LEO SIDRAN – RESIDENCE OF RESISTANCE

Leo Sidran - guitar, drums, voice
Max Darmon - bass
Paul Sany - piano
Luisa Corral - voice
Laura Revuelta - voice

The multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer Leo Sidran first played at Café Central in 1998, at just 21 years old, accompanying his father Ben Sidran on drums. From that first year, the Central stage became a kind of second home for both father and son. They returned every year for their annual residency, initially performing for seven consecutive nights and, over time, extending their stay to fourteen nights a year. This tradition was immortalized in Ben Sidran’s album Cien Noches at the Café Central (2007), recorded live during the group’s 100th concert at the venue.

In 2018 - twenty years after first performing at the Central as a drummer - Leo started another tradition: bringing his original music, guitar, and voice to the stage. He presented his album Cool School [The Music of Michael Franks] for the first time, and since then has returned every year, often to present new material (most recently, What’s Trending from 2023, his eighth solo album). After seeing him live at Café Central, journalist Fernando Neira described him as a “discreet genius of jazz-infused pop.”

Over so many years returning to the same stage, Sidran’s community of musicians and friends in Madrid has flourished, and each concert becomes an opportunity to invite guests, giving rise to improvised or unexpected musical encounters.

These friendships have also led to collaborations. Sidran co-produced the Oscar-winning song Al otro lado del río with Jorge Drexler (whom he met at Café Central!), and his most recent project, Leo & Leo, is a duo with Leonor Watling - whom he first sang with on that very stage.

And so, with that spirit of community and the pursuit of the unexpected, Sidran returns to Café Central for the final time, in a new format forged from friendships born in that sacred space: a tribute to so much life lived there, and an affirmation that even in farewell, there is room for discovery. Accompanied by some of his favorite musicians and singers from Madrid, he will offer a series of unique final concerts at the Central.

“Nothing superficial in this singer, who combines like no other a carefree character with refined manners.” – Télérama, Paris