Camilo may have outgrown the moniker “Rising star.” The Colombian singer/songwriter sold out Madrid’s Wiznik Center (capacity 15,000) for the second time within a month. Camilo is the top-selling international artist so far this year in Spain, according to concert promoter Jorge Iglesias of Berin Iglesias Art, with over 200,000 tickets sold. And those are headline artist sales, mind you; not festival sales.
Seeing a sold-out Wiznik Center on its feet for nearly three hours was exciting enough, but here are five more of the best moments from Camilo’s show as he nears the end of his Spain tour.
1. Mustaches Are a Thing: Remember those blue wigs that started to pop up all over Karol G’s shows? Or the shark costumes with Bad Bunny? With Camilo, it’s his signature mustache, which fans have taken to painting on their faces.
2. It’s a Family Affair: Camilo’s show may have started at 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night, but kids abounded. Roughly 15-20% of the audience fell in the 15 and under category, and they were some of the most enthusiastic fans in attendance, wielding signs and dancing to the beat of cumbia and other Latin beats. Elsewhere, it was a multi-generational affair, with fans ranging from teens to grandparents.
3. This Ain’t Reggaetón: At all. Camilo sings live for a solid three hours, backed by a live band with nary a DJ in sight. While there may be reggaetón beats in many of his hits, the core of this particular artist is versatility, evidenced by songs that range from feel-good pop, to regional Mexican strains,to traditional Latin American boleros. The lyrics that run through it all are full of light, positivity and good vibes, which begins to explain why all those kids (see No. 2) are in attendance.
4. Women in a Different Light: Don’t expect to see hard-core booty-shaking at a Camilo show. Yeah, there’s dancing, plenty of it, but women are held in high esteem here, beginning with Camilo’s wife, the also-famous Evaluna. Not only does she take the stage twice to perform with hubby, but Camilo makes a point of saying: “Isn’t my wife beautiful?” And yes, she is.
5. All His Friends Show Up: Camilo’s upcoming new album will feature duets with the likes of Alejandro Sanz, Nicki Nicole and, of course, Evaluna. Both Sanz and Nicki Nicole showed up to perform their singles (Sanz, we should note, to thunderous applause; he is a Spanish icon). Also performing was Dani Martín, who has recorded with Camilo before. The support may signal more guest appearances in future dates.
