Maria del Mar Bonet Marks 60 Years on Stage at Andorra Concert

Maria del Mar Bonet celebrated 60 years on stage with an intimate concert at Andorra's Centre Cultural Lauredià on Saturday afternoon, presenting her new album L’aigua no cansa as part of the venue's reopening events in Sant Julià de Lòria.

The performance took place in the renovated Auditori Rocafort, which the Mallorcan singer-songwriter filled nearly to capacity—opting for the smaller space over the larger Claror hall. Bonet arrived in Andorra on Friday evening and praised the mountain climate as a relief from Mallorca's rising summer heat. She highlighted the centre's recovery after a fire and expressed joy at returning to a venue she last visited in 2001.

Before the 80-minute set, Bonet described the album as a collaborative project with Mallorcan musicians, recorded entirely on the island with the local Blau label. “It’s a work we created together, one we really like, very intimate in some sense. It’s the latest, and you cherish what you do last,” she said, adding that reviews had been glowing. She appeared in all black alongside three regular band members: Toni Pastor on lute, Marc Grasas on guitar and dobro, and Marko Lohikari on double bass.

The repertoire opened with her 1971 composition Aigo and 1985's Dansa de primavera, then wove in all nine tracks from L’aigua no cansa. Bonet shared context for several songs, including Nit with ancient Greek verses adapted by Mauro Pagani and Blaus i sol de roses blanques set to Blai Bonet's poetry by Toni Parera Fons. She reworked the traditional S’aigo no into a critique of politicians linked to recent Valencia floods, drawing strong applause. Encouraging the audience—mostly of her generation—to clap along on livelier numbers like Cançó de disbarats, she blended the new material's poetic, popular roots with career highlights such as La Balanguera and Què volen aquesta gent.

Bonet noted her return to Mallorcan origins after years in Barcelona, calling the water-themed album deeply tied to the island. Despite a 38-minute delay to her pre-concert media appearance, she gently urged journalists to hurry once the hall filled. She voiced enthusiasm for the summer tour and hopes for future Andorran shows, having performed in the Principat several times over her six-decade career.