Luar na Lubre
15 February 2024 (Barcelona)
Venue: Paral·lel 62
Writer: Josep Garganté
Photography: Jordi Amela (@amela_photo_concert)
In collaboration with: Genesimphonic – Ràdio Gelida
The magnificent and prestigious Galician folk group Luar na Lubre presented their new work this Thursday at Paral·lel 62, as part of the BARNASANTS song festival: the book-and-album release titled “XX – Encrucillada”. This is Luar Na Lubre’s twentieth album, a package made up of an illustrated book charting almost forty years in Galician popular music, together with a sixteen-track CD. It stands as a thank-you to all the musicians, singers and collaborators who have been part of the band’s musical journey.
A band that’s been going since 1986, playing shows across Spain and in more than 40 countries worldwide. With the venue nearly full, the band started right on time, just three minutes past the scheduled 8pm start. “Fuente de Araño”, Emilio Cao’s 1977 song, opened the set. “Xove en Santiago” followed, and then came the turn of “Mártiros E O Vákner”, dedicated to the pilgrims who, centuries ago, followed the stars along the Camino de Santiago, and in particular to a pilgrim named Mártiros of Armenia, said to have crossed paths on his journey with a beast called “Vakner”.
Next came “Roi Xordo” from 1997, off their fourth album “Plenilunio”, also featured on this new “Encrucillada” release. Then came “Canto de Andar”, likewise included on the new album. They followed with “Hai un Paraiso”, dedicated to Sant Andreu de Teixido, then played “Romeiro au Longe”, and after that the lovely song dedicated to the beautiful fishing village of Camariñas on the Costa da Morte in A Coruña, “Camariñas”, during which our friend Bieito Romero asked the crowd to join in, waving their arms to the song’s rhythm — a moving moment in the show.
Then came the performance of the famous “O Son Do Ar”, the wonderful piece Mike Oldfield turned into “The Song Of The Sun” on his 1996 album “Voyager”, which helped catapult the band to even wider international recognition. They followed with “Os Animais”, a version based on an early-19th-century Irish folk melody. The tune made its way to the US during the Civil War and was used by both sides — not as a pacifist song, but as a war anthem. Next came “Na Romería” from their 2020 album “Vieiras y Vieiros, Historias de Peregrinos”. Then it was the turn of “Canteixeire”, followed by three more pieces — the famous “The Sailor’s Hornpipe”, “Pasacorredoiras de Poio” and “Pasacorredoiras de Vilalba” — with which the band brought the set to a close. The crowd stood and applauded for several minutes, calling for more, and Luar Na Lubre soon reappeared on stage.
Time for the encores: “Danza De Felos”, “Nao”, “Centeas”, closing with “Tu Gitana”, the wonderful song written by the great Portuguese songwriter Zeca Afonso, during which Bieito Romero once again asked the crowd to join in, this time waving their phone torches to the beat — a magical, spectacular moment on which this magnificent concert came to an end.
Luar Na Lubre line-up:
Bieito Romero — bagpipes, accordion, hurdy-gurdy
Bieito Romero Diéguez — bagpipes
Irma Macias — vocals
Nuria Naya — violin
Xan Cerqueiro — flutes, keyboard
Brais Maceiras — accordion
Xavier Ferreiro — percussion
Patxi Bermudez — bodhrán, drum
Pedro Valero — guitar
