Shakira’s ‘magical world’ in Madrid, a monument to the singer’s greater glory
EL PAÍS takes a stroll through Macondo Park, the space built around the stage that will host the Colombian singer’s 12 concerts in the Spanish capital
“Welcome to Shakira’s magical world, one of the great musical events in history.” Live Nation Spain president Pino Saglioco appealed to euphoria at a news conference on Wednesday to describe what is being built around the Colombian singer’s concerts in Madrid, a residency of 12 shows running from September 18 to October 11.
The presentation took place on the stage where it will all happen, which the Colombian artist has named Macondo Park (a reference to the setting of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez), located in the Iberdrola Music area in the Villaverde neighborhood of Madrid (in the south of the capital), the same venue that hosts the Mad Cool festival.
There was keen interest in seeing the jewel of this Macondo: a stadium built specifically to host the concerts. In reality it is an amphitheater made up of three large seating blocks that will hold 26,318 of the 55,000 people who will attend each day. From the center of the floor it really looks striking.
The rest of the 220,000 square meters (the equivalent of 30 football fields) is made up of colorful tents dedicated to various activities. On Wedensday morning, staff with machinery were working intensively to have everything ready for Friday, the day of the inaugural concert. The air smelled of glue and synthetic materials. A few olive trees planted in pots reminded us there were living things in the site.
Carpeted in bright colors, it has the feel of a shopping center about to welcome the public. Awaiting the opening of the doors, it’s clear that the concept of Latinity Shakira wants to express is based on a well-meaning cultural idea, devoid of any social or political claim. “The important thing is that this has been done from love,” Saglioco summed up.
The two-hour set by the author of Pies descalzos will be the daily finale. Doors will open each day at 3.30 p.m., not at 12.00 p.m. as had been announced. The singer explains her vision thus: “Spaniards are Latino and Americans are Latino, two shores of the same culture. We share language, memory, gestures, long meals. The Atlantic, between us, stopped being an ocean a long time ago. It’s a bond.”
There will be eight pavilions devoted to music, literature, gastronomy, fashion, music… Amid so much cultural assertion, the artist’s business projects slip in: she is using the event to promote her haircare brand. Also present is a company that, at first glance, seems little related to the event: a European pharmaceutical firm.
The singer is the star of the Shakira Museum, in partnership with Amazon Music, which will feature “items on loan from her.” There will also be “a book club focused on the books that have inspired Shakira.”
Prominent Spanish and Latin American chefs will provide their signature dishes, and the literature section will feature appearances by Rosa Montero, Lydia Cacho, and Elísabet Benavent.
The concerts in the tents will also feature major names in the new wave of Spanish pop, such as Amaia and Guitarricadelafuente, who can each draw crowds of 15,000 on their own. It’s also a great opportunity to discover live performances by artists rarely seen in Spain, such as Louta from Argentina, Maro from Portugal, Santos Bravos from Mexico, and Aria Vega from Colombia. Flamenco will be featured in a dedicated tent. Performers will include, among others, guitarist Yerai Cortés and flamenco singer Ángeles Toledano. There’s a lot of talent on that side of the stage. After each concert (which will always take place on weekends — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), the audience will be treated to a show by the Barranquilla Carnival Dance School. The gates will close around midnight.
Regarding neighborhood protests over noise and disturbances, Sagliocco stated: “Everyone should be happy because we’re revitalizing the Villaverde and Getafe areas. Music can’t be demonized. It would be sad if music were called into question.”
The organizers avoided talking about money. “Obviously, this is a business, and a lot of money has been invested,” said Javi Tomás of Live Nation, who added to the hype of the moment by describing the residency as “the greatest feat in music, performed by the greatest artist of our time.”
To achieve this, “10,000 workers have been working on the project over the past 16 months.” And although there are still tickets available (“a few remaining,” according to the promoter), the organizers expect to sell a total of 600,000 tickets across the dozen days of the event. Eighty percent of the attendees will be from Spain and Latin America, and the rest from various parts of Europe, primarily France.
Before meeting with journalists, Shakira toured the venue, “paying close attention to the details.” The colors of Macondo will begin to appear on September 18.
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