We're happy to announce that Juga will perform live at the Opening Ceremony of the Candidates Tournament and premiere her new song, "Open Files".
Chilean singer Juga is famous in the chess circles for her many chess-themed songs. She describes herself as a conceptual artist who writes songs and scripts about life struggles, love and self-growth through chess metaphors, convinced that "chess is a mirror of life". Her first chess song, "Oh, Capablanca", received a warm welcome in the chess community and was performed at the closing of the Chess Olympiad in Batumi in 2018. This time, it will be the first item in the Candidates Tournament Opening Ceremony program in Madrid.
On the same day, June 16, Juga will release the music video for her new song. It is a secret-agent-themed short film produced by Odesa Films in Budapest, in collaboration with Matild Palace Hotel. You can watch the teaser here.
The Opening Ceremony is invitation-only, but for chess fans in Madrid, Juga will also give a concert at Sala Clamores (Saturday, June 25, 18:00).
The show is called "Chess Divas". This unique performance combines music, chess, glamour, and female empowerment, celebrating iconic singers like Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, and Carmen Miranda. Juga premiered this program with the Hungarian pianist László Lakatos in Budapest in October 2021, followed by Munich and Dubai.
One of the songs in the show is Polya Chornye, with chess lyrics written by former Women's World Chess Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk. Another is Por una Cabeza tango, with lyrics adapted by Juga and a five-time Argentine Champion GM Ruben Felgaer. The program includes songs in seven languages, in addition to English.