From ‘Soldier of Love’ to opera: the night Mijares did it all
It was ten minutes to nine. The stage of the National Auditorium, with its stairs and a round platform, was illuminated. An orchestra of 45 musicians and 10 choristers began to tune. The overture, a medley of their hits, already announced that this would not be an ordinary concert.
Then, the voice. And a few seconds later, the man. Manuel Mijares emerged from center stage in an elevator, wearing an elegant black tuxedo. It started with ‘If I fell in love’ and more than 10 thousand people knew they were in for something special.
“Thank you, you are very kind. We are about to celebrate 10 years since we did this symphony in Fine Arts… today it filled the National Auditorium,” said the artist, thanking the support in his almost four decades of career.
A repertoire that was anything but predictable. He did not limit himself to reviewing his pop hits. He gave space to an intimate and a cappella moment with ‘Blue Cloud’, demonstrating the impeccable state of his voice. Then came the nostalgic trip: a medley with ‘Poco a poco’, ‘Tan solo’ and ‘Let nothing separate us’ that had the audience singing at the top of their lungs.
The ‘WTF’ moment (in a good way)
The real surprise came when Mijares decided that a symphony concert could have everything. Even opera. He brought the tenor Javier Camarena on stage to perform together ‘It’s not necessary’, ‘Il mondo’ (in Italian) and an overwhelming ‘For you I will fly’ that deserved a standing ovation.
But it didn’t stop there. The artist launched himself with the aria ‘Nessun dorma’, making it clear that his versatility is real and not a cardboard pose.
The emotion rose in tone with the tributes. He remembered Emmanuel with ‘At the end’ and honored the memory of the Prince of Song, José José, with songs like ‘Let’s give ourselves time’ and ‘Preso’. The most personal moment came with ‘I miss you’, dedicated to his father, whose image appeared on the screen.
The final touch was put on by the family. When performing ‘Amor’, his daughter Lucero Mijares went up on stage to hug him, drawing smiles and a few tears among the audience.
After almost three hours, Mijares closed as he began: with vocal power and heart. With ‘To love each other more’ and ‘The privilege of loving’, he left a clear lesson. Sometimes, to look forward in your career, you just need to orchestrate the memories well.
