito’ and two with special dedications: ‘La Raíz’ to her home island of La Palma, and ‘Guerrera’ to her mother and the memory of her grandmother.
The repertoire was rounded off with three songs from her first EP, ‘Chiquita’: ‘Culpa’, ‘Cuídate’ and ‘La Corriente’, with which she used to close concerts before this tour. The tour will continue in Latin America and call at three more Spanish venues—Barcelona, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Gratitude and a Final Celebration
Alongside Joaquín Sánchez’s clarinet, the band was completed by Carles ‘Campi’ Campón (musical director of the tour, guitar, bass, percussion and album producer), Borja Barrueta (guitar and percussion), María de la Flor (violin and voice) and Meritxell Neddermann (piano and voice).
“Several years ago I decided to write to honour, because sometimes the word ‘thank you’ fell short for me,” shared Valeria when she dedicated ‘Guerrera’ to the two most important women in her life. And that is what she also did with the audience, returning all their devotion throughout the concert and especially in the final song, ‘Sentimentalmente’. For this, she invited everyone to dance with her and, as her singing teacher recommends she do, she became just one more in that gathering of 8,400 friends—to make up for everything after all and feel less alone.
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