On August 8, the Mallorcan singer-songwriter Maria del Mar Bonet gave the first of three intimate concerts that the historic Torre de Canyamel will host this summer as part of the Arrels series.
Accompanied by musicians Toni Pastor, Marc Grassas, and Marco Lohikari, she performed for an audience of about one hundred people, offering them a magical night inside the emblematic medieval tower. It was not the first time Maria del Mar Bonet had taken the stage at Torre de Canyamel—she had performed there 17 years ago, as she recalled in her introduction, as well as in a charity concert in support of the Friends of Tilloli Association, which works to provide education to the most disadvantaged populations in this region of India, especially women.
The recital, described by Bonet as “intimate, face-to-face,” took the audience on a journey through various moments and milestones of her career. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her legendary concert at the Olympia Theater in Paris on April 27, 1975, where she shared the stage with other renowned singer-songwriters such as Ovidi Montllor and Toti Soler. From that album came the song Nina, ninona, which Bonet performed last Friday. She also paid warm tribute to the poetic works of Father Rafel Ginard, a major collector of Mallorcan popular poetry; to poet Blai Bonet, with his Poems of Holy Week; and to poet and cultural activist Josep Maria Llompart, with his poem Camí florit.
Specializing in traditional music from Mallorca and the wider Mediterranean, as well as in setting poetry to music, the singer delivered her songs to an enthusiastic audience, who rewarded her with heartfelt applause for an outstanding performance.
The intimate music series Arrels, organized by the Torre de Canyamel Group in support of the Friends of Tilloli Association, is backed by the Consell de Mallorca through the Vice Presidency of Culture and Heritage and by the Mallorca Tourism Foundation.
