New York is preparing to vibrate to the rhythm of vallenato with Silvestre Dangond and his El Último Baile Tour. After several years without performing together, Dangond and the talented accordion player Juancho de la Espriella return to offer a show that promises to be much more than a concert: a true emotional journey through all the eras of their music. Each show has been designed as a wild universe, awakening memories, emotions and collective feelings, with a top-level production that brings the audience closer to every note, every story, every moment of joy and nostalgia.
The long-awaited reunion will have its stop in Newark, New Jersey, on March 13 at the Prudential Center, an emblematic setting for the Latino community in the northeast. This return comes accompanied by the celebration of Dangond’s most recent Latin GRAMMY® for his album El Último Baile, a tribute to vallenato, its roots and its artistic evolution.
In this exclusive interview, the artist shares his unique connection with the public, what it means to reunite with Juancho on stage and how each performance becomes a dance of emotions that is not forgotten. Read on and find out everything about this tour that promises to make the hearts of fans in New York and New Jersey beat faster.
“El Último Baile Tour” marks your return to the United States stage with Juancho de la Espriella after several years. At what point did you feel it was the right time to find yourself again musically?
I felt it was the right time when I understood that music also has times of the soul. Juancho and I have grown, lived, learned… and one day, without forcing it, music found us again from a more mature and honest place. It wasn’t about nostalgia, it was about truth. When that happened, I knew it was now.
The title The Last Dance has a very strong emotional charge. What does this “last” represent to you: closure, celebration, or a new beginning?
It represents all three things at the same time. It is a closing of a stage that was very powerful, a celebration of everything we have built together and, paradoxically, also a new beginning. Because when you allow yourself to dance without fear, something new always appears.
You have said that you felt a “beautiful debt” to the public in the US. What do you think makes the wildlife connection outside of Colombia so special?
Wilderness outside of Colombia is pure loyalty. They are people who take music as a piece of their land, who use it to feel close to home. That connection is deep, emotional, very grateful… and I felt that I should hug them again as they deserve.
The tour proposes a journey through all the stages of your career. What was the process like to select songs that represent each era without leaving anything important out?
It was a very emotional process. I sat down to listen to my own story, to remember who I was at each stage and what songs marked important moments for me and for people. It was not easy to leave some out, but the criterion was always the heart of the public.
The Last Dance has been described as a tribute to vallenato and its evolution. How do you balance respect for tradition with the need to continue innovating within the genre?
Respecting where I come from. Vallenato is roots, identity, history… but it is also movement. I have always believed that you can honor tradition without standing still. The key is not to lose the essence while one dares to move forward.
The show has been defined as a “wild universe.” What can the audience expect in terms of production, emotions and closeness in each show?
You can wait right. A show with a lot of production, yes, but above all with a lot of emotion. Each concert is designed so that people feel that we are singing together, without barriers, with joy, nostalgia and a lot of complicity.
Newark will be one of the key stops on the tour, with a show at the Prudential Center. What does it mean to perform in such a symbolic plaza for the Latino community in the northeast?
It is a huge honor. Newark represents a strong, diverse, hard-working Latino community very connected to its culture. Singing there is singing for thousands of stories that are similar to mine and those of many of us.
Recently, the Empire State Building was illuminated in honor of the wildlife movement. What did it feel like to see that recognition in a city like New York?
It was a moment that I will never forget. Seeing such a great symbol illuminated by something that was born in Valledupar filled me with pride and gratitude. I thought about my beginnings, about my family, about my people… it was very exciting.
After more than two decades of career, what still excites you as much as the first day when you go on stage?
The sincere applause. The first note. The public’s gaze. That energy is not spent, it is renewed every time I go on stage. As long as that continues to happen, I will continue singing with the same enthusiasm.
If you had to define The Last Dance Tour in a single emotion, what would it be and why?
Gratitude. Because this tour is a thank you to the music, the audience, my history and everything that vallenato has given me.
