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Preserving Ibiza

The environmental protection that the islands needs

By Laura Martínez
Photos: Jon Izeta

Ibiza is crying out for change. Tourism is our principal source of income, but this sector can’t continue to grow at the expense of our environment. This must be everyone’s concern because natural resources are a fundamental heritage for our wellbeing, and constitute added value for a prosperous and sustainable economy.

The prosperity of this unique island depends, to a large extent, on the protection of its territory, marine environment and biodiversity. We have to commit ourselves to this cause for the sake of everyone.

IbizaPreservation aims to raise awareness and improve our knowledge of socio-environmental issues while conserving Ibiza and Formentera’s extraordinary natural value.
They aim to highlight priorities and influence actions to better protect the island, by building alliances and seeking consensus in order to develop solutions that engage all sectors.

In order to provide us with well-resourced information, IbizaPreservation created the Sustainability Observatory in 2018, which studies the evolution of sustainability on the island from a social and environmental perspective. The Observatory monitors these variations on an annual basis in order to help inform decision-making on the island’s future development.

At Concept, we are ever more aware of the need to protect the island’s environment, with the desire to promote tourism at its most sustainable. That’s why we will donate 10% of the proceeds from our Dorado Live Shows concerts to IbizaPreservation.

Misinformation is no longer an excuse for being irresponsible and disrespectful to the environment. We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy this natural paradise, and we have to get it into our heads that it will cease to exist if we don’t take care of it together.

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Palm Springs

The mid-century icon

By Laura Martínez

If you have watched Mad Men then you will probably remember the episode where big boss man Don Draper hung out with the idle rich in Palm Springs. One of the most memorable scenes is by a swimming pool that is surrounded by palm trees, with the unmistakable Mount Hollywood as a backdrop. If I think about Palm Springs, it’s this image which comes to mind. The aesthetics of the 60s and 70s are so natural that when it is recreated on screen it just draws you in. These people knew how to dress, drink, smoke and behave, with haircuts and make- up to match.

Slim Aarons was an American photographer noted for photographing socialites, jet-setters and celebrities. He defined the Palm Springs joie de vivre to perfection: “Attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”

Palm Springs isn’t just a city in the California desert. It is an icon, that far from becoming a distant Hollywood memory, is enjoying a comeback, just like vinyl becoming a distant Hollywood memory, is enjoying a comeback, just like vinyl records, flares and Guns ‘n’ Roses.

One of the most celebrated Mid-century modern architects was Donald Wexler. He designed classic buildings in the spot that became ground zero for that era — Palm Springs. Wexler is considered the father of Desert Modernism, a design style that is characterised by neutral colours, natural wood, exterior and interior lattices, 2-floor buildings, geometric forms, and an aura of contained futurism which never goes out of fashion.

Gary Johns, the person in charge of “Modernism Week” – a fair that each year celebrates art from the 60s, 60s and 70s said: “There is a new generation that has discovered the architectural value of this place, leaving behind the exclusivity of “The Rat Pack”. Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall or Katharine Hepburn could have been your neighbours back in the day, while Leo Di Caprio, Sia and Ryan Gosling, would be their modern-day equivalents. Not too shabby.

Palm Springs is experiencing a real estate boom with a wave of young families that have been gradually taking over the territory. Now known as hipster central, Palm Springs has increased the average square metre of its homes by 10%.

The art and design worlds have also fallen for the charm of this architectural icon. Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s creative director, decided to use Bob Hope’s futuristic house in Palm Springs for one of his most emblematic catwalk shows. The house in question, somewhat reminiscent of a mushroom, was actually inspired by the shape of a volcano, with the rounded shapes of architect John Lautner closely supervised by Hope and his wife Dolores. The couple, who stayed together for 69 years, were Hollywood royalty and wanted a home to reflect that status.The current owner of the house, venture capitalist Ron Burkle has commissioned architect Helena Arahuete to remake the building to reflect the original architect’s vision.

Aesthetics are one of the pillars on which that Concept Hotel Group is based. Each of the Group’s hotels have their own inspiration: Art-Deco influences Paradiso. Cocktail (the movie) and its vibrant 80s tones supply Tropicana’s exuberant colours. Cuba’s romantic nostalgia provides Cubanito’s salsa. Rock ‘n’ Roll mixed Ibiza’s sea breeze power Santos and Dorado, and the charming love motels found on Route 66 infuse Romeo’s glamourous surroundings.

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The Real Ones: Vicente

Vicente Ganesha, el mercader de tesoros

By Laura Martínez
Photos: María Andreu

Ibiza has always been a meeting place for open- minded, free-spirited and creative people who previously wandered the world before making the island their home.

This is exactly what happened to Vicente Ganesha, a bona fide Ibizan who was born in Alicante. He arrived on the island at the end of the 70s after living in London and Paris, where he bought and sold everything that caught his attention.

More than 40 years later, he is still searching for treasures to sell in his legendary shop in Ibiza Town. His shop is easily recognisable by the dazzling array of brightly coloured dresses at the entrance and the cheeky smile of the owner who sits at its entrance. From It girls such as Gala Gonzalez to supermodels including Naomi Campbell, all have popped into Vicente’s for a spot of shopping.

I read that you started buying and selling the furniture that was left behind after dismantling aristocrat’s houses in Paris …

I made the most of what I found in cellars, where people left stuff that they didn’t want anymore. I helped a friend empty these spaces and that’s how I started selling vintage bits and bobs at a flea market, I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning but I got to grips with it very quickly. The trick is to know what you have and to whom you are selling it to and you have to be a great salesperson.

I’m sure there’s been a lot of times when you have found something and thought: “why the hell are you throwing this out?”
Blimey! So many stories! I love everything to do with decoration and 70s aesthetics, but I can’t stand reeditions. I visited a market one day and I bought a table and 2 garden chairs for 100 euros from a German couple. Well, those 2 chairs were by Mathieu Mathègot, a marvellous Hungarian designer. This has happened to me so many times, ignorance is bliss (for me!

After your Parisian adventure, your next stop was 70s London. How did you end up in Ibiza?

I went to London for a Rolling Stones concert and on the way there I was stopped by the police because they thought I had marijuana. Patchouli was fashionable in those days and you could smell me a mile off. I fell in love with the city and I started working in a belt shop on Portobello Road.

After seeing the film “Amour” in 1971 I decided to go to Ibiza for a month. After this first visit, I returned there with my American boyfriend for six months. I wanted to start living there full-time in 1974, and I made plans to go there with one of my best friends, but unfortunately, he died of a heart attack just before we went over.This was my first important life lesson. After this happened I went to Barcelona to work in an antique shop. I took three years for me to return to Ibiza after what happened with my friend. Since then it has been my home.

Your shop is a must-visit for those in search of unique clothing from the four corners of the globe. How easy was it to found your shop…
I got together with other people to set up a multi-brand shop called The End. We worked like crazy and although it was a good experience I learnt that I never wanted to work with other people again. I started a small shop on Calle de la Virgen in Ibiza and I filled it with things that I had in my home. I discovered that the place where I have the shop now was available to rent so I moved there. I immediately sold so much that I wanted to buy the place outright, and even though they didn’t sell it to me I knew that I made the right decision. I then started selling clothing in Argentina, where I went annually for 12 years in a row until Alberto Nisman, the federal prosecutor, was murdered. I haven’t returned since.

I follow you on Instagram and I love the videos of your early morning dips. Is this part of a ritual or is it your way of provoking people?
I have some amazing lithographs by Courtois. I discovered them in a poetic cinema season in France, they mean so much to me. Artistically speaking, my most valuable piece is by Edgar Degas.

If you weren’t a professional treasure hunter, what do you think you would have been?
Maybe my life would have been different because of my sexual orientation. But me being me I wouldn’t change a thing, I’d be exactly as I am now.

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The Real Ones: Elena

Elena Ruiz, the moniker for contemporary art in Ibiza

By Laura Martinez
Photos: Maria Andreu

Everyone should be obliged to have a conversation with Elena Ruiz. She is the director of the Ibiza Contemporary Art Museum (MACE) and hails from the Castilla region in Spain, although she emanates a peaceful and Ibiza-like aura at the same time. She is a strong- willed person who arrived on the island with a mission to bring order to the local art scene. She was 30 when she started at MACE (I’m also 30 years old and I can’t even sort out my Netflix account) and although she was inexperienced, she quickly realised what needed to be done. Elena also manages the Puget Museum and the Casa Broner Museum, which are both situated in the heart of Ibiza’s Old Quarter.

How does a native of Soria end up as the director of the Ibiza Contemporary Art Museum?

“Well, I fell in love with someone from the island and I had to work to survive so I gave classes to keep me going. In 1990 I passed an Ibiza region administrative examination and I started working at the museum. It had been closed since 1984 and I didn’t have any experience, so you can imagine how hard it was to get it up and running. I was 30 and totally unprepared for this huge task, but I put my heart and soul into it.”

Where does your love of art come from?

“My parents loved Soria, my hometown. They were a very close couple, and when my brothers and I were children they’d prepare a basket with breaded fillets and hot soup and we would go out together and investigate the countryside. We roamed 19th-century palaces, medieval defence towers, Roman bridges etc. This was the time before Google so we oriented by map and took photos. My father also published articles in the Celtiberia magazine. Art has always formed a part of my daily life, but when I went on a trip to Toledo aged 14, it was then that something clicked in my head and I decided to study art.”

What has been the hardest part of your time at the museum?

“Public office means that you are constantly battling with political institutions. When you are young and full of energy you want to eat the world, before realising that there is no budget for your ambitions. I had to get a museum started without any help, but I meet wonderful people with whom I created long-lasting synergies and relationships. I learned to work hard with what I had and I finally managed to achieve my objective: the museum that we see before us.”

Not content with resting on your laurels, you went on to open the Puget Museum before converting Edwin Broner’s house into a museum. How did you come up with this superb idea?
“Edwin Broner was a German architect and painter. His widow, Gisela, lived in the house to a ripe old age, you should visit the house because it is truly beautiful.

The house is situated in Sa Penya, a neighbourhood in Ibiza that had become a bit of a slum district. The house was practically a bunker because she was so frightened of people trying to get in. Gisela didn’t have the money to continue living there so I came up with an idea.

We would buy her paintings and the money we raised would go towards paying social services for round the clock medical care.Her final years were dignified and she was very grateful for our help. I promised Gisela that the house would become a museum because it was
very well conserved. There are many photos from the 60s which helped G us to recreate everything as it was at the time. I made the museum plan
and with Ramon Ollé, the municipal architect at the time, we set things
in motion.”

Out of all the exhibitions that you have hosted in MACE, which one do you remember the most, and which remained in the pipeline?
“I have always tried to bring international artists that are connected with Ibiza, or least with the island’s values. I remember Douglas Gordon and Tobias Rehberger’s joint exhibition “After The After”, a critique of how much Ibiza’s nightlife had changed. It was very entertaining because it turned up being a performance. They kept sending me out to get beer taps and other weird stuff that only made sense once you saw the exhibition. I’m gutted that we couldn’t get James Turrell, who is something of a deity in the art world, for economic reasons only.”

In 2018 Concept Hotel Group opened the doors of Paradiso Art Hotel, which has a gallery, rotating art exhibitions in its lobby and rooms dedicated to different artists. What do you think about this way of bringing art to the tourist experience?

“I think it’s a fabulous idea, other sectors need to get people closer to art, as this helps to attract a specific type of client.” Warhol said: “Art is what you can get away with”.

For Elena Ruiz, what is art?
“It’s a mystery. It’s something that takes you from the real world and puts you in contact with something that is purely spiritual. A work of art can knock you out and shake you up. It’s a moving experience that is profoundly divine and human at the same time.”

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Music Legends in Ibiza

Ibiza, the music refuge

By Pablo Sierra

In the late 1960s, a shockwave of hippy love crossed the Atlantic to dock on European shores. Ibiza was one of the epicentres of an earthquake that questioned everything, but changed almost nothing except culture in general. Music: rock, folk, psychedelia, funk, punk, reggae and disco changed forever. A smörgåsbord of sounds provided the soundtrack for an island that became a refuge and source of inspiration for many artists until the nineties.

Christa Päffgen’s pale complexion contrasted with the darkness of a voice that illuminated avant-garde scene art scene half a century ago. A deep tone resonated from her voluptuous lips. This German singer’s overwhelming beauty captivated all who made her their muse. Andy Warhol was the first to fall under a spell, that also captivated the members of The Velvet Underground.

The international pop-rock scene quickly followed suit as Christa became Nico, the stage name she was given by a photographer. She became a singer-songwriter, model and actress, whose stunning, chiselled features ultimately brought her more sadness than joy. After touring on several low budget tours in the 80s, she wanted to get away from it all and went to Ibiza on holiday in 1988.

She loved riding her bike along the island’s rural roads and unfortunately, this is how she met her end. On 18th July she fell off her bike and hit her head on a rock, causing severe brain haemorrhage. Her friends said goodbye by playing her songs on a cassette tape at her funeral.

An artist who always had a pleasant relationship with God and Ibiza is Nina Hagen, another German whose dazzling performances raised the extravagance of operatic punk to the next level. Nina experienced an epiphany when experimenting with LSD, a moment that marked her destiny. She was nineteen years old when she heard a male voice mumbling, “Nina, I’m here. I will help you.” From then on her dogma consisted of a mixture of religion, spiritualism and a fervent belief in aliens.

The mother of punk decided to get married in Ibiza in 1987 to an 18-year old called Iroquois. Their wedding photo is one of the most original of all time: Nina with a cascade of red hair flowing down her back and Iroquois sporting a massive Mohican. The nuptials were crowned with a wild celebration of their love at Benirràs, an occasion that only a privileged few could attend. It’s quite possibly the most bizarre wedding that the island has ever known.

Grace Jones has graced Ibiza with two concerts, spanning different decades. The Jamaican diva had been the queen of New York in the late 70s, and ten years later at the peak of her powers, she performed in Ibiza. Jones was, and – still is – beautiful, artful, exotic and frighteningly wild. In 1988 she won over KU’s audience with a disco tour-de-force that saw her wear outfits that have influenced modern- day divas such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Jones’ physique – an androgynous and slender sculpture carved in ebony – did not go unnoticed when she moved around the island. There is an iconic photo of her sticking her tongue out at Carles Ribas’ camera while she walks the beach in the company of Tony Pike that particularly sticks in the memory. She made a triumphant return to the island in 2009, with a sold-out concert at Space Ibiza in 2009 that took the breath away. She literally was a Hurricane, the title of her first album in almost twenty years.

Another legend who didn’t want to miss the opportunity of getting a tan under Ibizan skies was Jimmy Page, a badass guitarist who led one of the most influential bands of all time: Led Zeppelin. They broke up in 1980 after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham, but Page continued to fly solo. Five years later he answered the siren call of Ibiza, where he played to at the Sun Power Festival, an idea that seemed good on paper but was, in reality, a complete failure. Accompanied by Chris Squire – the bass player from Yes, and Jason Bonham, son of John, they played three songs in front of a disappointing crowd of 1000 people (8000 tickets were put on sale).

If we are talking about guitar wizards then we have to mention Eric Clapton. The one-time member of Cream set sail for Ibiza from Cannes to star in a concert at the Bullring in August 1977. However, they hit some heavy weather and the resulting storm almost sunk their boat. The Mediterranean Sea may seem tame but it can be treacherous. If you have seen the scene in The Wolf of Wall Street where Jordan’s yacht sinks on the way to the Costa Azul can probably imagine what Eric’s voyage was like. It’s been said that Clapton’s boat bounced around the seas like a ball in a pinball machine. One of several people to be called the fifth Beatle because of a strong connection with George Harrison, he lived to tell the tale and appeared live in concert on 5th August 1977.

Frank Zappa, one of the stars of Ibiza ‘92 Festival, had a more relaxing time when he came over. His visit was quick, as fleeting as a comet that leaves an indelible trail in its wake before disappearing. Frank Zappa visited the island in summer 1989 (four years before dying of prostate cancer) but the island left a huge impression him, as seen in an immortal photo of Frank pointing his finger at the Es Vedrà islet, while stating: “”Ibiza is a fantastic island, here sex shines brighter than the sun.” No wonder this contemporary Renaissance man was so successful.

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The Real Ones: Ricardito

Ricardito, vida y milagros de un cubano

By Pablo Burgués

To be honest, personally, salsa, merengue, bachata and all other kinds of music designed to dirty dancing just don’t cut it for me. So, when I was asked to write an article about a Cuban singer called Ricardito, well I almost keeled over. Anyway, I checked him out on YouTube and after a couple of days watching him perform, I can now say that I absolute love this man and I’m totally down with salsa.

Ricardito isn’t just any old musician, he’s an absolute fucking legend of Cuban music and a reference within the world of latin music. His career spans more than 40 years, and he has played with the very best: Celia Cruz, Bebo Valdés, Los Panchos, María Dolores Pradera, El Puma… Ok well, maybe El Puma isn’t as great as others, but he makes the list for his amazing hair.

Having toured and played across the world, Ricardito came to Ibiza in 1993 with the intention of playing a couple of concerts in Teatro Pereyra. Fast forward 25 years and he is still on the island, and you can see him play at Cubanito, the Little Havana of the Mediterranean.

¿Qué tiene Ibiza que no te echan de aquí ni con agua caliente?
El cariño de la gente, son ellos los que no me dejan irme (risas).Y también mi mujer, que aunque es catalana la conocí aquí.

Un cubano y una catalana se encuentran en Ibiza… ¡Parece el comienzo de un chiste!
¿Fue fácil para el ron enamorar al cava?
No fue nada fácil pero le canté unos boleros y cayó en el gancho. Y hasta el sol de hoy.

What does Ibiza have that makes it impossible for you to leave?
The warmth of the people, they are the ones who won’t let me leave, (laughter) And also my wife, who is Catalan but whom I met here.

A Cuban and a Catalan meet in Ibiza, seems like the start of a joke! Was it hard for rum and cava to mix together?
Not it wasn’t easy at all but I sang some songs and she fell in love with me bit by bit.
After so much time on the island can we say that you Balearic Cuban?
No I’m still 110% Cuban, although it’s clear that I love a lot of things about Ibiza, such sofrit pagès (Ibizan country stew), and the phrase “T’estim molt” (I love you loads).

What does Cubanito Hotel mean to you?
It is a place with a lot of soul and it reminds me of Cuba so much that I feel like I am at home. The hotel’s directors, the team and the people that come to enjoy my songs… All of them
give me the warmth and joy that every artist needs. It’s marvellous that there is a place like this in San Antonio, where you can enjoy live, traditional Cuban music, that provides so much enjoyment and heartfelt moment! (laughter).

Which artist would you like to do a duet with, and which song would you choose?
Man, you are making life difficult! Omara Portuondo, Alexander Abreu, Isaac Delgado, La Trova Santiaguera… So many great artists! The song would be one that transmits positive feelings and happiness, for example “Dos Gardenias”.

I read on the internet that you studied to be a teacher, then you were a lathe operator in the Cuban Navy and then you became a singer.
Next time we meet what will you be? An astronaut?
(Laughter) I’ll still be a singer, “Zapatero a sus zapatos” as my song “Te digo ahorita” says.

Have you got anything else to say to before we shut up shop.
I’d love to give thanks to all the people who have made it possible to bring this little part of Cuba to Ibiza, the island that has taken me in as another Ibicencan.

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The Real Ones: Pedro

Pedro Planells, the leather biker

By Pablo Burgués

Once upon a time there was a young Ibicencan boy named Pedro, who
in 1960 fell madly in love with an English girl named Didi. In order to win her heart, he decided to give her a leather belt, made with his own hands. This worked so well that they eventually got married, and he ended up working for people like Armani and Valentino. Such a cool character deserves an interview, so let’s go.

Hello Don Pedro, why was that belt so successful?
Truth be told it was horrible. I made it with a piece of old leather that I found, and as I didn’t have the money to buy a buckle, I placed a door hinge on it instead. Picture that for a moment… yep it was awful!

It can’t have been that bad if you ended up selling them in the best shops in London.
Well, I got lucky. In 1968 we went on holiday to England, and one day we went out to dinner with some of Didi’s friends. She was wearing the belt that I had made and they loved it. I don’t know who they talked to who, and still don’t know how, but I ended up selling them in George Best’s shop. I then started to get calls from the Harrods boutique and a lot of other places.

How long did your London adventure last?
I went there about 40 times, and the longest time I was there was for a year and a half. I never liked city life, so one day I just closed it all down and opened a small store in San Antonio (Ibiza).

How was your business here in Ibiza?
Very good, I had 4 or 5 shops across the island, but I also got
tired of running them. I wanted to work when I felt like it, and live a quiet life, so I closed them all except for the shop in Ibiza centre.

The legendary Pedro’s shop was an obligatory stop for the jetsetters who arrived on the island. What was the secret of your success? Giving out free drugs?
Well, everyone who left the shop were laughing and dancing so they could not complain. (Laughter). The truth is that the shop was a show, with a very baroque and decadent window display. It attracted so much attention that everyone, rich and poor, came in to browse.

At this time you also ended up working for designers like Valentino, Giorgio Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier … What exactly did you do for them?
For Gaultier I made all the accessories for one of his fashion shows in Paris: bags, belts, etc. Giorgio Armani loved my sandals, so I made him a custom-made pair. Later on that year he was in a magazine wearing these same sandals, and the store filled with Italians who wanted a pair of them as well.

What is it about leather for you to have dedicated 50 years of your life to it?
I don’t know how to do anything else! (Laughter). The truth is that I really liked leather in the past, but I’m 75 years old now and I dedicate myself to a Harley Davidson Softail 1600 c.c.

To finish, can you work with leather and not be a hippie?
No. Artisans have a very unconventional life, one day you have money and the next you’ve got nothing. I was very good at working with leather, but it is not a normal life, so in order to be dedicated to this line of work you have to be a free spirit, and be willing to always live life on a tightrope.

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Ibiza 92

Cuando Montserrat conoció a Freddie

By Pablo Sierra
Photos courtesy of Juan Suárez

In the middle of that glorious decade known as the Eighties, Spain was taking firm steps towards becoming the modern society that we know today.

There was a hurry to take advantage of the opportunities that the Barcelona Olympic Games and the Seville Expo would provide. Music, and Ibiza, wasn’t about to get left behind. Pino Sagliocco, an Italian based in Ibiza, escaped the town of his birth, Mezzogiorno, to become one of the boldest promoters in the world. Based In Ibiza at the beginning of the 80s, Sagliocco was in the right place, at the right time, when he invented Ibiza’92.“What makes Pino Sagliocco great is his ability in thinking bigger, better and further than the rest of us mortals.

That’s what makes him unique and incomparable.” said Juan Suárez, one of the collaborators who worked with Pino on the festival, held in KU discotheque, that hosted concerts from la crème de la crème of the music world, between 1987 and 1990. Grace Jones, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Mick Jones from The Clash, Chris Rea, El Último de la Fila, Hombres G, and Ramoncín were just some of the great names that played.

Frank Zappa attended the concerts and happily chatted to journalists and music lovers about how music was changing culture, something he unfortunately didn’t get to see himself due to his premature death in 1993. Suárez continued “Zappa was living proof that when superstars come to Ibiza they are so much more relaxed, because they get to escape their normal routine”.

Before Ibiza’92, Suárez had already been on the KU stage to present James Brown in concert (which was another Sagliocco production). The Godfather of Soul was in the twilight of his career, and although he gave the promoters a hard time with his extravagant requests, the music that Brother Brown delivered that night made the walls drip with soul. An incredible concert.

Sagliocco’s wish came true on 30th May 1987, and was filmed by the cameras from state channel, Spanish Television, with two thousand people in the audience and a production that cost 300 million pesetas, a large amount of money at the time (equivalent to the annual salary of three footballers from Real Madrid or FC Barcelona, for example). Caballé, as journalist Jacinto Antón wrote in El País, was led by Freddie Mercury dressed in a tuxedo on to the stage and this image entered into the history of music and sports. Five years later the song was the official anthem of the Barcelona Olympic Games.

At a time when the internet was still a distant dream Suarez recalled that “you had to travel to London, Madrid, Barcelona, Los Angeles or the fashion capitals to hire the big artists. Negotiations and contracts were made by telex (note for millennials: the telex, or teletype, was a device that allowed to the sending of typed messages, an analogical fusion between the 19th telegraph and the 21st century WhatsApp, that thirty years ago, was very useful for war correspondents and event promoters to send stories or contracts to the other parts of the world).

This method was followed by fax and telephone. However the personal presence of the promoter was important because it gave credibility, economic guarantees and visibility for projects” The technical side of things was also a challenge. In the late Eighties, organising a festival on the island – the Sueños de Libertad festival is a recent example – was much more expensive and complex than organising it on the Spanish peninsula.

“Setting up a show on the island costs ten times more work, money, passion and effort than in any other part of the world. Back then there were no light or sound companies on the island that had the necessary equipment for a concert.

This meant having to bring in amplifiers, lights and sound equipment from outside of the island, and this made it very difficult to organise any concerts. You had to resort to playback at times, especially when it was recorded for television, for takes, repeats and so on. And some artists would only perform with playback because they loved it so much,” said Suarez.

However, Suárez considers that “Ibiza’92 was a groundbreaking event, both visually and musically, it was well worth the effort”. “The island was then known as a destination for family tourism, or for the British, partying in Sant Antoni. The international broadcast of the festivals, and the number of well-known artists who performed, generated a new trend that turned the island into an unmissable destination for music and entertainment. Pino Sagliocco planted the seed of what Ibiza is now: the mecca of global electronic music “.

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