57th & 9th: World Tour

Gredos vibrates with Sting...

More than 13,000 people attended this edition of 'Musicians in Nature', with performances by Sting, Amaral, and Nikki Hill...

The Sierra de Gredos was packed once again, where more than 13,000 people enjoyed the 'Musicians in Nature' concert, led by Sting, but with the sounds of Amaral and Nikki Hill, which were in perfect harmony and even surprised those in attendance. Once again, the Sierra de Gredos has successfully combined music and the environment.

What's more, attendees had the opportunity to witness the birth of a star, the consecration of Nikki Hill on a magnificent stage like Hoyos del Espino. The Louisiana singer had the honour of opening the festival with nearly an hour and a half of an incendiary and highly participatory show. Still rooted in the underground black music scene, last night Nikki revealed herself to an audience that surrendered to her performance. No wonder: her stage presence and the image of her band are overwhelming, matching her broad spectrum of black music. On stage were five musicians as much a fan of vintage as they were of soul, boogie, rock and roll, and R&B. With a raspy and powerful voice, Nikki Hill dominated the first part of the festival with an applauded "I Wonder," a celebrated "Heavy Hearts Hard Fists," and an incendiary finale with "I'm Right On the Brink" and "Oh My!" A real discovery for thousands of viewers and a confirmation for hundreds of attentive followers. 

And twelve years after headlining the first edition of the "forest festival," Sting returned to the Gredos stage last night with the punctuality of a British artist. It was 9:57 p.m. when the star returned to the Ávila mountains, showcasing his purest and most essential talent. The blame lay with his latest album, "57th & 9th," in which the shadow of the Police is evident and in which Sting and his musicians revel in tempos and guitars typical of the New Wave years.

Many more songs were played, some to the delight of the nostalgic and others to the purists. By then, Gredos was already a hive of activity, with people rubbing their eyes while constantly jumping to the classic, "Englishman in New York."

With the audience already warmed up, it was Amaral's turn. With Gredos happy in his marriage with the music...

(c) El Norte de Castilla by R. Terne