As the Sony Music Press Release states, “Indestructible, the new recording by Flamenco singer Diego El Cigala sounds both familiar and different.”
Diego is no stranger to change. Throughout his career, he has made an art form of making different musical traditions his own. His historic collaboration with the legendary Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes titled “Lagrimas Negras” earned a Latin Grammy; “Picasso Con Mis Ojos” (2005) highlighted his flamenco roots; “Dos Lagrimas” (2008) picked up where “Lagrimas Negras” left off; “Cigala & Tango” celebrated Tango and Romance, and “Romance de la Luna Tucuman” (2013) explored Argentine folk music.
“Indestructible” marks a leap in Diego’s musical evolution. Also, it pays tribute to his late wife, Amparo, and the great pianist, and composer Bebo Valdes, who set his career on a new path.
Recorded in New York, Miami, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Cali, Colombia, and Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, and Barcelona, Spain, “Indestructible” features sonero Oscar D’ Leon, pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Larry Harlow, trumpeter Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Los Munequitos de Matanzas, percussionists Changuito and Roberto Roena among others.
Diego and his dynamic 10-piece band at the Town Hall rolled out the repertoire in grand style. The set opened with selections from “Indestructible” – Sonora Poncena’s “Moreno Soy,” Hector Lavoe’s “Periodico de Ayer,” and Cheo Feliciano’s “El Raton.”
Midway through the set, Diego morphed into crooner mode. He performed his greatest hits, including “Involvidable,” “Corazon Loco,” “Vete de Mi,” and “Lagrimas Negras,” among others.
I can’t say enough about the pianist Jaime Calabuch “Jumitus,” who accompanied El Cigala masterfully, and the collective, who left nothing to be desired.
Diego brings the duende and drama of flamenco and his powerful and expressive voice to timeless salsa classics of the 70s and 80s, and the results are amazing.
It was yet, another great evening at the historic Town Hall, a venue with a rich history and an integral part of the fabric of New York City.
