By Marina Baldo.
With a large public frame, the 63rd edition of the Cosquín National Folklore Festival and it was a magical night. Furthermore, this is a special year for the festival because 60 years of realization of this show in the Prospero Molina Square -before it was done in the street-.
Before the opening, the traditional blessing and the interpretation of the Argentine national anthem were carried out by the municipal choir and the Municipal Band “Blas Parera”. But there was a pleasant surprise: Jairo and Juan Fuentes -artists summoned for the first moon- added their great voices to give another tint to our country’s anthem.
The moment has arrived that everyone in the square is waiting for: Claudio Juarez -the master of ceremony- made the traditional harangue and welcome with a powerful “Here Cosquín national capital of folklore”. Enter the Ballet “Walk” to dress the stage for dance “Atahuallpa Yupanqui” with its setting “The Goblin Calls” to the rhythm of Hymn to Cosquín. The perfect combination between music -which excites and makes the hearts of those present flutter- and the skill of the dancers who make that moment magical and every night is lived like the first time.
The musical night itself begins and what better than to open with an artist of experience like Jairo. On this occasion accompanied by Juan Falu -one of the great composers of Argentine folklore- and Horace Lavanderaa young pianist who surprised the spectators by performing unpublished creations by Nenette Pepin Fitzpatrick – Atahualpa Yupanqui’s partner. Lavandera focuses on the piano, plays some songs alone and then adds Jairo and Juan Falu. Some of the songs that play are “Tucuman Moon”, “Tone of an old love”, “Las golondrinas”. In the second part of his proposal Falu and Washerwoman they go and jairus he is left alone with his band doing classics like “Crazy horse”, Milonga del Trovador” Y “I could dance all night with you” with his son yaco gonzalez and his grandson Francisco Gonzalez Posse.
the artist of Axis Cross closed with an inevitable theme such as “Former Owner of the Arrows” in which a very special moment is generated and he seems to go into a trance combining his voice with the percussion. To close, the commission of the Festival gave him an award to honor his more than 50 years in music -52 to be exact-. Artists of the stature of jairus They should never stop being at these festivals because their music -and Salzano’s lyrics- are weighty in the Argentine songbook.
They were also in the Plaza “Prospero Molina” classic artists and that people never forget how “Forever Tucu” and a singer-songwriter who has been making his way as a soloist for several years: martin peace -former member of the Manseros from Santiagueños– and composer of one of the most recognized lyrics of folklore: “Eternal love”.
Another of the singers who passed through the stage was Yamila Cafrune. His proposal was innovative since he did not interpret classics, the kind that the plaza applauds and chants. Yamila did not have much time on stage but she gave rise to other artists such as the southern singer Marisa Saez, Juan Cruz Monguillot -a young man who writes and was reciting verses on stage- and the accordionist Chochi Duré.
The night is on its way to the end and appears on the scene Juan Fuentes – the ex Huayra– that last year he was also present at the first moon and received a special mention but the rain had somewhat tarnished his musical moment. The singer from Salta raised the folklore plaza and the spectators began to chant songs from his record material “It’s with my voice” and much of the popular songbook. By the reaction of the public it could be seen that they hope that in this edition Juan Fuentes receive the consecration prize of the festival.
To close the night, the Indian Lucio Rojas with the party and the chacarera of the mount. El Indio put everything on stage with the motto of “defend and care for our folklore”, to rescue his own and show more of his origins, that mixture that characterizes him. The “interview with the native peoples” As he says. For this, he called representatives of the Qom, Wichi, Chorote and Toba communities to the stage to share his message and his way of making music.
He had other guests: the singer-songwriter from Santa Fe Ephraim Colombothe decider Lazaro Moreno and the Uruguayan singer Catherine Vergnes with which he recorded the song “Thinking of you”.
To end the first moon, the artist invites Juan Fuentes to share a couple of musical themes and offer his support by suggesting his consecration.
An interesting moon with a proposal accepted by the public, with some innovative moments that put aside what works when 100% putting something different on stage and with artists who are always well received by the public from Cosco.