“I’m back, Mexico! I’m back!” shouted an insistent Bruno Mars, twice, to reiterate that what happened last night at the start of concerts at the new GNP Stadium was not a dream, but the beginning of a musical adventure.
“Say party!” he asked in English and the audience replied “party.”
When it was still the Foro Sol, these displays of affection were reciprocated with lights from the audience, it was an atmosphere focused on the artist and his fans who responded with dancing, shouting or cell phones.
But that changed on August 8 when the artist and his 65,000 spectators enjoyed an extra boost that included the comfort of the new seating, LED lights, smoke machines and high-definition screens that offered a visual spectacle that had not been seen before at the venue.
The darkness that permeated the stadium gave way due to the intense lighting that gave spaciousness to the stands and allowed the public to take photos and move between the rows without having to turn on their cell phones.
Photos: Luis Camacho and Jorge Emilio Sanchez | El Universal
Once Bruno came out on stage (at 9:36 p.m.), behind a thick red curtain, he was not only the protagonist, but also a spectator of the production. That glow made Bruno’s glow even more intense: with fireworks, but above all, with the movement of his hips that captivated the audience from beginning to end.
“24K magic” was the first song performed by the American, with an equally impressive production of his own. But nothing surpassed Bruno’s intensity on stage, who just smiling, with his characteristic afro hair and a bandana, was enough to get the audience in tune.
His words ended up causing his audience to explode, accompanied by fireworks behind the stage and the movement of Mars’ hips, knees and ankles; all of which was met with a scream from the audience.
Photos: Luis Camacho and Jorge Emilio Sanchez | El Universal
“It’s great to be back with you, clap your hands up!” he shouted again before singing “Finesse” and then getting everyone to sing along to “Treasure.”
Bruno’s fans were treated to a full orchestra, with trumpets, trombones and drums coordinating with the artist’s voice, who suddenly became aggressive, took up the electric guitar and, with his hairstyle and headband emulating Jimi Hendrix, showed off solos and riffs before returning to his pop identity and continuing to sing with “Liquor store blues.”
In this song, and with a predominant rhythmic bass, he placed reggae rhythms that made Mars himself dance, who jumped with hints of knowing Bob Marley’s way of dancing.
Photos: Luis Camacho and Jorge Emilio Sanchez | El Universal
Read also: Bruno Mars at the GNP Stadium: setlist, what to expect and everything you need to know about his concerts
Not everything was light. Darkness also made itself present as the night went on, with a more intimate atmosphere tempered by the enthusiasm of the audience who chanted: “Bruno, Bruno, Bruno”, eliciting a response from the singer with a smile, who asked his musicians to stop and look at them from one side to the other.
From funk to classic pop to reggae, with synthesizers that altered the guitars and percussion, Bruno showed off his expertise not only with his voice, but also in choreography with “Calling all my lovelies.”
The night promised more with songs like “Marry you”, “Grenede”, “Talking to the moon” and the most anticipated, “Just the way you are” and “Uptown funk”.
Photos: Luis Camacho and Jorge Emilio Sanchez | El Universal
Salsa rhythms, and even dancing cumbia, the second half of Bruno Mars’ concert was framed by the fun moments that the American offered to his Mexican audience.
First he changed the lyrics of his song “Calling All My Love’s” to tell his audience “Wake up girls!” and began singing in Spanish in a tone that the audience began to have fun with in the renovated venue. “I miss you so much Mamasita, I love you so much, beautiful,” said Bruno, who also had fun looking at his bandmates and laughing with them at the reaction of the Mexicans.
“Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me!” was the second shout in Spanish that the singer sent to his followers, who were mainly made up of women and girls, who made themselves heard every time the singer moved his body sensually or said something in Spanish.
Then came the “cielito lindo” during one of the breaks that Bruno Mars took to change clothes, and the 65 thousand people in the stadium accompanied the musicians singing the famous lyrics by composer Quirino Cortés.
Finally, when after performing “When I Was Your Name” it seemed that the concert was over, Bruno returned from the shadows of the stage and appeared playing the bongos dancing to a Latin rhythm.
“I love you so much, Mexico!” and that was the signal he gave to announce that he would play one last song. But there were two, and the first of them did not belong to his repertoire of songs, but to that of popular Mexican folklore.
“La Chona” was the song performed in Spanish by Mars that made the entire audience jump to test the renovated structure of the GNP Stadium.
After that, he got serious again, and with fireworks, dancing, and shouting like a ranchera singer, Mars said goodbye to his first concert in Mexico City with “Uptown Funk.”
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