Enrique Iglesias concert: Before KJo’s 'ek tarfa pyaar', there's Enrique's song

Long before the music concert boom took over India and Mumbai Pooja Drsquosouza had made a promise to her husband and mother She shares ldquoMany years ago when this wave of concert began I told my husband and mom Irsquom going for Enriquersquos concert even if I have to buy the ticket for lakhs and pay an EMIrdquo shares the excited Mumbaikar ahead of the concert at MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla ComplexInterestingly the last time Enrique came to Mumbai was in 2004 and performed at the same venue but did not return to the city when he came back in 2012 on a threecity tour returning to Bengaluru while also performing in Gurugram and PuneMumbairsquos biggest superfansNow that itrsquos finally happening the 37yearold Enrique Iglesias superfan is ldquosuper excitedrdquo for the concert as she has booked the tickets for the October 30 show which was the first that was announced and sold out leading to the organisers adding a second on October 29 Drsquosouza is one of many fans in Mumbai and India who will be at the concert After all it is a dream come true almost 20 years after she first started listening to the artist Going back in time she says ldquoI first listened to his songs in early 2000rsquos because my sister was English music fan Enrique is my first introduction to English songs and they felt so relatable as my first and only relationship began around the same timerdquoWith many hits such as lsquoAddictedrsquo the collaboration with Whitney Houston Could I have this kiss forever Hero and Escape she also has some of the fondest memories listening to the singer ldquoI have too many fond memories but two of the most memorable ones are We had to wait all day for the songs to play because unlike now we didnrsquot have the means to listen to whatever we wanted for anytime and the other is that all his videos were steamy and so ahead of the times for that time so if dad entered the house when his songs were playing we had to change the channelrdquoIt was no different for Karen Fernandes age who will be attending the concert with her friends ldquoIrsquom very excited because it feels like my life is coming full circle from the first time I started listening to Enriquerdquo shares the citybased entrepreneur who first started listening to the Grammy Awardwinning Spanish singersongwriter popularly known for hits such as lsquoRhythm Divinersquo when she was 9 years oldLike most Millennials who grew up on memorising lyrics 34yearold Fernandes says while many may have cherished memories of love and life for her it was the silliest bits ldquoFiguring out the lyrics and singing along in our worst most offkey tunes is the fondest memory I have to growing up with Enriquersquos songsrdquo adds the Mumbaikar who says she used to be a superfan but may have moved on over the years but still cannot help but tune into his music with lsquoHerorsquo on loop ahead of the concertFlying all the way from KolkataThe craze is not only among Mumbaikars but also fans from other cities including 29yearold Barsha Bhattacharya who is flying down from Kolkata to witness the lsquoEscapersquo singer She reacts ldquoI am super excited I am going with my friends I have known my whole life and its so gratifying to know that you can go with your family and friends to a concert to see an artist perform all of you grew up listening toordquoFor the superfan who first started listening to Enrique when she was 12 she and her friend would simply wait for VH1 to play Enrique songs thanks to a lack of internet at home On weekends we would go to cyber cafes and listen to all the latest songs And when Enrique collaborated with our very own Sunidhi Chauhan we died even though it was super cringerdquoIt gets even better for the Kolkata creative professional because she says the only reason she agreed to travel from Kolkata to Mumbai during such an odd time of the year is because her best friend asked her to ldquoWe have this group of four and my friend has been living in Mumbai for 10 years It was about time we visited him and Enriques concert gave us the nostalgic opportunity to plan this exciting triprdquo shares Barsha who absolutely loves the songs lsquoAddictedrsquo lsquoSomebodys Mersquo lsquoHeartbeatrsquo and lsquoWhy Not Mersquo tooAt a time when there are so many concerts happening the Kolkata native says this concert is special because of more than one reason ldquoEnrique is comforting Enrique is home We grew up listening to this artist Our parents were fans of his father Its almost an inherited fandom Before KJo made ek tarfa pyar a thing it was Enrique strumming his guitar and singing Why not merdquoIf that doesnrsquot prove how much Barsha loves him and her excitement for Enrique performing in Mumbai then she reminisces ldquoI had barebodied Enrique with his abs pasted on my walls during my teenage years I have taken them down now But I might just turn up in those themed Tshirts from the early 2000srdquoWhile the tickets for October 30 are sold out the tickets for the concert on October 29 are priced at Rs 7000 and Rs 14000