On March 10th 2001 she flew from Buenos Aires early in the morning and then took a bus from Vienna to Slovakia at midnight the next day. Apparently, there was an issue with her visa and that of some of her colleagues at the customs office where they were supposed to spend the night there. With the immediate intervention of manager Martin Sarvas, the issue was resolved as quickly as possible. She had booked a hotel known for its Italian food and Spanish-speaking owner. She asked to have fruit, still mineral water and tequila. Although her mother was with her, they did not stay in the same apartment. Her ten bodyguards, six dancers, make-up artist, hairdresser, nail technician and two managers stayed in a separate apartment. Her booking was confirmed on Sunday at 3pm, she requested other rooms. Singer Afrique Simone was a guest guest to sing, but ended up sleeping at “La Taverna”.
Natalia and her mother arrived in Nitra three hours late on March 11th, which resulted in the cancellation of the scheduled press conference and her not being able to attend the fitting of the clothes she would wear to the beauty pageant. At a last-minute meeting with the record company BMG, where she was awarded a platinum disc for “Natalia Oreiro” and a gold disc for “Tu veneno” for sales in Slovakia. At the meeting, she revealed that she would come back for the concert she would give in Bratislava on April 6th. She also wrote a message for Slovak viewers since the channel that broadcasted the telenovela “Muneca brava” would start on April 10th. In the evening, she appeared at the beauty contest “Miss Universe Slovakia 2001” at the Andrej Bagar Theater where she performed the songs: “Tu veneno” and “Cambio dolor”.
Almost a month later, Natalia traveled to Slovakia by bus, arriving 90 minutes late on April 5th, 2001 from Budapest. At the Forum Hotel, one of the most expensive in the country, journalists and fans were waiting for her to give her flowers and various gifts. She signed a few autographs but did not speak to the press. Some fans came from Karlovy Vary in the West and České Budějovice in the South Bohemian Czech Republic. The managers canceled all promotions, including the press conference. Apparently, Natalia and some of her associates forgot their passports in Rusovce. According to Natalia’s musicians, the customs officer brought them some concert tickets in exchange. After checking in, Natalia and her band took a walk through the streets of Slovakia. Around 5 pm, she left her hotel to go to the concert venue for rehearsals.
The concert took place at the Culture and Recreation Park in Bratislava on April 6th. It was scheduled to take place at 7 pm but was delayed by half an hour due to the panic among the fans. Journalists were only allowed to record the first song, as the entire concert was recorded by Slavic Television, which was broadcast on April 21st and repeated on December 31st. Around 9pm, some fans managed to get on stage and Natalia signed autographs and took pictures with them. “Thanks to my acting, the whole world has known me. Thanks to my music, I have known the whole world,” Natalia said with satisfaction. The concert venue was two-thirds full as tickets cost over 800 SKK and only a few people were able to buy tickets. The poor sound quality was very disappointing, with microphoning and it was unbearable for the fans. Slovakia was the last stop on her European tour. Backstage, she gave an interview for the magazine “Televizia” and sent her message to its readers: “I send a big kiss to all the readers. I will please them with a third album and a new series at the end of the year”.
She was scheduled to perform concerts in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. However, this part of the tour was canceled by the Czech organizing company. As for Slovakia, Natalia was to perform a concert in Banská Bystrica (20.10) and one in Kosice (26.10). Natalia’s manager issued an official press release about the sad news: “Unfortunately, there is no way Natalia could change or reverse the situation”. After the concert, Natalia and her band went to the restaurant “The Three Musketeers” for traditional food. It is located near the Presidential Palace. Several fans and politicians recognized her there.
Last update: 1.6.2025