La visitation papal brings folk to the stage

The rehearsal room will probably be quieter than a full stage, but Nahuel Pennisi's thoughts are already set on Monumento a los Españoles. On Monday, November 9, the singer will perform at 11:30 a.m. before Pope Leo XIV, in the same place where John Paul II stood during his 1982 visit. For Pennisi, the encounter carries a deeply personal meaning: a moment to share Argentine music in front of the Holy Father while carrying forward the repertoire of Mercedes Sosa.

“Singing before the Holy Father in my country is a blessing and an immense honor for me because of what it represents in my life. I am very faithful and never imagined I could share our music on such an impressive stage, exactly at this moment when I am embracing the repertoire of our beloved Negra Sosa; it gives this performance a very deep spiritual and cultural meaning.”Nahuel Pennisi

The musical accompaniment of the pope's Argentine tour will be marked by two of the most recognized voices of Argentine folk and popular song. Pennisi will take the stage in Palermo, while Luciano Pereyra will close the agenda on Wednesday, November 11, with a performance at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, where Leo XIV will celebrate an outdoor mass.

Lujan expects a massive crowd

The sanctuary of Lujan is preparing to receive between one million and two million faithful, according to projections. The scale of the gathering adds another layer to Pereyra's performance: the singer was born in Lujan, lives there and confirmed the invitation in front of an audience at the Movistar Arena, visibly moved by the news.

“They have just confirmed to me that in my city, in the city of Lujan, I am going to sing to the Pope. In my city of Lujan, where I live, a Pope is coming! To be able to receive him, to be able to sing to him, to be able to sing together!”Luciano Pereyra

Among the songs in his repertoire is "Si no es contigo", the first advance of his upcoming album, a work that opens a new stage with folkloric roots and pop sonority. The performance also has a personal antecedent: in 2000, when he was only 18 years old, Pereyra was chosen to represent Latin American youth and sang "Solo le pido a Dios" before John Paul II at the World Youth Day in Rome.

• Monday, November 9: Nahuel Pennisi performs at 11:30 a.m. at the Monumento a los Españoles, in Palermo.
• Wednesday, November 11: Luciano Pereyra performs at the closing mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan.
• The pope's visit to Argentina runs from November 8 to 11 under the motto "Welcome everyone. Go and proclaim".
• It will be the first visit by a pope to Argentina since John Paul II's trip in 1987.

When the papal visit ends on November 11, the stage will not feel empty. In Lujan, the public will have the chance to join Pereyra in one of the songs that already has its own history, and the final mass will close with the singer's voice as a shared farewell. The next date is Wednesday, November 11, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan.