The thunderous power of the queen of copla, Isabel Pantoja, embraced the majesty of the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra on a night to remember. At the Port of Tazacorte, under the baton of maestro Carlos Checa, some fifty musicians and a choir gave a gala setting to the singer’s appearance at the Isla Bonita Love Festival, where she treated La Palma to a true masterclass in music at the only Spanish stop of her 50th-anniversary tour.
In front of a packed venue, everything was performed live, with no backing tracks, and Pantoja’s voice found in the power of the orchestra the backbone of the entire show.
After leading the symphony orchestra with complete mastery, the artist worked her way through a repertoire worthy of a career spanning more than 50 years, performing works by some of the great masters of songwriting, supported by a voice, an artistry and a stage presence that continue to connect with audiences of every generation.
The artist also chose La Palma to bring back A pesar del tropezón and Pero vas a extrañarme, songs that had long been absent from her usual shows, as well as Canarias, Canarias, as a special nod to the archipelago.
The concert was also a meeting of anniversaries: while the singer was celebrating more than five decades on stage, the Isla Bonita Love Festival was beginning to commemorate its first ten years.
The Isla Bonita Love Festival now continues its tenth anniversary with the social programme sponsored by Isabel Pantoja herself and a second major music night on 19 September, when Nathy Peluso and Laura Pausini will take over at the Port of Tazacorte.
