We are at Fluge in company of Salvador Moreno, artistic director of Prometo Tour of Pablo Alborán, after his visit to our headquarters for his tour rehearsals.
Question: Where did the inspiration come from to start designing the show?
I think that in the first place, to create the whole concept of the tour, the important thing is the songs. That is, there is a new repertoire, there are old songs and all of the songs of the new album; you had to listen very well to the songs and from there, generate all the images. Above all, my endeavor has been to give an image to Pablo’s voice, a universe to each song and to try to make all that homogeneous at the level of style, coherence and rhythm. Do not forget that in some way, doing a tour is like making a movie. You have actors who are musicians, a soundtrack, a script that is the music itself, you have to create a landscape and you have to tell a story with a rhythm so that the audience does not get bored and enjoys two hours excitedly with attention to every moment of the show. Let’s say that the concept has been a journey through many universes, all the songs of Pablo. That would somehow be the general idea. There are very different songs, there are many universes, so that was the idea of the content and the tour.
Question: What has been the creative process that has led to this Tour Prometo?
First since it is the Tour Prometo, I began to give many twists to the meaning of the ‘Promesa’ (Prometo= I Promise). A promise is partially in the air, it is volatile, a promise can be real or not, that’s why it is like in the air, but it has a very earthly part, that is, the promise must normally be fulfilled, it is anchored to the reality. In that duality, from there on I started building, I started to design the stage. That’s why on stage we have a volatile part, a structure that is like flying and then has an earthly part and the two things fit together. The top structure and the bottom fit perfectly, that’s where the promise is, between heaven and earth. From there I also made the logo of the tour, which is a light part and a heavier part. Then I created the stage and started thinking on how to translate the lyrics of Pablo, song by song, into colors and images. It was a creative process with many sketches and drawings, constantly showing Pablo everything done.
The new challenge of this tour with respect to the previous one was to be much more involved with Chus, the lighting designer. It has been a team effort when designing the light rider and when creating all the art for the tour. The challenge was to execute everything at the same time, not to think about audiovisuals and lights in a different way, but what is more powerful at the show level is that everything goes in unison. That is to say, when there is a color in the image, that is supported by a color in the light and, that all this also, is supported also by a scenic movements of the musicians. While everything goes in the same direction, everything will have much more power and strength. That was the challenge of this new tour, for me in particular, with respect to the previous one was that, to create a homogeneous show where every detail was thought for, from the lighting, to the stage movement, to the stage design, and to the audiovisual content; that everything was one movement and I think it has been the challenge of this new tour.
Question: How has that work been in conjunction with Chus Fernández and Pablo Alborán?
Chus is a professional who has been a milestone and is a reference in this country in light design. He is a person who controls the technical part very well and, also, is very creative at the time of giving birth to projects and I am a beginner. I have a lot of experience in the audiovisual world but not in the show world. That’s why Chus, above all, has given me that technical part, because many times you can have many ideas but you need a person to tell you this is not possible or will not work or that it will. Chus has not only contributed to the light design, but also in the technical part, which is very important since if the ideas are not supportable then technically they are not worth anything. It has been a constant communication in that sense. Obviously since Pablo is my brother, I have a very fluid communication with him. He is still a client, but he is a client that I can call at all hours and that will always tell me the truth, although many times the truth is a very crude way and has its positive and negative sides. Pablo, besides being a musician, is a person who has a lot of intuition for stage movements, he has a lot of visual and artistic culture. He is not just a musician, but he also has a lot of intuition for the show business and can foresee what can work and what can’t. The tour has been built in that atmosphere, continuously talking, arguing … and this is how we have been developing all this. The truth is that it has been, many times, a process even more beautiful than the production itself. The moment of enlighting ideas, that creative process where nothing is still on paper, is often even more attractive than later seeing it already done. Once it’s done, it’s done and that’s it, but the creative process is very pleasant because there are no limits. When you have to put it on a paper or in video format, when you have to use technique, there are already many obstacles, you have the spatial limit of the stage, the height, the stage entry, etc. But when everything is in your head, there are no limits and that process is very beautiful and attractive.
Question: Have you been comfortable working with Fluge, on your set, with the technicians…?
No, no, we will never call Fluge again (he laughs). We already know it very well and we are delighted with everything: the equipment that they have provided us, the timing, the organization, the personnel, the attention that we have here. For us, this is an extension of our house, we feel like at home and that, for Pablo, the whole team and me, is wonderful because you work at ease and know that you have the back up of a company that, well, that I am going to say about Fluge that is not already known. It has a name and brutal professionalism and, for that reason until now, at least I, who have already worked for the second time with Fluge, am delighted at all levels. I do not say it to please, I really say it from the heart, we are very satisfied and we can’t say anything negative, quite the contrary.
Question: What would you say to the audience that they will find in this show?
I believe that the public should never be prepared at all. My advice would be: go relaxed and eager to enjoy. Do not prepare the public for anything because that’s how I’m going to really know what the show is like. The public has to be completely detached from any prejudice. The pity is that today there are social networks and often, a show for example that will start in Latin America will be recorded and through for example YouTube will be available for the Spanish public. Thus they will know and will discover many things about the show that will spoil the show and that saddens me. Obviously it is not the same show in Latin America as in Spain because all the venues are different, often we do not have the same equipment because it is difficult … but I would love for the audience to watch it completely off any form of prejudice and that they enjoy the show and not forget that it is a musical show. For me this has been a premise at the time of making the show, that this is a musical show. What has to prevail over everything else is the musical. There is an artist on stage that has to be the star of the show, which is Pablo and is wrapped up with some musicians who are impressive and have also worked a lot on the musical and the sound aspect, he has evolved a lot in that sense. It is a much more powerful show at the musical level, much more prepared for live, always adapting the record for live shows, so they will see a very powerful musical show, that has to be the protagonist element of the show and obviously, we have come with light, with audiovisual content, choreographies and with everything else to wrap up all that, but do not forget that they are going to see Pablo Alborán. Pablo Alborán has something impressive that is an incredible voice and a brutal musical talent, everything else comes to wrap up all that. After all, people come to see Pablo and they have to come to see Pablo, because it is he who has composed all this, the origin of all this show, this universe that has been created around him. There are many people who think they are going to come to a romantic show and no. They will see rock & roll, bossa nova, very melodic music, they will listen to Pablo solo at the piano, they will see Pablo jumping onstage, they will see choreography, they will see many different things and prepare for this show , enjoy it. That’s what I would tell them.
