Program of 'Málaga en Flamenco' unveiled

Text: Juan Vergillos

Málaga the splendid.Málaga of the senses and of dreams. Seven series of shows with seven shows each: 49 recitals between August 25th and September 30th. A concept, a pretext that breaks the reigning logic of a mere sucession or juxtaposition of concerts. An idea: the number 7. A magical number, occult.

The prologue is a rite of initiation: a megaconcert that begins exactly at midnight August 25th, at Antequera’s Dolmen de Mega, waiting for the sun to rise at seven A.M.: seven recitals with Inma la Bruja, Fernando Terremoto, José Luis Montón and Juan José Amador among others. The first series, “Sólo Apto Para Menores” [Only Apt for Minors], featuring young stars of flamenco, future and present, beginning with a recital by Estrella Morente, followed by six more thematic concerts (women, geography, etc.) in theaters throughout Málaga, Marbella and Mijas.

“Son de Málaga”, the second series, is self-explanatory from the title: cante, guitar-playing and dance from Málaga, of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with tributes to Eduardo Ocón in Torrijos, to la Repompa, and to the malagueña, that sweetly radical flamenco genre. From oldtimers like Cancanilla de Marbella and Antonio de Canillas, to young hopefuls like Luisa Palicio and La Divi.

“Seven Caracolas”, number three, represents seven kinds of madness: a tribute to the maestro Sabicas on his centennial with the Málaga Orchestra, and guitarist Pepe Romero, a show by the La Cuadra group based on “La Traviata”, and thematic recitals by Arcángel and Morente.Also, the sounds of Manuel de Falla, a tribute to Manolo Caracol and a show by El Junco. In Málaga, Marbella, Mijas and Vélez-Málaga.

Four: “Seven New Productions”, chosen by public competition, and headed by Israel Galván, la Moneta, El Pele, Rafael Estévez… and a surprise, a staged version by Javier Barón of a wondrous and crazy book by David Pielfort, “El Gitanito Esquizofrénico”. All at the Las Lagunas Theater in Mijas. Number five is called “Seven recordings”, or the representation of seven records of those produced in 2007, which include: Encarna Anillo, Daniel Casares, Marina Heredia, Calixto Sánchez, Miguel Ochando, Luis Perdiguero and Cañizares. At theaters and open-air venues in Málaga, Álora and Antequera.

Number six is the “Seven Wonders”, another seven concerts at seven paradigmatic natural settings and venues related to the history of Málaga: Rocío Molina and El Torcal, Miguel Poveda at the Colegiata de Santa María de Antequera will sing to Muñoz Rojas, music of saeta and Semana Santa at the Ochavada de Archidona plaza, Gerardo Núñez at the caves of Nerja, Mayte Martín will sing to Alcántara at the Guadalhorce reservoir, Carmen Linares with Moroccan musicians and verdiales at the Castillo de Fuengirola and a tribute to the great Antonio Soler at the Ronda bull-ring.

And seven, the last of all, the most international flamenco musician: Paco de Lucía.His own recital, and six who will pay tribute to him: from Serranito to Manolo Sánlucar, Tomatito, Benavent, Pardo, etc.

In other words, one festival that is really many, an explosion of the present creativity of this art.A mature art, great, handsome, lucid and sentimental, profound and varied.Málaga en Flamenco, by the grace of José Luis Ortiz Nuevo, and this is news to no one, broadens flamenco and projects it to other universes: the stone and the symphony orchestra, the water and the voice, the history and the future. Imagination, wisdom, creativity, experimentalism and experience, bravery.And above all, boundless love for this art.This is what the program of Málaga en Flamenco is offering in muliples of seven.