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When referring to the great singer-songwriter Diego Torres, what comes to mind are the powerful and contagious messages of hope and faith that he shares with us in all of his original compositions. This artist is very special to the Latin American community because his work reflects a passion for music and life that he gifts us in every lyric and note.
As we near the close of a year that has been extremely difficult for so many people, Diego returns to surprise us with a masterful live Christmas concert and his album ‘Symphonic’ which chronicles much of his history as an artist, now available in all digital platforms. Without a doubt, this is a great concert that took a lot of effort in organization, work, planning and an absolute love for art and family celebrations. The result is a great symphony orchestra and the magical voices of an immense choir that will cheer up our beloved holiday parties just when we need it most.
Christmas music has always connected us with our childhood, to memories of family, grandparents, parents, uncles, friends and especially this year, because of the Pandemic, many of us will not be able to gather with our loved ones as we usually do. What Diego does with his music, with a hand from HBO Max and HBO Latino, is give us a marvelous production that touches our deepest emotions. He has gathered the great Christmas classics to remind us of our most cherished memories of holiday joy and family. Songs like ‘Silent Night’, ’Christmas Christmas’, ’Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, ’The First Christmas’, ’This Christmas my wish is you’ and the beloved classic, Felíz Navidad.
Those of us who are fans of Diego‘s career and his art will especially enjoy his most celebrated hits including the now iconic song ’Color Esperanza’, which was originally released almost 19 years ago. I recall back in 2001, in Venezuela this song became a hymn of joy for all Venezuelans who were hoping for long-awaited change and Diego accompanied us all, infecting us with his positive message. This song in particular characterizes what has always stood out in each of his compositions: the message of hope.
For Diego all this sums up an immense joy, for us too. “The songs are timeless, they don‘t have an expiration date, they have a life of their own, I have always wanted to be part of a Christmas concert, this one is very special since I was able to do some versions of songs with more swing or jazz arrangements in Spanish, and then I selected songs from my repertoire that I felt were ideal for this concert, such as the tango ’Volver’, ’Penelope’ and ’Como la Cigarra’ that I wanted to include in the concert ”, commented Diego.
Another of his emblematic songs is ‘Trying to be better’, without a doubt a very special song for Diego, written with his family, life’s good and bad things, and his mother in mind. There is an original version of the song from when it was first released, and later came the a marvelous MTV “unplugged” recording in 2004. The Symphonic concert will be the most recent rendition. Once again, the singer infects us again with his positive and hopeful message needed by everyone at this time.
In speaking about the concert, the Argentine singer explained why the timing is so meaningful for Latino families. Diego‘s said, “there is no time of year that unites Latinos more than Christmas because it signifies gathering together as a family to share and enjoy, it is why this time of year we think of all our loved ones, especially when we are far away, even though we are might be far apart we are together ”. There is no better example of this than when we listen to these songs, the emotion and nostalgia they evoke often drive is to tears of pure feeling. “Being able to create something positive for people is something that comes from above, that together with the music makes for a perfect combination, much more joyful,” says the singer.
Diego shared details of the album release on his social media handles including details of the songs performed in the concert. The show was recorded last year in Bogotá at the Movistar Arena together with the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Colombia and the Misi Choir and directed by Julio Reyes alongside several guest performers.
The staging is simply sensational with Diego as the focal point of a majestic stage. He appears dressed in an elegant Christmas red tuxedo jacket with black lapels and an impeccable white shirt that highlight the gentlemanly gifts that distinguish him.
Surrounded by both the impressive Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir, in which all the singers also wear red, the stage elements and their interaction give us an indescribable energy and emotion, and as the concert progresses that emotion goes ‘into crescendo’. It is simply one of the best gifts that we can enjoy this Christmas.
Through his music Diego Torres has always tried to open a window for a little light to enter our lives, a tireless fighter and champion who continues to conquer us with his compositions. The anthemic Color Esperanza established its great popularity throughout the world and continues to captivate us with its seal of optimism needed now more than ever.
This December 18 is the grand premiere of the long-awaited concert ‘Diego Torres Sinfónico’ by @hbomax @hbolatino. I am sure it will be a success as our expectations are enormous and we cannot wait to see Diego sing while accompanied by the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Colombia and the Misi Choir.
Bravo Diego! A thousand times bravo!