Woman goes into labor at Fresno concert. The star visited her in the hospital
A fan went into labor and gave birth during Karol G’s performance at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday.
The moment was likely missed by most of the crowd, which was at near-capacity and busy with high-decibel screaming (also dancing and generally just freaking out) during the two-hour concert, which is part of the Colombian singer’s Strip Love tour.
It wasn’t missed by the Colombian singer, who visited the new mother at Saint Agnes Medical Center after the show.
In photos and videos posted from the hospital, she wrote: “Anahi, la bebe, esta increiblemente saludable y hermosa!!! Su mamita, tambien.
“Y yo. Sin palabras.”
Translation: “I am speechless.”
Karol G has been performing since she was 14, building a fan base doing collaborations with major Latin stars like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee and Ozuna. She also had a song with Nicki Minaj. She’s also racked up a long list of Latin Grammy nominations (and wins).
Rolling Stone called her a “Reggaeton Superstar” who transcends the genre. Pitchfork said she is “an unstoppable force in Latin music.”
This year, she was one of the first Latinas to be featured high on the bill of Coachella’s main stage.
With the Strip Love tour, Karol proves she has true pop star credentials.
Along with the crowd size — which was touted as a sell-out prior to the show and had tickets selling for $400 apiece — Tuesday night’s concert had all the trappings of a major pop music tour. Think laser lights and flames, numerous costume changes for Karol and her assemblage of backup dancers, and some major moving set pieces.
For the song “El Makinon,” Karol floated above the stage and then into the crowd in a teal green Ferrari; license plate “Bichota” after her 2020 hit.
Later, a literal moon was brought out to shine over the crowd.
Recognition deserved
Doriam Romero is a Karol G fan, though her friend would say she’s being humble.
“She’s a major Karol G influencer,” he says. Check out @doriamaromero.
Romero has traveled the globe and seen the singer in concert some 25 times, including in Karol’s hometown of Medellín, Colombia.
She drove up from Los Angeles for Tuesday night’s show — her 14th time seeing Karol on the Strip Love tour. She spent the entire show singing, and at times screaming, Karol’s words back toward the stage.
The fact that a Colombian singer can put on a tour of this scale and sell-out arenas across the United State is proof of the importance of the Spanish language, Romero says, and that Latin music is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Ditto, for Karol G.
Romero remembers seeing the singer as an opening act, where people wouldn’t even stand up while she was playing. Compare that with crowd at Tuesday night’s show and its clear that Karol is having a moment. Which makes Romeo all kinds of happy.
“I’m just so proud of her.”
About that “strip love”
The tour is called the Strip Love tour and to some degree, the concert played out like a long-form strip show. No one got naked (or even close) but there were numerous dance breaks, and the amount of body-pulsing and gyrating (and straight-up pole dancing) would certainly trigger the more prudish.
Yet, somehow the show managed to keep from feeling over the top or exploitative.
At one point, members of the crowd were pulled up on stage to compete in a dance competition. Somehow the guy who did a back flip didn’t win. It ended up as a tie, with two fans getting “un mil dolares” that was being carried around in a briefcase like a clip from “Deal or No Deal.”
What’s coming ...
Astute fans — like Romero — may have noticed the colorful cartoon drawing flashed up the video screen as fans were leaving the arena. That’s a clue, Romero says, for what fans can expect soon.
“It’s an Easter egg for her next album.”
Other observations
Karol seems to innately connect to the music and can work the crowd with a single look — usually a sly, knowing smile. She struts the stage, the crowd screams. She hits the beat drop with a jump and a whip of her hair, and the crowd is right there with her, screaming for some more.
It was nice to see Karol had a full band. They were kind of hidden in an orchestra pit off stage for most of the show, but had some moment of shine, especially when they came front and center for a few songs toward the end of the set.
Fans were given wristbands when coming into the area. The bands were synced to the performance and lit up, changed color and flashed at various points during the show. It allows the fans (and the whole of arena itself) to become part of the ambiance of the night and was a nice immersive affect.
Before the show, it seems like a lot of fans were trying to unload tickets on social media. Hopefully no one got scammed.
