El folklore argentino accompanying a León XIV en dos escenarios históricos del país

El canto argentino estará presente en los dos actos centrales de la visita del Papa León XIV al país. Nahuel Pennisi actuará el lunes 9 de noviembre en el Monumento a los Españoles, en el barrio de Palermo, y Luciano Pereyra cantará el miércoles 11 durante la misa de cierre en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján, su ciudad natal.

La_programada_visit will take place from November 8 to 11 under the motto “Bienvenidos todos. Vayan y anuncien”. These performances add a popular and folk music dimension to the papal agenda, connecting the visit with two artists who have a strong bond with their audiences and with the traditions of Argentine popular culture.

Pennisi en el Monumento a los Españoles

Pennisi’s performance will begin at 11:30 on Monday in a space with considerable historical weight. Juan Pablo II was also there during his visit to Argentina in 1982, and now that same stage will host the meeting with León XIV.

“Cantar ante el Santo Padre en mi país es una bendición y un honor inmenso para mí por lo que representa en mi vida. Soy muy creyente y jamás imaginé poder compartir nuestra música en un escenario tan imponente, justo en este momento donde estoy abrazando el repertorio de nuestra querida Negra Sosa; le da un sentido espiritual y cultural muy profundo a esta presentación.”Nahuel Pennisi

The invocation of Mercedes Sosa’s repertoire is not incidental for Pennisi. His most recent album is dedicated to the singer, and that musical work now provides the background for a performance whose meaning, he said, goes beyond the mere appearance before a religious leader.

Pereyra cantará en Luján

The mass on Wednesday will be held outdoors in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. The organizers estimate between one million and two million faithful will attend, a figure that places the event on a large scale even before taking into account the symbolic importance of the place for the singer.

“Me acaban de confirmar que en mi ciudad, en la ciudad de Luján, le voy a cantar al Papa. ¡En mi ciudad de Luján, en donde vivo, viene un Papa! Poder recibirlo, poder cantarle, poder cantarle todos juntos!”Luciano Pereyra

Pereyra made the announcement during his eighth performance at the Movistar Arena, where he was visibly emotional as he spoke about the possibility of singing for the Pope in the city where he lives. The confirmation turned an artistic tour stop into a personal moment, with the singer facing an audience that shared his excitement.

His repertoire will include “Si no es contigo”, the first advance of his forthcoming record. The song begins a new stage for Pereyra, with folk roots and a pop sound, and its inclusion in the program connects the mass with the work he is currently developing.

There is also a significant precedent in Pereyra’s career. In 2000, when he was only 18 years old, he was chosen to represent Latin American youth and performed “Solo le pido a Dios” before Juan Pablo II during the World Youth Day in Rome. Now, after more than two decades, he will sing in his hometown for a different pope and in a different context.

• Nahuel Pennisi will perform on Monday, November 9, at 11:30, at the Monumento a los Españoles in Palermo.
• Luciano Pereyra will sing during the closing mass on Wednesday, November 11, at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján.
• The Luján gathering is projected to bring between one million and two million faithful.
• The visit runs from November 8 to 11 under the motto “Bienvenidos todos. Vayan y anuncien”.
• León XIV’s trip will be the first papal visit to Argentina since Juan Pablo II’s journey in 1987.

The presence of Pennisi and Pereyra gives the visit a distinctly Argentine dimension. Their performances bring folklore, popular song and personal history into the agenda, while the settings chosen—Palermo and Luján—also connect the pope’s visit with places that carry a strong collective memory.