By: GINA DEWAR
In Malinche, Nacho Cano achieves an artistic and emotional feat: rescuing one of the most controversial figures in Mexican history and transforming her into a symbol of love, cultural fusion, and survival. With his signature style—a blend of visual spectacle, vibrant music, and poetic sensibility—Cano reinterprets the legend of Malinalli, the woman who changed the destiny of a continent.
For centuries, Malinche has been seen as a traitor, a victim, or a symbol of subjugation. However, Nacho Cano accomplishes what few have dared to do: humanize her. He shows us a woman trapped between two worlds, marked by violence and slavery, but also driven by love and the instinct to survive. Her relationship with Hernán Cortés is not presented as mere domination, but as the birth of a new identity: that of mestizaje, embodied in her son Martín Cortés, the first mestizo in history.
The staging dazzles with its narrative and visual power, where each song becomes a piece of living history. Cano’s music—passionate, profound, and modern—elevates the figure of La Malinche to the status of myth, but without losing her humanity. There is no judgment or condemnation: there is understanding.
Our experience was complete from the very beginning. Before the show, we dined at La Pelota Mestiza, the themed restaurant where we savored dishes that celebrate our two cultural heritages: Spanish and Mexican. Flavors, colors, and aromas prepared our senses for what was to come. After our reservation, an hour and a half later, a friendly team led us directly to our seats, making us feel like we were part of a carefully designed experience, where history and art are lived from the very first moment.
And if the story itself is moving, the actors at Frontón México brought it to life. Their dedication, energy, and passion enveloped us in an atmosphere where the past became present, where every note and every gesture made us feel profoundly proud to be Mexican.
The talent on stage deserves special mention:
Malinche: Ishbel Bautista and Andrea Bayardo
Moctezuma: Alan Javier Hernández Medina
Hernán Cortés: Adrián Salzedo and Daniel Rosado
Father Olmedo: Ignacio Galán
Governor Diego Velázquez: Javier Navares
Gerónimo de Aguilar: David Martínez
Each of them contributes a unique interpretive force, giving life to a story that pulsates with pain, passion, and the rebirth of a new identity.
In the end, La Malinche is not just a musical; it is an act of artistic justice for a woman who was criticized, sold, raped… but who also loved. Nacho Cano invites us to view his story not through guilt, but through empathy, reminding us that from that pain was born the very essence of who we are today: a blend of cultures, languages, and feelings.
Recommendation from La Revista Binacional:
As women who had the privilege of living this experience (Nora Vargas, Adriana Brunner, Vero DelaRosa, and Gina Dewar), we recommend La Malinche as an unmissable event in Mexico City. It is a sensory, historical, and profoundly emotional journey that reminds us, with pride, of where we come from and who we are.