Today, at 8 in the morning, the family of Indio Solari shared a new statement ending the massive wake that took place since yesterday. “That’s it. Everyone who had the chance to come and say goodbye to him did so. Now the rain sends us all home, to continue grieving inside and to remember him as he was: human, infinite,” begins the post they uploaded to their Instagram account.
And he continues: “Thanks to everyone who made this effort: both those who came closer and those who cried where their grief surprised them, as well as the tons of boys and girls who made it possible and were part of the enormous organization that represented this farewell, in record time. He told us that goodbyes are these sweet pains. What he didn’t warn us about was that sweet pains like these were going to last our entire lives.”
Finally, he closes with these words: “As it couldn’t be otherwise, he thought about everything before leaving. And that’s why he left the Marshall equipment on his guitar and the sound system where he listened to the songs he was working on. He suggested to us, thus, that the music should continue playing, regardless of what happened. Let’s do that. May your music never stop again.”
With this statement, the family of Indio Solari ended the long wake which took place since yesterday at the Gatica Sports Center, in the city of Villa Domínico, to say goodbye to the musician, which included kilometers of queues and several hours of people parading in front of his coffin
A massive farewell
The final goodbye to Indio Solari began long before his body arrived on Sunday morning at the Gatica Sports Center in Villa Domínico, in the Avellaneda district. On Friday afternoon, hours after his death was confirmed, the artist’s fans gathered in Plaza de Mayo. There, thousands of followers of the musician and his bands lit the candles for what was the last ricotera mass, which lasted until dawn.
While the place where the funeral was going to be held was being determined, a call again brought together as many ricoteros on Saturday afternoon. The stage chosen was the Obelisk and what happened was the prelude to the big farewell, which after several instances of negotiation it was decided to take place in the large municipal property that is part of the Worker’s Rights Park.
Although the musician’s family announced that the final farewell would begin on Sunday at 11 in the morning, the Ricoteros pilgrimage began the same Saturday night: thousands of people decided to camp at the place to be able to enter very early to leave an offering to their idol. The massiveness of the call modified the plans, and the doors opened two hours earlier than officially stated.
Little by little, Villa Dominico became a sanctuary where music, flags, hugs, anecdotes and collective tears colored the mourning in a celebration ceremony.
Without a fence to organize the line in its entire length, at noon the line already exceeded 50 blocks. On the sides of the river of people that flooded Avellaneda, street vendors did their business. The offering of the hundreds of improvised stalls covered everything from choripán, beer, fried cakes and empanadas to t-shirts, posters, flags, headbands and even fernet glasses with the image of the Indian.
The main people in charge of containing the crowd were the firefighters and a large group of volunteers, who were attentive throughout the event. the long line that formed and that reached more than eight kilometers to the particular needs of the disabled and families with children. There were also health posts, hydration and restroom sectors.
The afternoon transcended between celebration, melancholy, pain, the melodies of the Indian and calm. “We are more than a million people,” they announced shortly before 7 p.m. over a loudspeaker. Even the rain, which mixed with the cold after 8pm, failed to scare away the followers. The family’s motto had been clear: “There will be time for no one to be left without goodbye,” they wrote in one of the many statements with which they kept their followers informed through Instagram.
The entrance to the Gatica Sports Center was delimited by a fenced escorted by police officers who were covered by flags and posters, bouquets of flowers and handkerchiefs. Another ritual that marked goodbye was the lighting of candles, which intensified as the night progressed.
In the anteroom to the Burning Chapel, a screen broadcast throughout the day what was happening inside, where the coffin was located, surrounded by photos, t-shirts, flowers and flags. Above, a large black flag with the word Indio in his classic typography and the date of his life: “1949 – ∞“.
The entry to the place was constant. In batches, the followers entered to say goodbye to the leader, first of Patricio Rey and his Redonditos de Ricota and then of Los fundamentalists of the air conditioning. At times they applauded, some threw more flags and t-shirts at him. To the side, there were only a few chairs with people allowed to stay.
The last ricotera mass faded away little by little in Avellaneda. After four in the morning, the doors of the José María Gatica Microstadium were closed. After the last worshipers left, the family decided to end the wake. What remained were the graffiti, the rags, the offerings and a large white flag: “Farewells are those sweet pains.”
