The Mexican band Elefante celebrates its 30 years with a European tour in which they will perform in Madrid and Barcelona. The keyboardist and acoustic guitarist, Flavio López, known as Ahir, has claimed that at concerts you can see people “from anywhere in the world who don’t think about where you come from or what country you are from or if presidents get along badly,” as he has stated.
“Now that we have been in the United States with all the problems that exist towards Latinos, people go and tell us excitedly that we are bringing a little piece of Mexico to the United States and that this makes them feel part of something again and belong and remain with all these roots,” he expressed in an interview with Europa Press.
Asked about the statements of the King of Spain about the conquest of America – of which he acknowledged that there were “abuses” – and about the request for forgiveness from the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, Ahir defended that “music is a wonderful link to unite the world.”
In this sense, he has defended that in concerts we experience “an incredible symbiosis because in the end it does not matter where you come from or what is happening, with music we are united worldwide,” he stressed.
CONCERTS IN MADRID AND BARCELONA
Elefante arrives in Europe as part of its 30th anniversary tour, which started at the National Auditorium in Mexico City and has toured Mexico, the United States and Canada. The European concerts are scheduled in Barcelona on May 28 (Sala Salamandra), Madrid on the 29th (Sala Joy Slava), Paris on the 30th and London on the 31st.
“The truth is, it’s incredible because we are doing, I believe, the biggest tour we have ever done,” Ahir said. The musician has highlighted that their return to Europe occurs less than a year after their last visit, in 2025, and that the reception was “so positive” that it encouraged them to return quickly. “Returning to Europe after last year’s experience, in which we found many friends and a great response, it is incredible to return so soon,” he indicated.
In this sense, Ahir has described the group’s relationship with the public in Spain as “especially warm” and has stated that they feel “at home” the times they have performed in the country because “people sing the songs as if it were Mexico.”
“There are many Latin people also living in Spain, many Mexicans, Ecuadorians, Colombians, and at the time of a concert there is a fabulous mix of people from all over the world who have heard Elefante,” he noted.
For this edition, Ahir explained that the band has completely renewed the show “with new visuals” and that they added “some covered songs.” As noted, the setlist will cover the entire history of the group.
A “NEW GENERATION” OF LISTENER
One of the aspects that Ahir has highlighted about the band’s 30-year history is that at its concerts fans who “have grown up with the group” coexist with young people “from 18 to 25 years old who know the complete repertoire, including songs that were never singles.”
“On the networks we are doing very well, on Spotify we have more than seven million monthly listeners,” said the Elefante keyboardist. As he noted, this digital presence has been “key” to maintaining validity. “Someone looks for a song and they find us from Spain, from Russia, from France, from anywhere, and that brings people closer together.”
Likewise, he has attributed this phenomenon to maintaining “an essence” as a band. “We take care of the lyrics and the music, and I think that is what has made it last,” he stressed. Regarding the evolution of their sound over three decades, Ahir has pointed out that the process “is getting easier” and that now “they enjoy it more.”
The musician has also talked about the influences of the band, which mixes classic rock references with Spanish-speaking singer-songwriters. “We have a lot of influence from singer-songwriters like Sabina, Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés and the rock part from the classics, Pink Floyd, Queen,” he detailed.
Likewise, he has recognized that the group’s sound has a component that its Mexican listeners perceive as “close to Spanish.” “Many people when our first album came out told us ‘are you Spanish?'” he recalled.
“Maybe that’s also part of a lot of people being able to connect, because it becomes a little bit like they could be from anywhere.” Among current Spanish artists, he highlighted Rosalía as an interesting figure and remembered Joaquín Sabina with “special affection.” “For me he is one of the greatest that has ever existed and we were lucky enough to once share the stage with him,” he stated.