With her metal wings, Spanish singer Natalia Jiménez flew freely on stage at the Day of the Dead Festival, delighting the packed audience who celebrated All Saints’ Day with the concert «Gala Mexicana.»
At exactly 9:20 PM, Natalia Jiménez took the stage with the song «Canta, Canta, Canta»; dressed in a long red dress, she recalled that she had not been in Zacatecas 20 years ago and praised the historic center.
The cool Zacatecan night blew among skulls, butterflies, and marigold flowers that revealed the performer, who presented the album «De Jiménez a Jiménez,» where she interprets songs by José Alfredo Jiménez with symphonic mariachi.
She took a journey through the beginnings of her career, during which she was part of La Quinta Estación, performing her classic song «Algo Más,» followed by her early solo career with «Quédate con Ella,» «Creo en Mí,» and «Una mentira más.»
In the presence of the Honorary President of the State System for the Integral Development of the Family (Sedif), Sara Hernández de Monreal, this event was framed within the Day of the Dead Festival Zacatecas 2024, where the notes of the mariachi led to the «México de mi Corazón,» as she titled two of her albums, with songs like «Costumbres,» «No Lastimes Más,» «Amanecí en tus Brazos,» «La Gata bajo la Lluvia,» «No me Vuelvo a Enamorar,» «Me Nace del Corazón,» and «Si nos Dejan.»
The evening continued with the chorus of Zacatecans who, under the chimes of the Zacatecas Basilica Cathedral, sang songs by José Alfredo Jiménez, such as «Que te vaya Bonito,» «Deja que Salga la Luna,» «Amanecí en tus Brazos,» and «Un Mundo Raro.»
Natalia Jiménez’s powerful voice filled the historic center with music, celebration, and joy, fulfilling the promise that the night would be more than a musical show; it would be an emotional journey.
And at the cry of «deja que salga la luna…» a silver ray peeked through the clouds, reaching the heart of a Plaza de Armas that was full and singing, serving as the stage for the prelude to the Day of the Dead, where Natalia Jiménez became part of Zacatecas and connected with the essence of this festival promoted by Governor David Monreal Ávila in 2024, the Year of Peace.
From the first chord, the audience was enchanted; amid shouts of excitement, some attendees, with faces painted like catrinas, sang along, «and if you want to know about your past, it is necessary to tell a lie, say you come from a strange world…» which resonated like a melancholic echo, a lament in tune with the spirit of this celebration.
Each song seemed a tribute to memory, to absences, and to second chances; for many, it was dedicating every word of a song to a loved one who is no longer in the world of the living.
Natalia Jiménez made it clear that her connection with Mexico goes beyond music, as she told Zacatecas, «if you want, I am with you, for life until I die,» like the classic she sang alongside the «Divo de Juárez,» Juan Gabriel, in her Duets album, in a symbolic farewell to the city that embraced her, eager to show that it is an example of peace. Thus, when the last chord resonated in the air, the audience responded with an ovation that seemed endless.
In this way, the magical evening concluded, where Natalia Jiménez not only offered a concert but also an emotional journey through her music for Zacatecas.