The first time Marco Antonio Solís played in Chicago was in 1977 with Los Bukis, where the band performed in front of 20 fans that gathered in a club-like venue. Since, Solís has become a seminal figure in Latin music as a singer-songwriter who’s placed 27 top 10 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart and 12 No. 1 albums on the Top Latin Albums tally.
On Sunday (Oct. 15), as he wrapped the U.S. leg of his El Buki World Tour at the Allstate Arena just northwest of Chicago, the Mexican icon revisited his greatest hits and the timeless songs that have become anthems for multigenerational fans across the U.S. and Latin America. Dressed in a crisp white two-piece denim outfit that was covered in sparkly rhinestones (he later traded the white jacket for a blue vest), the man of the hour took the stage around 9:00 p.m. backed by a nearly 20-person live band powered by trumpets, trombones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums, a piano, and a troupe of dancers composed of four women.
A grateful Solís took in the applause from a roaring crowd — among attendees was Chicago native Marisol Terrazas (formerly Horóscopos de Durango) — that sang along to every single song throughout the set, which was over two hours. After singing “No Puedo Olvidarla” and “Dios Bendiga Nuestro Amor,” the singer expressed his gratitude but first addressed the tumultuous times we live in today.
“It’s difficult to digest and understand what happens around the world today but God knows what he is doing and we trust in him fully,” he said. “Life goes on and love never ends. Thank you for being here and for your support throughout these years. Thank you to my contemporary fans who are 50 years old and up and have been supporting me since Bukis. And thank you to the young fans here today who still believe in love.”
The setlist spanned Solís’ decades-long career and vast catalogue, featuring “Y Ahora Te Vas,” “El Celoso,” “Si Te Pudiera Mentir,” “Acepto Mi Derrota,” “La Venia Bendita,” “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” “Más Que Tu Amigo” and “O Me Voy o Te Vas,” to name a few. He of course sang one of Los Bukis’ greatest hits, “Tu Carcel,” which called for a grand intro as Solís recalled writing the track back in 1986.
“I was on tour with Los Bukis and that year for me was very difficult emotionally,” he began. “When we arrived to Torreón, Coahuila, I asked what time our presentation was and they said 10:00 p.m. It was around 6:00 p.m. and I decided to take a nap. But then a melody entered my head, an insistent melody, I took out my tape recorder and started to record it. I really wanted to sleep, but the melody went on and on and I started to write down some phrases that came with the melody. I ended up with 75% of a song. By then it was almost time to go to the show. What I reflected in those circumstances, God never abandons us in the weakest moments we have. And he gave me this song as a blessing.”
Produced by Live Nation, the 40-city El Buki Wold Tour followed Solís’ history-making run with Los Bukis’ Una Historia Contada reunion tour, which landed in the top 10 tours on Billboard‘s 2021 Year-End Boxscore Charts. Solís is set to take his El Buki Tour to Latin America next.
