Spain’s royal couple leaves New Orleans to rhythm of jazz

New Orleans, June 17 (IANS) Spain's king and queen said goodbye to New Orleans this Saturday after attending a musical gala that allowed them to savour the unique rhythms and styles of a city that is the cradle of jazz and where for decades so much of life has revolved around its music.

The performance, which aimed to reflect the influence of Spanish, French, Caribbean and African cultures on New Orleans, was staged at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) as the grace note of the royal visit for the 300th anniversary of the founding of this Louisiana city, Efe reported.

Felipe VI and his wife Letizia had been received upon their arrival at the New Orleans airport with the notes of "When the Saints Go Marching In," the most famous piece of American jazz, and which also served to bid them farewell before their departure for San Antonio, Texas.

The star of the gala was clarinetist Michael White, who took advantage of the presence of the royal couple to debut "Andalusian Strut," a song that mixes flamenco with the jazz originally created by African Americans.

Before the concert, the monarchs met in the museum with a group of New Orleans historians and university rectors to exchange impressions about what degree of awareness exists about the legacy that Spain left Louisiana when it governed this territory in the late 18th century.

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