Jelena: A short trip to the imagination with Silvia Peréz Cruz

When my classmate Maite suggested going to the concert by Silvia Peréz Cruz, I was delighted, as I saw a great opportunity to experience and learn something new. I had no previous knowledge of this singer, and although jazz, which was the main theme, is not my favourite music style, the fact that the young Spanish vocalist is moving within different music genres, including fado and flamenco, actually the ones I prefer, I felt quite curious. 

The concert was held in the “Juan del Enzina” theatre, and to my mind it was just the perfect place for that kind of music, the space that gave us the sensation of a more intimate, warmer atmosphere and one which enabled a better connection between the musicians and the audience. The simplicity of the stage and the casual look of the artists, as if they were just rehearsing for the concert, made us feel more relaxed and ready to absorb the immense quantity of positive energy and strong emotions.

The songs we could hear were from Silvia’s only CD so far, named “En la imaginacion”, the fruit of the collaboration with the famous Javier Colina trio, whose founder, the magnificent double bass player Javier Colina, made a selection of some classics of Cuban music, Latin jazz to be precise, arranged and found on the album. Each song was telling us a story of love, passion, sadness, longing and hope, and we wouldn’t have enjoyed them if it wasn’t for Silvia’s radiant, warm and versatile voice. She performed each song as if it was her own story, her own emotion, her personal experience, and it wasn’t just her voice, but her eyes, her face, her entire body that was involved in the task of conveying every single feeling, so in a way there was no need to understand all the words. 

It was a unique experience in which we enjoyed ourselves together, the artists as much as the audience. What impressed me greatly was the degree of improvisation made by the musicians, which made the concert unique and, to some extent, amusing. For two short (at least to me) hours sequenced wonderful songs were played one after another, like “Debí llorar”, “Qué dirías de mi”, “Ella y yo” and “Veinte años”, but Silvia didn’t want to make us feel too sad or melancholic, so from time to time she performed some faster, more entertaining songs like “Belen” and “El panquelero”.

The most touching moment of the concert was at the very end, when Silvia and Javier sang together a beautiful song named “Si te contara”, which she dedicated to either a friend or a relative - who apparently passed away the same day they held the concert - while telling us that there was no reason to feel sad or disappointed. With a great smile on her face, looking to the sky, she paid homage to somebody she really cared for and who obviously must have loved the song. 

Silvia truly made her way to my heart, so I have started to listen to her music, and I’m deeply grateful to my friend Maite for sharing an extraordinary musical experience with me.

Thanks, dear Jelena, a riveting post indeed. I mean, sure you can write a Spanish artist - or from any other nationality for that matter - as long as it is in English!

I am just sorry I missed the gig as I find Silvia a fascinating singer, with a beautiful voice and oozing on-stage charisma. Hopefully I'll see her perform live soon. I hope you approve of the photos and clip I've embedded!