On Dec. 3, the first multi-genre one-day Bésame Mucho Festival took place at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Though the vibrations were high and full of celebration, it also marked Enanitos Verdes’ first performance without their lead vocalist Marciano Cantero.
“Last night was the great reunion with our friends from #losangeles at the @dodgers stadium Of course missing Marciano but with our hearts open to give them the best of us!!! Here we are wounded but alive!!! We love you beautiful people!!!!” the Argentinian band posted on Instagram.
Fans weren’t sure if they’d get a performance from the beloved band after Cantero’s passing in Sept. However, the festival’s social media accounts reassured fans they’d get “an iconic set with special guest surprise vocalists” less than a week before the massive event.
The result? A chills-inducing, one-of-a-kind performance featuring artists that were already part of the event’s lineup. For the first songs, Enanitos’ guitarist Felipe Staiti took the frontman role. Then, the group welcomed their frequent collaborator David Summers, frontman of Hombres G, to sing “Mi Primer Día Sin Ti” and “Lamento Boliviano.” They also invited Café Tacvba’s vocalist Rubén Albarrán for “Por El Resto” and Sin Bandera’s Noel Schajris for “Luz De Día.”
Fans were in their feelings during the performance. A Twitter user wrote: “emotional during enanitos verdes last night 💔 their first performance w/o marciano.” Another Twitter user wrote: “Seeing los enanitos verdes play at bésame mucho hurts cause Marciano is no longer there and the band will never be the same 🥲.”
The performance also featured photos of Cantero as Staiti sang “Mariposas.” Before the track started, according to Billboard, Staiti told the crowd: “I was 16 years old when we started this band. I want to dedicate this performance to Marciano and the time we spent together. You all, the fans, are the reason we kept recording songs. I want to honor Marciano’s memory with this song.”
May Marciano Cantero rest in peace.
