I land in Ibiza and I am greeted at the airport by the display of posters announcing the musical attractions of the season julietta, The Tyets, Mushkaa, perhaps Guillem Gisbert, the names that dot the festival programs this summer on the Catalan coast? No, no, here all these are Martians. David Guetta rules here (his slogan: ‘F*** me, I’m famous!’), Martin Garrix black Coffee, Eric Prydz, Glitterbox..
On the island of Ibiza and Formentera, it’s been a long time that the ‘dj’ supplanted the pop-rock star and a figure that symbolizes the evolution from one world to another. The British Norman Cook (The Housemartins, Fatboy Slim), speaks of her as “the clubbing capital of the world” in ‘The evolution of Ibiza’. A documentary that, beyond feeding the hedonistic myth and extolling the disco terminals (it is signed by AlphaTheta Corporation, owner of the technological brand Pioneer DJ), slips some floating doubts: the rise of the ‘vip’ culture (at once dazzling and dissuasive), the mismatch with the real estate offer of the island (those impossible rents for the workers of the sector) and the frictions with the citizenship that very respectably wishes to live in the island on the fringes of the ‘clubber’ hullabaloo.
The charisma of Ibiza
Ibiza has been attracting artists and creators for many decades. To go no further back, there is Pink Floyd’s ‘Ibiza bar’king Crimson’s ‘Islands’ or Can’s ‘Tago Mago’. But there always lurks the threat that, instead of inspiring, it becomes a decoration. It is nice to recognize the landscape of the video of ‘Club Tropicana’, by Wham!, or those dunes of the islet of S’Espalmador in which Katy Perry prances around in her brand new ‘Lifetimes’ (clip recorded, apparently, without the pertinent permissions), but it is even more important to recognize the Ibizan imprint in records and songs: among the verses of ‘Blue’, by Joni Mitchell, in the beats of ‘Technique’, by New Order, or in the cover of ‘Voyager’, by Mike Oldfield. Also in modern electronic creations, by Sven Väth, Miss Kittin or Basement Jaxx.
I have the impression that Ibiza has not been in charge of to enhance its charisma as a place that has excited creativity, and to tell the world (and herself) about it. Sometimes it seems that this is just the island where Noel Gallagher had a villa, or where Kylie Minogue parties every summer. Maybe it has to do with the discreet nature of the Ibicencos. It would be good for them to think that, the story of their success, if they do not build it and put it on track, it is inevitable that others will do it for them.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.