Residente viene como visitante a Denver

Reggaetonero visits Summit Music Hall

On Sept. 13, a much-needed Caribbean flair came to Denver thanks to the Residente concert at Summit Musical Hall. This is the current solo tour of the lead vocalist of Calle 13.

Residente is an artist from Puerto Rico and a part of the reggaetón group Calle 13 that holds the current record for most Latin Grammy wins and a total of three Grammys. René Peréz Joglar is an artist who has gained praise for his lyricism and garnered controversy because of the lyrical messages. For those in the Latinx community who were born in the late 80s and 90s, Joglar was an artist that helped define part of their upbringing.

The Summit Music Hall is a smaller venue in downtown Denver that allows for a closer connection between those performing and the audience. During the concert, all the open space past the bar was packed with fans of varying backgrounds that were eager to dance, sing, and party. The doors opened at 7:30 p.m. and opened to a local DJ who played a pretty generic set for close to two hours.

**Residente graces the stage at summit music Hall.** Photo credit: Genessa Gutzait · The Sentry

When Residente came on stage, it was to a prepped band ready to go, and he was met with a thunderous boom of applause and energized screaming. Wasting no time, the performers dove right into a song, and it wasn’t until after that, that Residente addressed the audience and had a bit of dialogue. That set the pace for the night. Everyone was having a good time, and every couple of songs, the audience would be given some insight to how or why the songs were written and then go right back in with the next song.

The performance was lively the whole night, and the fact that the band was having fun, playing with an intoxicating energy, helped keep the audience pumped throughout. For longtime fans, the inclusion of old favorites kept people intrigued. One such song, “Atrévete-te-te,” had everyone singing along. There was a nice blend of songs throughout their set, making it a good concert for both new and returning fans.

From start to finish, Residente played comfortably in his element; for the audience, the performance was as natural as breathing. The audience witnessed how much his musical craft meant to him; it is his passion to write songs with meaning and create something new between cultures that don’t often interact, setting himself apart from other artists. Before this tour, Residente went on a journey to explore his roots based on a genetic test that highlighted his ancestral lineage. He included elements of this, which turned out to be super fun and fused the drums found in Caribbean music with those of Africa.

The only disappointments to an otherwise great concert were that the audio was a little much for the smaller venue, and the lyrics to the songs were many times overpowered because of this. Also, some fan favorites didn’t make it on the set list despite the fact that he made a strong effort to include old pieces.

At the heart of it, this Puerto Rican native is an artist who makes music that a wide audience, Spanish speaking or not, can enjoy.