Flamenco continues to cross borders and nowadays festivals held outside
Spain warrant as much attention and enjoy as much popularity as those
within the country.
With the FestivalUSA and the Albuquerque festival, year after year American
promoter are placing their bets on flamenco and the theaters are packed.
But it’s probably Spain’s neighboring country of France where
the most flamenco activity goes on with a series of festivals of which
the one held yearly in Mont de Marsan stands out as the most well-rounded
and, with this its sixteenth edition, longest-running.
Each July this charming town in southwestern France turns into the capital
of flamenco receiving first-line artists, with a program that includes
both contemporary and traditional flamenco. And like all important festivals,
there is a program of complementary activities that includes dance classes,
this year offered by such stars as Manuela Vargas, Mercedes Ruiz and Pepa
Montes, as well as guitar, compás and palmas classes. A series
of presentations, conferences and expositions lend dimension and prestige
to the festival.
But as always, it’s the live shows which capture the public interest,
and this year the menu is full of tasty dishes. In dance, you could hardly
ask for more than Eva Yerbabuena with her “5 Mujeres 5” and
Joaquín Grilo with “A Solas”. The show “ADN Jerez”
promises an exciting night of compás and good Jerez flamenco with
Diego Carrasco, El Torta, Moraíto and Antonio el Pipa. The charming
show “Historias de Arte” with Chano Lobato, Matilde Coral
and Juan Habichuela is also destined to be a high point.
PROGRAM
Monday
July 5th “A Solas” Joaquín Grilo
Espace François Mitterrand 9:00pm
Bodega (Place de la Mairie)
Melinda Sala
9:00pm-11:30pmh
Tuesday
July 6th
Café Cantante (Place Saint Roch) 7:30pm 'La guitarra' Antonio Rey
'Dibujos en el aire' Mercedes Ruiz 9:30pm
Bodega (Place de la Mairie)
Luis de la Carrasca 9:00pm-11:30pm
Wednesday
July 7th '5 mujeres 5' Eva Yerbabuena
Espace François Mitterrand 9:00pm
Bodega (Place de la Mairie)
Manolo Punto 9:00pm-11:30pm
Thursday
July 8th
Café Cantante (Place Saint Roch) 'Historias de arte' Chano Lobato, Matilde Coral
and Juan Habichuela 7.30pm
'El cante' José Manzano 9.30pm
Bodega (Place de la Mairie)
Noche Flamenca 9:00pm-11:30pm
Friday
July 9th 'ADN Jerez' Diego Carrasco, El Torta, Moraíto,
Antonio el Pipa…
Espace François Mitterrand 9:00pm
Bodega (Place de la Mairie)
Habiyelar 9:00pm-11:30pm
Saturday July 10th
Gala Dinner, Hall de Nahuques 'Estampas de fiesta'
José Caraoscura, Jesule de la Tomasa, Samara Carrasco, Manuel Amaya…
WORKSHOPS
Ecole de Musique et de Danse
Dance Workshops (4-9 July)
Pepa Montes. master class
Mercedes Ruiz. advanced
Manuela Vargas. intermediate
Juan Paredes. beginners
Lidia Chamero. beginners
Compás and Palmas Workshop (4-7 July)
Gamba de Jerez
Guitar Workshop
Pierre Pradal (July 4-9). beginners and pre-intermediate
Antonio Rey (July 7-10) master class and advanced
CONFERENCES
Auditorium de l'Ecole de Musique et de la Danse 5:30pm Tuesday July 6th
Carlos Lencero: 'Camarón de la Isla, la leyenda del cantaor solitario'
Wednesday July 7th
Manuel Macías: Presentation of the 'Guía Telemática
del Flamenco'
Thursday July 8th
Alberto García Reyes: 'Antonio Mairena frente al mairenismo'
Friday July 9th
Ricardo Pachón: 'Ricardo Pachón, una vida dedicada a la
producción flamenca'
