The Málaga actor Antonio Banderas gathered friends at the Cantera de Nagüeles to celebrate the birthday of Nicole and Barbara Kimpel, in an evening that included an emotional concert by Zucchero.
The Cantera de Nagüeles in Marbella was once again the setting for a special evening at Starlite Occident. Antonio Banderas chose this venue to celebrate the birthday of Nicole and Barbara Kimpel, an event that the Málaga actor has turned into a tradition. It is not the only anniversary he celebrates there: every year, coinciding with the Starlite Occident Gala, Banderas also celebrates his own birthday surrounded by friends. A ritual that, according to the organisation, confirms the special bond that the performer maintains with the festival.
The concert by Zucchero was the highlight of the night. The Italian artist, known for his blend of blues and rock, took to the stage with naturalness and warmth. “Thank you very much for being here. It’s a pleasure, it’s crazy, a fantastic setting,” he told the audience, alternating between Italian, Spanish, and English. The singer explained that his way of being on stage comes from the desire to socialise with the attendees: “When I sit here it’s like I’m at home, with friends.”
Zucchero also justified why he performs his songs in Italian worldwide: “because it’s the original.” However, he recalled his collaborations in Spanish with artists such as Maná, Alejandro Sanz, Toquinho, or Rosana. “I love that language, it’s sexy, like Italian,” he confessed, before singing “Un soffio caldo,” which he defined as “a song of freedom.”
One of the most emotional moments came with “Miserere,” the song Zucchero recorded with Luciano Pavarotti. As the song concluded, a photograph of both was projected onto the stage, which silenced the Cantera completely. The audience experienced a moment of reflection that, according to sources from the organisation, reflected the festival's ability to turn music into shared memory.
Another highlighted moment was when Zucchero performed a song of his from 1986 live for the first time. Amid laughter and in several languages, he explained that he had waited so many years because “the soul hurts less” over time. The unscripted confession transformed the concert into an evening where the artist shared a fragment of his personal history.
While Banderas and the attendees enjoyed themselves in Marbella, Sandra García-Sanjuán and Ignacio Maluquer, founders of Starlite Occident, were in Lima accompanying Keiko Fujimori at her inauguration as president of Peru. Fujimori had visited the festival last summer, attending several concerts and the Starlite Occident Gala, and forged a close friendship with the hosts.
The evening in Marbella and the trip to Lima reflect, according to the organisation, the spirit of Starlite Occident: a place where bonds are woven that transcend music. Antonio Banderas’s family celebration, the performance of a legend like Zucchero, and the friendship with the Peruvian president were all part of the same night, uniting two continents under the same banner.
Starlite Occident, which is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, thus consolidates itself as a meeting point where the private and the musical merge. The Cantera de Nagüeles, with its open-air stage, remains the epicentre of these experiences that, according to its organisers, invite you to live, not just attend.
For the attendees, the night left unforgettable memories. The combination of Zucchero's music, the presence of Antonio Banderas, and the intimate atmosphere of the quarry created a unique ambiance. The festival continues its programming with new events that promise to maintain the same level of quality and closeness.
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