Selected Miscellaneous Shows

An Englishman in Bogotá...

That masculine voice that almost touches the sky when it soars is real. On Thursday at the Corferias venue, after 10:20 p.m., it was fully confirmed. Sting's presence at the press conference where the video made by Simón Brand in Pasacaballos, Bolívar, a community benefiting from the Learning For Life program, was shown, thankfully did not reflect the charisma this artist exudes in his performances.

With a quartet lineup, just as The Police project was conceived, the British musician took to the stage with a bass guitar, with which he revisited the best tracks from his albums with drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers, as well as his most representative songs from his solo career.

The audience was energized by Beto Cuevas's electrifying performance, who promised not to stay on stage for more than 45 minutes. And he kept his word. The Chilean artist showcased some of his new compositions, but also revisited the hits of his band La Ley. Sting's mission was to keep the energy high, and to achieve this, he began his concert with 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You'. The audience, which had nearly sold out the venue's three sections based on ticket price, responded by rising from their seats and applauding enthusiastically.

From that moment on, the seats became the best allies for jackets, purses, and suitcases, as no one sat down again. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better known as Sting, then took to familiar territory, performing 'Message in a Bottle', 'An Englishman in New York', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', and 'Field of Gold' one after the other.

He then introduced his bandmates - a guitarist, a drummer, and a keyboardist - who throughout the night backed the star, born in Wallsend, England, with backing vocals, energy, and skill.

Sting is a fully mature artist; he doesn't rush around the stage, he just takes a few small steps to settle in and please the audience. He marks the beginnings of each song and takes care to showcase the talents of his bandmates without anyone overshadowing the others.

One of the most intense moments of the night occurred during the performance of 'Walking On The Moon', a song in which Sting repeatedly said, "Sing with me." The musical tide eased with two rather mellow songs: 'Shape Of My Heart' and 'Wrapped Around Your Finger', before the volume rose again with bursts of guitars and keyboards in the best funk style.

The artist attempted to say goodbye for the first time with 'Roxanne', but the audience's protest was immediate, as during this song Sting let the attendees sing the chorus repeatedly, and the energy was through the roof. He was absent for a few seconds, the stage went dark, boos filled the air, and the Englishman reappeared as if he knew his prayer hadn't reached its conclusion.

Two more songs, the auditorium was still packed, and Sting introduced one of his greatest classics: 'Every Breath You Take'. Cell phone cameras lit up like never before that night, and the singer delivered a somewhat extended rendition, much to everyone's delight.

He disappeared again for a few minutes and returned with his entire band to sing 'Next to You' and 'Fragile' in its acoustic version, and then he said goodbye for good. All that remains now is to dust off the records, knowing that that voice that seems to reach for the heavens is real.

(c) El Espectador

Sting, one night isn't enough. Spectacular concert last night in Bogotá...

The British musician demonstrated why he's considered one of the most influential of all time. He sang for a cause in Cartagena.

Only about 2,500 lucky fans had the opportunity and the honor last night to see an artist in action who has proven why he's considered one of the most intense, perfectionist, and dedicated musicians of our time: the British Sting.

Trying not to leave anything out - something impossible given his extensive catalog of songs - the artist took the audience on a journey through his greatest hits and most important albums, which thrilled them.

The stage set up at Corferias in Bogotá aimed to satisfy all attendees: a semicircle of chairs ensured that no one was more than 32 meters from the stage. Nearly 120 waiters moved among the chairs, serving hundreds of bottles of wine and, according to the organizers, 26,000 appetizers.

Amid the festivities, there was a sense that all the luxury was geared toward something more philanthropic: the proceeds from this concert will go to the support fund of Learning for Life, the program that sponsors development projects in the impoverished community of Pasacaballos, in Cartagena.

The concert opened with a performance by Chilean artist Beto Cuevas, who had generated buzz in the days prior with the release of his song "Gracias a la vida" (Thanks to Life) and who also joined the Learning for Life cause.

Hours earlier, during a brief press conference, Sting spoke with Colombian media about his satisfaction at being involved in the social support mission in Pasacaballos, Cartagena.

Stripped of the formality the organizers had previously imposed on this encounter, the artist entered the room walking among the people and posed for the cameras.

"The more you learn, the more you realize how much you have to learn (...) There's no surprise in finding poverty, it's there," the artist stated regarding his interest in approaching and confronting these problems throughout the world.

During the dialogue with the press, Sting referred to his previous trips to Argentina and Brazil.

Regarding his musical career and the lack of commercial success of his last two albums, Sting indicated that he doesn't know what he will do in the future: "I just know that the idea is to surprise people, always."

However, he did add that regarding the social causes he champions, "I will do this until I die."

"The goal," he affirmed, "must be to have an educated population."

During a press conference held at Casa Medina in northern Bogotá, the concert organizers, along with Sting and Cuevas, presented a symbolic check for $150,000, which will be donated to the Antonio Restrepo Barco Foundation's mission in the Pasacaballos sector of Cartagena.

"We raised this amount to allocate to projects and education," explained Pedro Nogueira, international president of Diageo, which manages the Learning For Life program.

"I believe that when we say things through our music, we don't do it to win votes," stated Cuevas, regarding the role an artist can play for a cause like Learning For Life.

Director Simón Brand presented a short documentary about life in Pasacaballos, featuring testimonies, some quite raw, about the resilience of those who live in this humble community.

"It's something people need to see; it's a reflection of the beauty of Pasacaballos," said the filmmaker, accompanied by his wife, television presenter Claudia Bahamón, who are also involved with Learning For Life.

(c) El Tiempo