Sting and his symphony orchestra enchanted Viña del Mar...

British singer Sting captivated the audience at the Viña del Mar International Festival in one of the most anticipated performances of the event, with a concert that combined several of his greatest hits with his former band, Police, and the Chilean Symphony Orchestra.

"I'm very happy to be here with you," said the musician after the first notes, in front of 15,000 souls who enthusiastically sang along to the lyrics of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "When We Dance," and the well-known "Roxanne" from the 70s and 80s. Dressed in dark pants and an unbuttoned shirt, and displaying an ethnic pendant on his chest, Sting presented a unique performance, showcasing his latest album, Symphonicity, and merging his voice with the strings of the Chilean orchestra and a full rock band.

A female voice and various percussion instruments helped to nuance classics like 'Fields of Gold' and 'Every Breath You Take', creating new sounds and different textures from the songs that everyone already knew, while maintaining all their essence.

The rhythm was interspersed with slower or more committed songs, such as "They Dance Alone," dedicated to the mothers of the disappeared detainees of the dictatorships of Argentina and Chile by Sir Gordon Matthew Thomas Summer, the singer's real name.

Absolutely acclaimed by the audience, who gave him the highest recognition with a silver and gold torch and the silver and gold seagulls, Sting said goodbye with an acoustic version of "Message in a Bottle" and "Fragile." After Sting, performances were scheduled by comedian Ricardo Meruane and Chilean band Los Jaivas, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary, and had prepared a tour of the best passages from "Alturas de Machu Picchu," the famous 1981 album inspired by the verses of Pablo Neruda.

This year's international competition features songs from Chile, Panama, Canada, the United States, Peru, and Ukraine, while the folklore category features representatives from Chile, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, and Ecuador. The Viña del Mar Festival is considered the most important popular music event in Latin America and is held annually in the resort town of Viña del Mar.

(c) El Nacional