Good Taste and Complicity: Liuba María Hevia in Madrid

The rapport with her guests and the audience was an initial success, followed by the good taste demonstrated in her approach to the music: Liuba María Hevia has triumphed once again in Madrid.

Music lovers recently reveled in the enjoyment of the show Alma Creativa, a new venture by the Spanish-Cuban singer-songwriter who broadened her scope to more encompassing musical territories. The performance paid homage to Cuba, in honor of its National Culture Day, but above all, to Ibero-America, with an ambitious nod to the immense legacy of Chabuca Granda, reprising the frequently sung "Flor de la Canela."

She did not approach this Peruvian classic alone, but with the collaboration of singer-songwriter Julie Ferraudt, president of the Association of Peruvian Musicians. They were joined by the voice of Spanish artist Natalia Vega and Cuban cellist Alicia Fernández for an exquisite and joyful interpretation of "Fina estampa," the song Chabuca Granda dedicated to her father in 1956.

"El abuelo," Liuba María's well-known song, marked another vibrant moment in the recital. The tribute to her Asturian grandfather served as a platform to champion immigrants and call for world peace. The setlist also included pieces like "Alma creadora," "Agua," "Es la magia que enamora," and "Tatuaje en mi voz" (…), setting to music the poetry of Rafael Alberti to also honor composer, performer, and music producer Rosa León.

The event, which sold out the La Elipa Cultural Center near downtown Madrid, was dedicated to creative women and the quality art they produce, aiming to promote the work of women in the singer-songwriter genre. Previous editions of Alma Creadora have paid tribute to Violeta Parra, Marta Valdés, Teresita Fernández, María Elena Walsh, Lucía Huergo, Miriam Ramos, Eladia Blázquez, and Sara González, among others.

Hevia's signature style was once again evident in her ability to move with ease through genres as varied as the contemporary song, troubadour music, the habanera, the guajira, the son, the bolero, the ballad, and the tenderness of her children's songs. As is customary for her, connecting with the audience came naturally; she is a genuine 16-time winner of the Cubadisco Award, a recipient of the Extraordinary Prize for Artistic Mastery for her career, a holder of the Order for National Culture, and a UNICEF Ambassador for her work on behalf of children.

It was a "see you later" in Madrid, with plans to repeat Alma Creadora for a second part, expected to be equally successful, on December 8 in Havana at the Casa Vitier-García Marruz.