BIENAL DE SEVILLA 2008. Presentations

Even-numbered year means the Bienal de Seville is once again upon us, and with six months to go, the countdown began this morning when the vast program of 54 shows, including 23 world premieres at 5 venues was announced in the region’s capital.

From September 10th to October 11th, Seville will become inundated with a flamenco feeling that covers the diversity of taste of thousands of visitors, national and from abroad.  If the last edition in 2006 was devoted to dance, this year the official slogan is “Las Músicas del Flamenco” to highlight the whole gamut of new tendencies of an artform that has had repercussions in nearly every musical genre throughout the world.

The shows are distributed in eight series titled Movimientos, El Futuro de lo Jondo, Clásicos del Siglo XXI, Variaciones, Flamencos y Otras Aves, El Flamenco que Viene, Flamenco para Niños and Al Son de las Estrellas, each with a different angle, from the most classic to the most avant-garde. The inaugural gala to be celebrated at the San Francisco plaza, is centered on the work of Manolo Sanlúcar who has just published his autobiography to celebrate 50 years of profession.  On September 19th, the maestro will present his show “Baldomero Resendi. La voz del color” at the Lope de Vega Theater within the series Movimientos.

Two of the most anticipated premieres are María Pagés’ “Autorretrato”, and “De la Mar al Fuego” with Juan Peña Lebrijano among others. The series ”El Futuro de lo Jondo” highlights current maestros who are destined to guide young people, now and in the future, and includes veterans such as Calixto Sánchez, Mariana Cornejo, Luis Zambo and José Mercé in cante, Manolo Franco and Serranito in guitar and Merche Esmeralda, Pepa Montes and Milagros Mengíbar in dance, among many others.

The series Clásicos del Siglo XXI covers the work of Segundo Falcón with “En el Bar Iberia”, Sara Baras with her version of “Carmen”, the surprising Diego Carrasco with “El Tiempo del Diablo”, in addition to the works of María Pagés, Pedro Sierra, Mayte Martín, Isabel Bayón, Pedro Ricardo Miño, Javier Barón, Arcángel and José Manuel Cañizares.

“Variaciones” is the title of a series devoted to the most experimental works with young artists like Manuel Liñán with Olga Pericet and Daniel Doña, Marcos Vargas with Chloé Brûlé, well-known artists such as Andrés Marín, Rocío Molina, Rafaela Carrasco and Israel Galván, novel works like Kahlo Calo and the popular group Son de la Frontera.

“Flamencos y Otras Aves” covers concerts that highlight collaboration between a diversity of musical styles and flamenco.  Here we will be able to enjoy the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and the Coro Nacional de España with the singing of Jerez cantaor José Mercé and the dancing of Lola Greco in a version of “La Vida Breve”, as well as other artists such as Chano Domínguez, Esperanza Fernández, Paco del Pozo, Esther Jurado and legendary flamenco rock groups like Cai, Imán, Tabletom, Pata Negra, Alameda o Guadalquivir.

The series “El Flamenco que Viene” will consist of young artists on the way up, and “Al Son de las Estrellas” once again offers those magical nights at the Hotel Triana in the open air where we can see a variety of artists such as Jerez singer Macanita, or the dancer from Morón de la Frontera Juan de Juan with the Orquesta Chekara.  As in the previous Bienal, a series of shows geared to children will be presented by the companies La Flamenkita and Reyes, and on October 11th the closing gala show, whose contents are to be announced at a later date, will be held.

Complete program