Braulio to Celebrate 80 Years with Concert in Agüimes
Braulio, the renowned Gran Canarian singer, will host a concert on Friday, 26th September, in his native island, accompanied by popular Canarian musicians who wish to pay tribute to his figure and artistic legacy. This event is part of the celebrations for his recent 80th birthday, marking a remarkable career spanning over 50 years on stages across the globe. The concert, titled “8 Décadas,” will take place at the Auditorio de Agüimes and promises to be a unique spectacle showcasing his professional journey and the hits that have made him one of the most beloved Canarian artists.
Star-Studded Line-Up
Braulio will be joined on stage by renowned artists including Germán López, Los Gofiones, Cristina Ramos, Los Sabandeños, and Benito Cabrera. Each will perform various songs alongside him, as Braulio revealed during a press conference on Wednesday.
The concert’s repertoire will feature some of his most iconic tracks, which have become part of the collective memory of the islands, including “Canto a Canarias” and “Sobran las palabras.”
Furthermore, the Agüimes Town Hall has announced that due to the immense anticipation surrounding the concert— which sold out within just four days— a space with large screens will be set up in the adjoining square to accommodate around 1,500 additional attendees. This arrangement will allow more fans to enjoy the performance.
Recognition from the Government of the Canary Islands
In related news, the Vice Ministry of Culture of the Canary Government plans to award Braulio one of the highest honours of the Autonomous Community in recognition of his contribution to shaping the contemporary identity of the archipelago. This announcement was made on Thursday by Horacio Umpiérrez, the head of the department.
He stated that “it is impossible to understand present-day Canary Islands without acknowledging the music from its most challenging years, during which it was difficult to discuss issues of claims or unique characteristics of the islands compared to the rest of Spain.”
Braulio, who recently performed in Fuerteventura at the start of a tour that returns him to theatres and venues in the archipelago after many years away, expressed feeling “overwhelmed by the compliments” received from his fellow islanders. He affirmed he is returning to perform “with the same excitement” he had decades ago before settling in America.
He shared, “I will return to Agüimes on the 26th with the same nervousness I felt when facing local audiences as a much younger performer.”
While he clarified that he still has the same enthusiasm for the stage that he has always had, he expressed his intention to maintain that passion for life, stating vividly, “I want to keep singing, like Aznavour, until I’m 92.”
Despite his excitement, Braulio stressed that the warmth and generosity he has encountered on this current tour feel like a form of compensation for the neglect he believes he suffered at home during certain stages of his career. “I feel honoured, and also vindicated, for the years I was condemned to obscurity in the Canary Islands,” he declared.
Umpiérrez observed that there was even criticism suggesting Braulio had abandoned his homeland, which he insisted is not true, as the singer “has always been coming and going.” The vice-minister opined that Braulio has been “an unjustly unrecognised singer-songwriter in this country, and inadequately celebrated in his native community.”
He reiterated the commitment to rectify the situation by promoting the granting of one of the highest regional distinctions to Braulio. “The Vice Ministry is going to propose this to the Governing Council, as we believe that at the very least, Braulio should receive the Canary Islands Award or Medal,” he affirmed.
