Nacho Vegas revolutionizes Vic with a concert off-script

VicThe narcotic majesty of Noches árticas closed Nacho Vegas's concert at the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic on Friday. It is the song that contains the title of the Asturian musician's second album, Cajas de música difíciles de parar (2003). And it played at the Teatre l'Atlàntida in a very special format: as a trio of piano, two guitars, and vocals, with the imposing contribution of the Sant Medir Choir, about fifty voices at the service of a dozen songs, a conjunction of art, emotion, love, and politics. As Vegas said, the insistence of the Mercat's management convinced him to prepare a performance outside the script of the tour for the album the album Vidas semipreciosas (2026), which passed through the Sala Apolo in Barcelona. And also outside the script of the Mercat itself, which prioritizes the previews of proposals so that musical programmers know what to expect before hiring them. Or perhaps not so outside the script. The inaugural show on Wednesday wondered about what live music is. And these days there have been all kinds of comments that have enriched the debate that that Non concerto opened. But one element was missing. "Without you, there would be no concerts or music," said Vegas, addressing the audience that filled the theater.

Without an audience there is no live music, of course, and the one in Vic applauded a memorable performance. With guitarist Hans Laguna, keyboardist Ferran Resines, and the choir, the Asturian singer-songwriter unfolded an anthological selection that could be read as an almost perfect self-portrait. Thematically, because there was the most intense melodrama of Cuando te canses de mí, the need for historical memory culminated with a Puxa la revolución! from Aida (dedicated to the Asturian revolutionary Aida de la Fuente, who died in the 1934 revolution), the explicit politics of El runrún –from Resituación (2014), Vegas' most choral album–, the protest against evictions of Canción para la PAH, the love in flames of Perplejidad, the commitment to tradition and the Asturian language of El Carmín de la Pola, the irony of Tengo algo que decirle to denounce the violence of power... And, of course, the artistic and political vindication of collective singing.

The selection of songs, played in generous versions, was also faithful to the musical portrait. Although without the electric storms of the rock format, it did achieve volcanic tension. For example, when Hans Laguna's guitar, Vegas' tambourine, and the choir joined forces to emphasize the drama at the end of Aida. Or when the guitars and the choir led the western of Tengo algo que decirle towards catharsis, rewarded with a decompression ovation.

Throughout almost an hour, he maintained the commitment to the format, favored by the magnificent interpretation of the choir, dramatic and grave when it was called for, more playful when necessary, as in Perplejidad. The final impact of the choral Noches árticas proves the Mercat right: it is also important to convince artists to bring concerts off-script to Vic like this choral revolution by Nacho Vegas.

Mar Pujol and Lluki Valverde

Previewing repertoires shortly before the release of an album and promoting artistic alliances are two characteristics of the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. As examples of the former, the concerts by Mar Pujol and Lluki Valverde (the saxophonist from La Ludwig Band) on Thursday. And as examples of collaborations, that of Amaro Freitas with Momi Maiga, that of Magalí Datzira with Xabier Badiola, and that of Duot with Barbara Togander.

Mar Pujol filled L'Atlàntida at the presentation of D'aquesta aigua no en beuré, the album that the label Hidden Track will release on October 16th. Given what she performed live, the album promises to be one of the highlights of the year and an extraordinary successor to the notable Cançons de rebost (2024). The singer and guitarist from Prats de Lluçanès shared the stage and art with cellist Bruna González, impressive as always in managing the expressiveness of the instrument, both bowing the strings and plucking them, and providing a second voice that helped to communicate the depth of songs that live within folk with the same mystery and sensitivity that Irene Solà pours into her novels.

The silence of the audience, admirable, accompanied songs like Mitja vida and De saber no es sé. It was a sign of respect but also proof of the moving power of this eminently acoustic format. And the thunder of the subsequent applause confirmed its good reception. One of the new pieces, Quilòmetres llum, was preceded by a call from Mar Pujol to live time in a way that is "more intuitive, less productive, less capitalist, more wild". She herself was defining her music. An ally of the performance was the lighting design, which seemed to reproduce the passage of a day. The foggy twilight at the beginning gave way to the light of a winter sun that slowly disappeared into the dusk. And at the end, the twilight once again, only countered by a spotlight that illuminated Pujol while she played Jo soc. One of the collaborators on the new album, singer-songwriter Carmen Acíar, participated in the concert, especially in a final part where they also performed old pieces like Per cada u and Cabell d’àngel.

At the tent located outside the Atlàntida and in a more relaxed atmosphere, also because it was midnight, Lluki Valverde presented his personal project to society, parallel to his activity as a saxophonist for La Ludwig Band. A bandmate, guitarist Gabriel Bosch, accompanies him on this adventure of rebellious spirit, with rumba, pop, rock, and happily torn queer cabaret. By the way, among the audience there were also other members of La Ludwig Band.

Valverde, with angel wings and a nocturnal gaze, combined songs from the album that Primavera Labels will release on October 2nd, such as the Laietana ballad No vull tornar sol a casa, with others from before like El cuartel dels polissons, that jewel that walks like Sisa and ends by highlighting the verse "a judge, a prosecutor, and a guard". There will be those who will indeed find Sisa, Pau Riba, and Gato Pérez in Lluki Valverde's proposal. Others might relate the theatrical charisma and the mischievous whisper to that of the early Albert Pla. And everyone will be right, even those who think of Marc Almond walking through a Raval alley in the 80s. The profile is completed with an attitude that is both playful and combative: he can celebrate that he has come to this world to spread love and immediately afterwards spread rage against the police who executed the eviction of two women who, before being thrown out of their home, preferred to jump from the balcony. That is what he sings in El 248 del carrer Navas.

There is a lot of power in Lluki Valverde's proposal, which in Vic went from less to more. He started a bit out of place, as if the stage persona wasn't comfortable, but as soon as he found a more visceral tone, he gained confidence and the five musicians accompanying him also gave the impression that they were enjoying themselves more than at the beginning.

The atmosphere that Lluki Valverde generates live is closely connected to the Adoberies Fest, the off-Mercat that programs about ten concerts every night on two stages, by groups and artists such as Andris el Sardo (a project by Andreu Galofré, the bassist of La Ludwig Band), Grup de Ties, Les Creuet, Jordi Matas, and Roko Banana. The Occitan artist Rodín (formerly of the group Lo Còr de la Plana) also performed there, offering an exciting rap-punk show while taking advantage of the Adoberies street space.

Piano and kora

Regarding artistic alliances, at the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic there have been many of different formats and styles. In co-production with La Marfà in Girona, where they will hold an artistic residency, the Brazilian Amaro Freitas and the Senegalese musician based in Catalonia Momi Maiga linked piano and kora with enviable harmony and a pleasant margin for improvisation. Freitas' free jazz and the magic of Maiga's strings (who recently collaborated with Youssou N'Dour) converged at the Atlàntida in music that was dazzling and committed to its own realities: that of the threatened Amazon and that of an African continent which, as the kora player said, it is high time it made its own decisions.

A jazz without god, master, or sheet music is the context embraced by drummer Ramon Prats and saxophonist Albert Cirera, who are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Duot project. One of the ways they have found to celebrate the anniversary is by collaborating with Barbara Togander, turntablist and equally free vocalist. At the Jazz Cava, they chained together improvisations that would just as soon kidnap the audience in rhythmic storms as shake them with unexpected turns and silences.