VENEZUELA: CARACAS POP FESTIVAL OPENS IN VENEZUELA

Record ID: 634320

  • Title: VENEZUELA: CARACAS POP FESTIVAL OPENS IN VENEZUELA
  • Date: 13th March 2002
  • Summary: (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GUERRA SAYING: "We are seeing that it will call a lot of attention to us. I feel very happy when I can play guitar and completely change form."
  • Embargoed: 28th March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVAEL8IU7ZP7BEOIWLHDULWCSSFR
  • Story Text: Famous Panamanian brothers Ruben and Roberto Blades and Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra have kicked off the Caracas Pop Festival with performances attended by some 20,000 Venezuelans.
    From tropical tunes to romantic ballads, from singing to dancing, the singers dominated the newly-built stage in downtown Caracas on Wednesday (March 13).
    The singers said they were happy to work with each other.
    "For me, one of my dreams is to do a world tour with him [Guerra] where we can incorporate Dominican music too," Ruben Blades said at a joint news conference with his Dominican colleague.
    Blades received a warm reception from the audience when he and his group Editus appeared on stage. He performed many of his classics, telling reporters.
    "I could not leave here without singing "Pedro Navaja". And then I thought I could not leave here without singing "Guayaba", "Decisions" ("Decisiones"), "Father Antonio"

    ("Padre Antonio") and "Walking" ("Caminando")."
    The audience also cheered on Dominican star Guerra as he captivated them for more than an hour with a mix of his old-time merengues and romantic ballads. Guerra thanked his Panamanian counterpart in the news conference. "In my case, all I am is a bachata singer and a merengue singer who happens to know this man. I simply give my testimony, but I continue singing the rhythms. God was the one who gave me Ruben and has given him to all of us," he said.
    The artist culminated his performance with the rhythmic song "The Bilirubin" ("La Bilirrubina"), and was called back to the stage with a strong ovation. Roberto Blades, who recently won a Grammy award, preceded the other two performers.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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