Like a divine reptile, Vanito in full color

A few years ago, during the broadcast of a famous television show, the renowned musician Lenny Kravitz surprised in a good way the guest co-star of the evening, Joe Namath, legendary quarterback of the New York Jets, which in the 60's made epoch in the American Football League. On that occasion, Lenny confessed that he was that neighbor boy of the neighborhood, who was waiting for Namath outside his residence, in order to throw together a few ovoidsto the astonishment of the former quarterback and the entire TV audience.

But we are not on the set of Letterman and it is more than likely that Ihosvany Caballero Brown has never been involved in the creation of a touchdown. In addition, between the author of Fly Away and a servant, only at the abdominal level, must mediate irreconcilable differences. 

Neither Vanito's entrance and exit of his house in Velázquez street, nor his accelerated pace down Melones or Rosa Enriquez, driving some Forever. bicycle, generated great expectation among the children in the area, much less in me, who with a crayon in my hand preferred to recurrently paint happy tocopans, winners of those Pan American Games.

Some rain has fallen and although neither of us are in the Luyanó office, we know that time and space are inexplicably fragile categories, especially when Vanito has a guitar nearby. 

The Sala Clamores, for its part, is no stranger to these "traps of time" and, although its renovated appearance does not show it, it is already in its forties. The venue, located in Madrid's Chamberí neighborhood, was one of the first jazz venues in the city, curiously enough, when the Madrid movida was marking another era in its history. beat. Later, funk, flamenco and flamenco also burst into its halls. soulwhile maintaining, of course, the good quality of the live sound. In case the walls have ears, those of this enclosure have heard from Joe Henderson, Pedro Iturralde, or Stanley Jordan, to Ariel Rot, or the mythical Antonio Vega. 

But I say no more, because in the batting crate is already the host of the night and the magic is present throughout the room when the chords of Reefwhile El Vano speaks of brokenness, wounds, pain, water and wind. It was his reunion with Madrid, the city that saw him grow as a musician and perhaps the one that has contributed most to the shaping of his legend, although he has been living in Miami for more than a decade and is in the habit of carrying Santiago and Havana in his backpack and also in his throat.

It was in the latter city, but in 1994, where he created together with Alejandro Gutiérrez the legendary band Lucha Almada and, a year later, they released the album selling it alla cult album, from which he offered us wanting you to feel goodVanito has rejuvenated and positioned this piece in his repertoire to the satisfaction of all kinds of ears, from the most veteran to the youngest who prefer to approach these creations.

But, although a date with Vanito always implies an approach with nostalgia, the man born in Palma Soriano does not live in the past, to the satisfaction and displeasure of many of his followers. It was then the turn of Face up and overbeda new song released by the Puntilla label in Miami, but which curiously he began writing in Madrid more than 20 years ago and which he presented as a premiere in his place of origin. 

As the author himself had commented in previous days, the release of this song is part of a series of singles that could integrate a new EP and that those present at Clamores had the privilege to validate. "C'est la vie, my love", Vanito reflexively sang to us, or we to him, because by that time, the room was beginning to be his and the poet was once again demonstrating his ability to dry old wounds and stories in the sun, without ceasing to throw a corridor on the dance floor, with an air of renewal.

They then fell Guajira girl and Give me another kissleading us to a Cuban point as well as to a Cuban point. funking with the sticky track which was included in the album 1234The album was eventually released under the label Habana Abierta, in 2011. 

Then the room was ready for Vanito, without the use of sedatives, to open the thorax and disassemble his Boomerang Heartassisted in the process by the majority of those present. The emotion was such that he could not hold back the tears at the end of the song; who knows how many evocations and memories invaded him while he assured, knowingly, that carrying a boomerang heart is not so easy. 

Then he took a breath, joked with the audience after seeing how little calculus expertise there was in the room, and presented us with that mathematical problem in the form of a song called They are the sameanother of the eternal ones that he treasures in the VIP area of his repertoire. I confess that in this version I missed the string playing of Nam San Fong, almost as important as the voice itself. At this point it should be clarified that Vanito appeared at Clamores with no other accompaniment than his acoustic guitar, the minor percussion by Noslen, who distributed the rhythm by way of the bongos or the cajón indistinctly and, of course, the stainless bomba, which he still carries.

However, the reinforcements -of luxury- did not take long to arrive with the incorporation of Lynn Milanés. The host assured that he had not shared space with this artist since the early 90's in Havana, although Lynn laughingly objected that they had already met again in Madrid, although Vanito was not able to remember that second meeting, for reasons beyond his control. In any case, they united voices and feeling in the melodic If you turn away from meafter which they surprisingly burst forth with that monument of the universal song that is Yolandasung and felt by each of the attendees, from the first verse to the last chord. It would be quite difficult and unnecessary to explain the magnetism and tenderness of this work by itself, but listening to it and living it together with Lynn Milanés, daughter of the creator and inspiring muse of this piece, touches in a very particular way.

Lynn retired to applause when the veteran and fellow road companion José Luis Medina was introduced, who warmed up the room with I don't want you to forgetsupported by Vanito on backing vocals. It is always vibrant and the union of any of the members of Habana Abierta is always appreciated. It is a pity that the music industry and other institutions are not aware of this and do not commemorate, for example, the 25th anniversary of the anthology album 24 horaswith a celebration worthy of the honoree.

Some of us also miss the presence, besides Medina, of other members of the troop, residents or passing through the Iberian Peninsula, but Habana Abierta was and is a formation that always coexisted with the protagonism or absence of many of its members, in charge of individual lives and projects.

It is enough to remember that Kelvis Ochoa was not in 13 y 8, that Vanito himself and Alejandro Gutiérrez, involved with Lucha Almada, did not line up in the call of Pavel Urquiza and Gema Corredera, for the formation of Habana Oculta. Nor did Luis Barbería and Andy Villalón appear in the credits of 24 hours, and Boris Larramendi we did not see him at El Sauce, in the last presentation of the band in Cuba, in 2019.

In fact, on very few occasions there was one hundred percent attendance and punctuality, and on many others, there were musicians who are not "officially" members of the band, but are members of the family: Alejandro Frómeta, Carlos Santos, José Luis Estrada, Raúl Ciro, Athanai Castro, Robertico Carcassés and, of course, Nam San Fong, are some of the names that could be included in this long list.

But life, as Vanito certified, is nothing more than a divine script And in Clamores that hymn was sung with the euphoria it carries, because we already know how Habana Abierta always brings its rock 'n' roll with timba.

Medina left the stage, but continued singing along with everyone, because at that point Vanito did not let his guard down and proposed, as an exercise of collective ecstasy Good things don't come cheap.

Afterwards, this globetrotter took a break to chat with the audience, while he claimed his oriental condition and rescued the work he dedicated to his hometown many years ago, Santiagofollowed by ChévereHe thanked all the participants for their presence, especially the cultural project Hummo Productions, largely responsible for his return to the Spanish capital, thus threatening to close the day.

But of course no one believed in his words and, amidst applause, some requests were made, among which stood out that refrain that calls for a Full color Havana, we sang to him from the audience.

Vanito then approached the microphone and shouted "Blessed be Havana, city of my feelings", seconded by Lynn and Medina and I returned to 2003, to the Salón Rosado de La Tropical, to sweat in the middle of January, hugging my brothers. And there were also, of course, Kelvis, Boris, Alejandro, along with Athanai, David Torrens, Nam San, Yusa, Gerardo Alfonso, Santiago Feliú, and in Madrid people were also hugging and chanting, proving that more than one of them left the tip of their memory very far from there.

So, now Vanito said goodbye to Spain until further notice, to resume his chameleonic journey through life. The DJ who replaced him did not want the same for us and began to liven up the dance floor with recorded music, but in my case at least, after a few minutes, nothing made more sense than to go out for a while to the sidewalk, in search of air and to settle memories and emotions somewhere safe.

Outside the venue, by chance, Vanito was receiving greetings, hugs and photos from friends, acquaintances and followers, who gathered on Alburquerque Street, at the entrance of Clamores. As I am not too fond of the selfiesI was just enjoying the scene a few meters away, although I must confess that five minutes later I also wanted to greet him and thank him for everything. Surely Vanito thought I was alluding to his recently finished show, but I was really referring to many moments and I was even speaking on behalf of other people as well.

Then, as he was leaving, I noticed that probably at that moment anyone could detect in my eyes a gleam very similar to Lenny's, when in those afternoons of yesteryear he used to meet his idol; although Vanito, as it became clear, never scored a touchdown.