Maluma performed to an eager crowd who sang and danced along most of his reggaeton famous hit songs, such as “Chantaje,” “Borró Cassette,” and “Carnaval,” among others. The concert was Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Don Haskins Center.
Maluma introduced himself after singing “Vente Pa’Cá” and said it was “a pleasure to be back in El Paso.” He interacted with the crowd, pointing out to some of the signs some fans wrote to express their love for the Colombian singer. Some fans brought a Colombian flag, which Maluma said he was happy to see in the audience.
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Maluma began his musical career at age 16, releasing his first studio album titled “Magia” at 17. Later in 2015, he released “Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy,” the album that would put him on the international spotlight. In May 2019, he released his fourth album titled “11:11.”
The night continued to be energetic, as fans sang enthusiastically the lyrics of the songs, just as he encouraged fans to sing louder. He looked proud and happy every time he paused to hear the crowd sing as loud as they could.
He addressed the Walmart mass shooting that happened Aug. 3 in El Paso as he talked about losing family and friends. He told the crowd to “Stay Strong, El Paso!” and take out their phone to flash light in honor of the victims of the tragedy .
Maluma had a few surprises during the show. He invited back-up singer Daniela Gomez to sing “Créeme” in an intimate ballad duet, a different sound from the rest of his music. Also, as a surprise to all the Mexican fans in the audience, he covered Vicente Fernandez’s “El Rey,” a famous mariachi song in Mexico. This was in celebration of Mexico’s independence which had passed the week before.
A couple of songs before the concert was over, he thanked his fans deeply (he referred to them as “Mi Gente”) for attending the concert, acknowledging how some of them might have struggled to get tickets. He also thanked all of his crew and asked fans to give them an applause because “the show couldn’t have happened without them.”
He finished the concert by saying “It is always a pleasure to perform here at El Paso” and encouraged everyone to sing along with him as he performed his hit song “Felices los Cuatro.”
His “11:11 World Tour” started in Lima, Peru May 9 and is expected to end Dec. 14 in Mexico City. He had previously performed at El Paso County Coliseum April 20, 2018 and March 4, 2017. He said he’ll be back.
