On Thursday, artist Nacho Cano lashed out at Ibizan politicians after the Island Council challenged him for using the name «Ibiza» in his new musical called «Ibiza Paradise», as reported exclusively by Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera last August.
On Thursday September 11th, hours before the premiere of his new show at the Callao Cinemas in Madrid, the composer and producer gave an interview to the daily newspaper ABC in which he called the island's politicians ‘social climbers’ and «mangurrinos» (a derogatory term for people from Ibiza), whom he also accused of having ‘done nothing for Ibiza’.
In this interview, Cano starts by talking about his first visit to Ibiza in 1982, when he performed a concert with his band Mecano. He then discusses his encounter with "El Vikingo" in 2005: 'A Dutchman who came to Ibiza when the hippies discovered the island, he ran a café called Pereyra. It used to be a cinema, and he set up a café bar with live music at the back. It became a real landmark on the island'.
Asked about the inspiration for his new musical premiering in Madrid, Nacho Cano explains that «this dinner show celebrates the spirit the hippies brought to Ibiza, and why Ibiza is 'number one in the world».
Regarding the evolution of the island, the composer says that Ibiza has changed 'in some respects'. According to him, the north of the island remains practically the same. The mayors and others who have preserved the natural landscape have done a very good job. However, he acknowledges that the island has become industrialised, 'in the same way that music has', but adds that 'music continues to be the driving force behind the island'.
About the Ibiza Council's action for annulment brought before the EU to prevent the music producer from using the name of the island in his shows, Cano argues that he registered the name of his musical in the trademark registry, reiterating that 'Ibiza is a world heritage site; it is a name in the public domain'.
Regarding the actions of the Ibiza Island Council, Nacho Cano advises the institution as follows: ‘The best thing the Council could do is put a statue of a musician on every corner, from Freddie Mercury to Mick Jagger, who are the ones who have made this island number one in the world; it wasn't them.’
In this regard, the composer recalls that it was he, together with Mecano at their concert in Can Bufí, who was ‘the musician who has drawn the largest crowd to a concert in history,’ adding: ‘Are you going to tell him he can't use the name Ibiza? Why? What have you done for Ibiza? Been a political climber? A croock?’