Shaggy was the self-confidence Sting lacked in his Chilean debut as a duo...
The duo, who released their first album together this year, performed before 10,000 people at the Movistar Arena.
If Sting fans were perhaps puzzled by his latest foray into reggae thanks to his friend Shaggy, with whom he released the duet album "44/876" this season, live this musical embrace is more than just a picturesque act. In their Chilean debut as a duo, the musicians reflected in several passages that they are a special complement to each other.
On the stage of the Movistar Arena—and before 10,000 people who came to the Parque O'Higgins venue—the 67-year-old Briton seemed more relaxed than in his previous performances in the capital; even more smiling, relegating that concentration he rarely loses during his solo shows. It was enough to listen to the opening with "Englishman in New York" to clarify the differences.
Next to the Jamaican, Gordon Sumner experiences music differently. Shaggy is festive, lively, dancing around and completing the former Police member's songs as if it were karaoke with friends. Accustomed to instrumental elegance, hitting the right note, Sting loses his pressure (though not his rigor) and lets himself be carried away by the improvisation his partner delivers.
In fact, between hits like "Message in a Bottle" and "Angel," timeless pieces from both their catalogues, they play the role of judge and judged in "Crooked Tree," from their joint album, like a sort of Broadway-style joke that represents nothing more than that: playing and having a good time.
And regardless of these hesitations, Sting reiterates his excellent vocal quality, dedicated to the notes and generous when demonstrating it. The drums, keyboards, and backing vocalists, moreover, are his best allies.
As the finale approaches, they link up with a showdown between "Roxanne" and "Boombastic," closing with "Desert Rose," "It Wasn't Me," and "Every Breath You Take." By this point, the young adult audience needed nothing more.
(c) Tele13 by Bastián Garcia