Rosario Flores, the power of heart on stage

International artists and local performers shared the GMF Festival Summer Sessions across a wide-ranging programme of pop, rock, soul, reggae, blues, folk and rumba for three days.   

Rosario took the stage and Gibraltar was soon on its feet. 

For more than an hour and a half, she filled the venue with music, movement and sheer energy, moving between rumba catalana, pop-rock, melodic songs and flamenco. 

Reviewers once said that her mother, Lola Flores, neither sang nor danced but that attending her shows was a must. Rosario can sing and dance, but when it comes to waking up an audience, she is very much her mother’s daughter. 

In Gibraltar, that connection was immediate. 

Her set was packed with anthems, including the last No dudaría, anthem written by her late brother Antonio, one of Spain’s best-known songwriters. 

Rosario’s power came from the heart. She commanded the stage while her excellent musicians drove the performance forward, joined by two female backing singers with spectacular voices. 

The flamenco dancers added another burst of energy, bringing movement and colour to an already vibrant show. 

There were songs many had come to hear. Mi gato, Sabor and Qué bonito had people dancing, while the mixture of rumba, rock and melody kept the performance moving between celebration and reflection. 

Because there was also a more committed Rosario. Some of the songs carried messages of peace and an end to the suffering of children, giving the performance a different emotional weight. 

But the overriding feeling was one of joy and connection. 

Rosario did not simply perform for the audience. She pulled it into the show, sharing the extraordinary energy she brought to the stage. 

Before her, a funny Sophie Ellis-Bextor had a disco party for the audience. 

Ms Ellis-Bextor, in a bright petrol-blue dress, sang songs well-known to concertgoers of the 2000s and earlier, making the audience dance and sing along to anthems, such as those from Mamma Mia, from the start of her set to the end. 

The festival’s third day was the moment for another good mix of local and international music with Caribbean rhythms, soul, rock, blues, reggae, folk and flamenquito on stage. 

The evening started with the legend Billy Ocean, followed by The Real Thing and 10cc. Local bands had their opportunity as well, such as Adrian Pisarello and band, to finish with Disco Works DJs.  

GMF Festival: Summer Sessions left a good impression among the audience and a desire to continue with a new edition.  

Gallery by Johnny Bugeja: