By Isabel Reviejo |
The Mexican Juan Gabriel continues, a year after his death, very present among followers and friends, among them his great friend: the singer Aida Cuevas, who affirms that the iconic artist “gave life for his music”.
Cuevas met Alberto Aguilera-Juan Gabriel’s real name-when she was 19; That relationship only broke on August 28, 2016, when the artist suffered a heart attack in Santa Monica (California, USA) that ended his life.
“He traveled a lot, I also had my commitments, but we never stopped writing, that’s the strangest thing about him”, comments to Efe the Mexican music interpreter, who is on the verge of publishing “Totally Juan Gabriel. “, With part of the songs that the native artist of Parácuaro bequeathed to him.
When they took the ashes of his friend to the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, Cuevas sang as rivers of people crossed the lobby of the building to give the last goodbye to his idol.
There he realized the “communion” he achieved with the audience, which he always dedicated himself to: “At no point did he go out to sing drunk or drugged or anything.”
“He always respected the stage, the audience, he was dressed impeccably, with the best attitude, with the desire to give love through his songs,” he recalls.
Juan Gabriel “gave his life for music”, synthesizes the interpreter, who regrets that in this last year he has been “so cruelly judged” in some media for aspects related to his private life.
The Ciudad Juárez border, in Chihuahua, where the author of “Eternal Love” grew, welcomes today and Monday tributes to the artist including the parade “Arriba Juárez”, with allegorical floats, dances and juggling.
The Plaza Garibaldi of Mexico City, which houses a monument of Juan Gabriel, will also be on Monday the scene of a tribute to the artist.
In this place, known for being the epicenter of the mariachi in the capital, artists such as Onixys Miranda, Letizia San Román and Ruth Mirelles will interpret the best known themes of Juan Gabriel in pop, ranchero and opera styles.
On the web and social networks, fans of the singer and songwriter continue to feed the news about events and tributes, to which are added those related to his posthumous recognitions (after his death, Aguilera won two Latin Grammys and two Billboard awards).
Alejandra Ordóñez, a spokesman for Juan Gabriel’s official fan club, told Efe that he has already overcome the stage of denial that came after the death of the idol, but still feels his absence.
He acknowledges that he feels unable to fully see a singer’s concert so far because it is painful.
Ordonez relates that the last time he saw it was in the state of Sonora, in July 2016, when he organized a meeting for his fans.
“In these meetings he asked that fans offer him something, a performance that could sing or dance, say a poem, whatever we wanted. He wanted to be our audience,” he says.
Now, he says he has it daily, because he identifies with the feelings he conveyed: “The whole Mexican feeling, sadness, pain, suffering, joy, knew how to sing very well in his songs.”
“I do not think there is another like him,” Ordonez concludes.
