From Ireland to Venezuela

At Jax Torrevieja, we like to say that we are a Latin restaurant. But that does not mean we put borders around the table. Quite the opposite. If Latin American cuisine has taught us anything, it is that flavours travel, cultures mix, nostalgia finds a home, and, when you least expect it, different worlds end up dancing together.

Sometimes to salsa. Sometimes to joropo. Sometimes to vallenato. And on the 3rd of July, also to Irish country music.

Yes, you read that correctly: Irish country music in a Latin restaurant.

Before anyone raises an eyebrow as if they had just seen an empanada filled with Guinness, it is worth remembering something important: Ireland and Latin America have known each other for far longer than many people realise.

History is often told through maps, battles and famous names, but it is also made of journeys, accents, family stories, homesickness and people who one day had to leave their land in search of a better future. In that sense, the Irish and Latin Americans understand each other very well. Both know what it means to emigrate, to work hard, to sing so the heart does not fall apart, and to turn any family gathering into a celebration.

Ireland left its mark on Latin America from the days of independence. In Venezuela, one of the most remarkable figures is Daniel Florence O’Leary, an Irishman born in Cork who became closely linked to the cause of Simón Bolívar. O’Leary was not a confused tourist looking for sun and beaches. He was a soldier, a trusted collaborator of the Liberator, and an important figure in Venezuelan historical memory. His writings helped preserve a fundamental part of the Bolivarian story. In simple terms: if Latin America remembers many of those great historical events in detail, it is partly thanks to an Irishman with a pen, a uniform and quite a bit of character.

Venezuela was not the only bridge. In Chile, Bernardo O’Higgins, one of the fathers of Chilean independence, was the son of Ambrose O’Higgins, an Irishman who rose to become Viceroy of Peru. In Argentina, William Brown, born in County Mayo, is remembered as the founder of the Argentine Navy. So, when we look calmly at Latin American history, we discover that among liberators, sailors, soldiers, merchants, teachers and emigrant families, Irish names have been appearing here and there for centuries.

 But beyond numbers, what matters most is the human story: Irish people who crossed the Atlantic, settled in new lands, learned new rhythms, kept their songs alive and added their own chapter to the great Latin American table.

And this is where music comes in.

Ireland is a land of songs. Songs to celebrate, to mourn, to remember those who left, to welcome those who returned, and to tell a story .

Irish country music, in particular, combines the storytelling tradition of country with Irish sensitivity. It speaks of love, loss, family, roads, memory and hope. In other words, many of the same themes we find in Latin American music — only sometimes with boots and a hat . The landscape may change, but the feeling remains the same.

That is why it makes perfect sense for us to welcome Michelle Magee to Jax on the 3rd of July. Michelle is an Irish singer and television presenter linked to the world of country music, and her performance at our restaurant is not a strange exception. It is a celebration of the cultural roads that connect peoples who may seem distant, but are deeply similar.

Because Jax is not just a place to eat. It is a meeting point.

Here, Venezuelans, Colombians, Spaniards, Argentinians, Brazilians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Cubans, Irish, British and many others sit at the same table. An arepa can share a table with a European beer. A bandeja paisa can listen to an Irish country ballad. A sancocho can look at a shamrock and say: “Welcome, my friend. Sit down and have something.”

On the 3rd of July, that is exactly what we want to do: open the doors to a different kind of evening, with an Irish soul and a Latin heart. A night to remember that culture does not stand still. It crosses seas, changes languages, adapts, mixes and comes back transformed into something new.

Perhaps that is why Ireland and Latin America understand each other so well. Both worlds know nostalgia, family, catholic traditions, music, faith in good company, the importance of a full table and the need to sing when life gets too serious.

And at Jax, we know that life already brings enough bills, paperwork and Monday mornings. So when a good reason to celebrate appears, the intelligent thing to do is simple: celebrate.

Michelle Magee comes to Jax with Irish country music, and we welcome her as we would in any Latin home: with joy, good food and the conviction that the best evenings often begin with an unexpected mix.

So, on the 3rd of July at Jax Torrevieja, the shamrock sits down with the arepa, Ireland speaks again with Venezuela, and music reminds us that, in the end, we are not so far apart.

Sometimes, all it takes is a song, a shared table and the willingness to enjoy the moment.

And if that moment comes with good food, even better. History may be written in books, but the best memories are often made around the table.