Chronicle: Calle 13 concert "Entren los que quieran"

Faustino Salcedo | Mar 16, 2012

"I always say what i think, here are not weapons, i just play it smart". "With two words i can knock you out a pair of tooth". "I am the misunderstood, the crazy lunatic, the good one". These are some fragments of the first songs that Calle 13 sang yesterday at the concert in Nicaragua. In this chronicle there are polemic quotes among with Nicaraguan particularities; some are strange, others not to much. At the end of this story remains a poetic and urban flavor.

Attending to a concert with this magnitude is a serious thing. Is usual that the Nicaraguan people arrives to the majority of events a little bit late. The row for entrance to the concert was colossal, it ended at the territory located at the frontal zone of Galerias Santo Domingo and boarded the parking lot, so the anxious people for making use to their tickets, formed a geometrical form which from air, surly it would have look as something similar to a multiple colored box.

While the people awaited, in their faces you could have seen an attempt of desperation which was disappearing every time the row moved forward. The looks of the girls were directed to the press pases size that the journalists were carrying. Probably they were searching a motive to avoid the waiting, or for being more romantic, i may think that the badge carrier was the one who attracted people's attention.

Inside the field the environment was different. While everybody was waiting the beginning of the concert, some were dancing the music that the DJ carried by one of the sponsors was playing, others were heating engines drinking a yellowish bittersweet liquid, which is taken preferably cold, and the rest were just sitting on the floor. Of course, that was the general area. At the VIP area, the landscape was similar, but not the same. It was a little bit empty and remained like that all night long.

While the people were arriving to enjoy the event, other ones were working for earning a decent livelihood. That is the case of Celia, the lady that sells bears and sodas in all the concerts. For five years, this have been her work and according to her own words she doesn't wan to quit. On the other hand, one kid insisted with strength to his father to ask somebody if Calle 13 was going to play soon. The dad didn't know what to do, he just ignored that the responsible for the backlog were others.

Manifiesto Urbano, a Nicaraguan band responsible for opening the concert, came out to play around 9:00 PM. After three songs they said goodbye to the public, leaving empty many promises that they talked days before the concert. The people danced and shouted with emotion, this feeling was not only because the band was making a good presentation, it was also for the main event: Calle 13.

The Puerto Rican band started the show with the song "Siempre digo lo que pienso" (I alwas say what i think), then played "El baile de los pobres" (The poor ones dance). Later, Residente referred to the ones that have been criticized him since he arrived to the country and to those people he dedicated the song “Ven y críticame” (Come and criticize me), a controversial song, but in a kind of way teach how to act against malicious criticism.

Children are the present and the future of a nation, to see the smile of a child is so similar to feel the satisfaction in the soul when the dream of a kid comes true. Calle 13, fulfilled Rafael wishes, a Nicaraguan kid who always wanted to perform with this band. "Atrévete te te salte del closet..." (Dare yourself to come out..), sang Rafael along with Calle 13. Rafael had a failed attempt to preform at the UNICEF conferece.

"Is important to care about education, an educated population is not so easy to covence by the governments". A quote mentioned twice by Residente, the lead singer of Calle 13. Then he talked about the people, the trafficking and sang "Calma Pueblo" (People stay calm). After ten songs it seemed like the concert was over. The band withdrew from the scenario, however, the public shouted "encore, encore". As usual, many artists do that to wake up the public.

Calle 13 resurged and the public began to dance to the rhythm of "Latinoamérica". "I am what they left, i am the waste of everything they stole", the song continued, the people were shouting and singing. The VIP platforms seemed like an overflowed river, but the water of this river just flowed and went down where everyone else were.

The end has come and the urban poetry stayed in every lyrics of Calle 13's songs.The band flew, the headaches stayed in some assistants , the garbage is waiting for being transported to the right place, the structure awaits being dismantled and the brain process the speech about the governments.

Here you can see our Chronological photo gallery of the concert: Calle 13 concert in Managua 2012

Translated by Olga Ortiz Kurashvili