Argentine Legend Sings of Love, Hope

Argentina’s folk legend Mercedes Sosa never directly addressed her country’s convulsive economic crisis during her excellent two-hour concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Sunday. But she didn’t have to. As always during Sosa’s remarkable 40-year career, her songs spoke for her heart.

It was impossible not to think of her nation’s desperate situation when she sang the hopeful, determined lyrics of Alberto Cortez’s “Cancion de amor para mi patria,” (Love Song for My Homeland), a call for people to come together, hide their tears and move forward. (“Vamos arriba! Que no se diga que estas llorando.”) The stalwart singer held the long final note, softly and sweetly, then delicately wiped her eyes with a white handkerchief. If those were tears, they had not choked her masterful control.

Sosa has said that she regrets the one time she let herself cry on stage, during a song that evoked the pain of her self-imposed exile in 1979 during Argentina’s murderous military dictatorship. A performer should be strong and commanding, she says, and she fully lived up to that standard in Sunday’s moving performance, her first here in six years.

The 66-year-old pioneer of the “new song” movement, which fused folklore and politics in the 1960s, has battled health problems and depression recently. But “La Negra,” as she’s affectionately nicknamed for her dark, indigenous looks, certainly appeared to be enjoying herself. She chatted with the capacity audience like a beloved grandmother, occasionally raising her famously portly frame to do a few graceful dance steps, waving that white handkerchief jauntily over her head.

The acoustics of this stately concert hall helped highlight her magnificent voice, as did her tasteful and tailored four-piece band.

Sosa graciously identified the composers of almost every tune, from Violeta Parra’s tender reflection, “Gracias a la vida,” to Fito Paez’s uplifting “Y Dale Alegria.”

Her adoring fans clapped and sang along. Though Argentines were out in force, the singer’s playful roll call of Latin nations showed fans came from virtually every country (including the unmentioned United States, from a look around the room). The turnout was a fitting tribute to this humble daughter of the town of Tucuman who makes us feel her cherished music belongs to us all.