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Once again Barcelona is preparing its flamenco rite of spring. For some
years now this capital city in Spain’s northeast, far from Andalucía,
has been offering two flamenco festivals, one right after the other, making
Barcelona an important focus for flamenco fans in the second half of May.
Between one program and the other, the offering spans every kind of preference,
from the most orthodox to the most avant-garde.
Between May 19th and 21st in the Patio of the Sede del Distrito, within
the programmed activities of the Fiesta Mayor de Nou Barris, the Festival
Flamenco de Nou Barris will be celebrated under the banner “Alma”
(soul), because the organizers wanted to render tribute to women, “the
soul of flamenco “ as spokesman Manuel Pérez explained, adding
“today there is a much large female presence in the world of flamenco,
particularly in dance”. In addition to the spectacular dancer from
Granada, Fuensanta ‘La Moneta’, singers Carmen Linares, Montse
Cortés and Gemma Caballero will perform, as well as dancers Ángeles
Gabaldón and María del Mar Fuentes with her show ‘Con-traste’.
Just a few days later, from May 24th to 28th, the twelfth edition of
the Festival Flamenco de Ciutat Vella will be held with the title “Simientes”.
A tribute is scheduled for guitarist Rafael Riqueni who has recently resumed
his career after years of health problems.
The Taller de Musics which organizes the festival has two expressed aims:
that of juxtaposing veterans and young hopefuls, and of presenting a balanced
program which each day features cante, guitar and dance with guitarists
Rafael Riqueni, Juan Carlos Romero and Jerónimo Maya, singers Antonio
Velez 'Pitingo', 'El Vareta' and Las Molinas and Encarna Anillo and dancers
Andrés Marín, Andrés Peña and the flamenco
dance company of theTaller de Músicos de Somorrostro.
The festival includes a parallel series of conferences devoted to the
figure and work of Isaac Albeniz, and for youthful tastes, a “chill-out”
program and dee-jay performances.
Estela Zatania
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