Jorge Martínez, leader of Ilegales, announces he has cancer and cancels his tour.

The legendary rock band Ilegales has announced the cancellation of its entire tour due to the medical diagnosis received by its singer and leader, Jorge Martínez . In a statement from their promoter, Art Music Agency, they indicate that he will undergo treatment for the cancer he has been diagnosed with, without specifying the type of tumor.

"It is with great regret that we must announce that all scheduled Ilegales concerts are canceled indefinitely due to health issues affecting Jorge Martinez, the band's vocalist, guitarist, and leader. In recent days, the situation that forced us to cancel previous concerts has become more complicated than initially anticipated , necessitating a complete halt to the band's live performances so Jorge can undergo cancer treatment," Ilegales' statement reads.

"This decision, as difficult as it is inevitable, responds solely to Jorge's need to dedicate all his energy to recovering ," the statement reads. "At Ilegales, we want to express our gratitude to the ever-loyal fans who have supported the band throughout their four-decade career, as well as our sincerest apologies to those who had purchased tickets or had made plans to attend upcoming concerts."

"Today, more than ever, is the time to put health first. We trust that Jorge's strength and indomitable character will allow him to overcome this difficult time, and we hope he will soon be back in front of his fans on stage. We sincerely appreciate the understanding , affection, and support received during this difficult time."

The group's next performance was in Galicia, at the Noites do Porto festival in A Coruña on September 26th alongside Ana Curra . The festival, in addition to "sending Jorge Ilegal all our love and wishing him a speedy recovery," has announced that they are working against the clock to find a replacement for that day and that tickets will remain valid, allowing refunds for those who wish. The following concerts were at Arrecife en vivo in Alicante, Iberia Festival in Benidorm, and the Círculo del Arte in Toledo.

The presentations of his latest work, 'Young and arrogant' , also had dates in Seville, Murcia, Bilbao, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Santiago de Compostela, Jaén, Mallorca, Alicante, Burgos, Córdoba, Granada, Guadalajara, Málaga, Ponferrada, Santander, Toledo, Valladolid, Vitoria and Gijón among other cities, and has made two stops in Mexico, four in Ecuador, three in Colombia, three in Chile and one in Peru.

Over the course of more than four decades, thirteen studio albums, and two independent record labels (Discóbolo Records in the 1980s and La Casa del Misterio in the 2000s), the band has experienced lineup changes, both on bass and drums, while always maintaining Jorge Martínez as leader and lead vocalist. Jorge and his band have been experiencing a second golden age in recent years, with a significant amount of projects around the group (including books and two documentaries), delivering great performances, and prolifically recording excellent albums.

"I'm already recording things for the next album," he said in his last interview with Ruta66 magazine, just after releasing 'Joven y Arrogante'. "Maybe it's because of the anxiety of the historic moment we're living in, which seeps in everywhere. When it rains, you have to collect as much as you can. And I assure you, it's raining hard."

The "Joven y Arrogante" tour had begun with a sold-out performance at Madrid's La Riviera venue, which led to the announcement of a second date at the same venue for June 14th. This confirmed the band's spectacular momentum, consolidating its position as one of the Spanish-language rock bands with the greatest live following. Since their return in 2015, Ilegales have seen a dizzying rise in ticket sales, festival appearances, and critical and popular acclaim.

But after the cancellation of several isolated concerts in recent weeks, the last of which was on September 14th at the San Mateo festival in Oviedo ("due to Jorge's surgery," the band said with great sadness, as it was a much-anticipated date for their leader as they were playing at home), this news confirms that something unfortunate could be happening within the group. Last night, during their performance at 'La Revuelta' , Loquillo, Martínez's friend and bandmate, dedicated his song 'Feo, fuerte y formal' to him.