Nearly two and a half months after closing its 24th edition in New York, London is preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Flamenco Festival Between the days May 27 and June 8 with the most extensive lineup in its history. A program focused on the renewing sounds of the flamenco and which takes a broad look at figures who have marked milestones in the history of the festival, al female talent in the cante and in the dance and, of course, to Guitar, instrument flamenco par excellence, which will occupy a very special place. The city on the Thames will bring together a total of 17 companies, with names like Sara Baras, Manuel Liñán, La Tremendita, Farruquito, Lela Soto, the Ballet Flamenco from Andalusia, Las Migas, Manuel Valencia and La Plazuela, among many others.
This was announced this Thursday, April 10, in his presentation at a press conference by the director of the event, Miguel Marin, who was accompanied by the director of the Cervantes Institute in London, Victor Ugarte, the director of the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco, Christopher Ortega, the director of SGAE Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla, José Lucas Chaves Maza, the institutional director of Flamenco of the SGAE Foundation, Francisco Jose Archangel Ramos, and a good part of the scheduled companies and artists, who have met at the Andalusian headquarters of the SGAE Foundation to detail the programming of this new edition.
As Miguel Marín pointed out during his speech, "two decades have passed since that first edition in 2004 and, although the festival has grown and evolved, its spirit has remained intact: be a window in Europe from which you can see the landscape flamenco current, and allow the London public to discover and be excited by the new paths our art is taking.” He also referred to the complicity with the spaces where the shows take place: “All of them are fundamental pieces in this edition of the festival, and a reflection of our desire to continue expanding horizons for the flamenco".
Over the course of thirteen days, the 17 companies programmed, made up of 146 Spanish artists and technicians, will offer 25 performances in the legendary Sadler's Wells Theatre, reference theatre for dance in Europe, and epicenter of the Festival, and in other spaces such as the Lilian Baylis Studio, Kings Place o Jazz Café. Between May 27 and June 8, approximately XNUMX people are expected to pass through all of them. 18.000 spectators, who will join the 450.000 people who throughout the history of Flamenco London Festival has enjoyed a total of 350 performances.
«London is preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Flamenco Festival between May 27th and June 8th with the most extensive lineup in its history. A program focused on the innovative sounds of flamenco and which takes a broad look at figures who have marked milestones in the history of the festival, to female talent in the cante and in dance and, of course, on the guitar, an instrument flamenco par excellence"
The return of great dance figures
The 20th anniversary programming of Flamenco The London Festival also brings together some of the biggest names in dance who have made their mark on the festival in previous editions. These figures are already familiar to London audiences and eagerly awaited. This is the case with Sara Baras, which will offer six performances (from May 27 to June 1) of its show at Sadler's Wells Vuela Fundación, created to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his dance company and in which he pays tribute to the legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía.
The Granada native could not be absent from this anniversary Manuel Liñán, who will arrive on this occasion to present Dead of Love, one of the projects developed as part of the Torrox In Progress artist residency program. The show travels to London on June 2 to perform at Sadler's Wells.
In this same vein, he also returns to this temple of dance Farruquito, an artist who opened the festival in its first edition, in 2004. On June 4, the dancer will bring before the public Concert Flamenco, a proposal in which his son Juan 'El Moreno' accompanies him in the dance.
Windows to the flamenco of tomorrow
El flamenco It remains a fertile root from which new expressions and fresh, exciting music spring forth. In this sense, Flamenco London Festival is a window into what the flamenco It is today and it could be tomorrow. Therefore, the programming of this 20th edition includes artists and groups that reflect the current moment in the world of music. jondo, with figures that respect the deep roots of the flamenco traditional, but they reinterpret them from a modern perspective, often fusing them with other musical, choreographic and scenic languages.
This is the case of the proposal that the dancers are going to present. Florence Oz, Paula Comitre and Carmen Angulo, a first sample of Reflections on the FatesA project born from the program of artistic residencies and creative laboratories 'In Progress', the great flag and bet of Flamenco Festival and the City Council of Torrox (Málaga) for the creation and development of new projects that seek to expand creative horizons in the flamenco and provide a space for inquiry, experimentation, and reflection on topics of social relevance, as well as offering the ideal technical conditions and the necessary advice so that these projects can be developed.
This project, which can be seen in the Lilian Baylis Studio On May 31st, it has a sound space that combines the flamenco with electronic music and folklore, and inspired by the work of forgotten Spanish female composers from different eras. Choreographically, it's a collaboration between the three artists, each contributing their individual vision to different sections of the piece, creating a fluid dialogue between them to delve into the symbolic power of the female triad, an ancient and universal theme present in diverse cultures and mythologies.
The evolution of sound flamenco will also arrive in London with the crumbsWith their relatable poetry and mixed-race sensibility, the band will arrive just one day before the release of their new album, Flamenco, and will tread the boards of the Jazz Café on May 31st to present this new work, the sixth. A tribute to the essence and purity of flamenco where the voice and the guitar take absolute prominence.
Passion, authenticity, irony and sense of humor are some of the ingredients of Matancera, the proposal that The Tremendous will take you to London, to Lilian Baylis Studio, Also on May 31st. In her usual fusion of avant-garde and tradition, the Triana-born singer fosters an intense dialogue between the stage and the audience in this show, delving into the heart of shared passions, unhurriedly and selflessly. Through the notes of her electric bass and the ancestral sound of percussion, she offers a wild experience that moves away from political correctness and seeks the purity of emotions.
The Catalan artist Queralt Lahoz also joins the list of Flamenco London Festival with its unique offering, encompassing genres such as soul, hip-hop, dancehall, and boleros. A mix that will also reach London audiences on the 5th in this same venue. In acoustic is the title of this show in which he will give a good account of the freshness of his musical proposal.
Just one day later, on June 6, also in Lilian Baylis Studio, the singer Lela Soto will stage The fire that I carry inside, his debut album. A powerful tribute to the ancestral legacy of flamenco, passed down through generations within his iconic family, which includes legends such as Manuel Soto Sordera, Vicente Soto Sordera, Sorderita, Ray Heredia, La Pompi, El Gloria and María Bala.
And after her performance, the singer also closes this female group Angeles Toledano, with In concertAn intimate but powerful proposal, where the artist displays her cante with a blend of absolute respect for flamenco tradition and contemporary sensibility that makes her unique. Accompanied by guitar and rhythm, Toledano travels through the palos classics, but approaches them from his fresh and brave voice.
Nor could it be missing in this window to contemporaneity The Plazuela, spearhead of the flamenco more experimental with a Granada seal. The duo formed by Manuel Hidalgo Sierra (The Indian) and Luis Abril Martín (El Nitro) will showcase his innovative sound, which draws on his Andalusian and flamenco roots and pushes the genre into new territory. He will do so in two sessions, on June 7th, at Jazz CaféThere, at their debut before the London public, they will present Roneo Funk Club, his first album, a showcase of his unique fusion of rhythms flamencotraditional with electronics and nu funk.
And also as renovators of the flamenco, the company returns to the appointment Estevez and Paños, recognized with the National Dance Award in the creation category in 2019. Rafael Estévez and Valeriano Paños will take, on June 8, to Sadler's Wells East su Experimental altarpiece on dance flamencoA piece that is part of a numbered series of programs designed from short and/or medium-length choreographies in which the dancers themselves assist one another with their voices, lighting, their bodies, their presence, and small instruments.
With these proposals, Flamenco London Festival aims to boost the heartbeat of flamenco to the rhythm of the present and open it up to new generations, new audiences, and fresh perspectives, taking it to spaces beyond the theaters. In this sense, the 20th edition includes one of the city's most emblematic and eclectic venues, Jazz Café, which attracts a diverse mix of audiences.
"The flamenco It remains a fertile root from which new expressions and fresh, exciting music spring forth. In this sense, Flamenco London Festival is a window into what the flamenco It is today and it could be tomorrow. Therefore, the programming of this 20th edition includes artists and groups that reflect the current moment in the world of music. jondo»
Female talent in the cante and the dance
To celebrate this very special anniversary, Flamenco London Festival gives special prominence to female mastery in dance and cante flamencos. In this way, a dozen dancers and singers will bring their virtuosity to the London stages, as part of the cycle 'They, flamencos', which will also figuratively feature an essential female figure in history, an icon, Mariana Pineda. And it is that Patricia Guerrero, National Dance Award in the performance category in 2021, returns to that event at the helm of the Ballet Flamenco Andalusia to put body and soul into Mariana Pineda Pineda, her version of Federico García Lorca's work, which is also her first work as director of the Ballet. The production, which can be seen in three performances on June 6 and 7 at the Sadler's Wells, explores all the spiritual and expressive power of Lorca's poem. This show comes to Flamenco London Festival thanks to the collaboration established with the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco, which builds bridges between Andalusia and the world through its firm commitment to the dissemination of what is jondo.
This female figure, emblem of love, personal freedom and commitment to one's own ideas, also connects with the artistic proposal that will be carried out in Parcae the already mentioned ones Paula Comitre, Florencia Oz and Carmen Angulo. And it also adds to this section of dance starring women Mercedes Ruiz and his company. The presentation of Ballad of the dance flamenco will take place on June 3 at Sadler's Wells. In this work, the Jerez-born dancer reclaims the legacy flamenco While embracing the present and projecting its gaze toward the future, the performance is constructed as a celebration of the classical canon, where the body becomes the word and dance, the universal language.
Likewise, within this cycle, the cante flamenco assumes a special role in Flamenco London Festival, placing itself at the center of the artistic proposal. This edition focuses on the voice as the expressive axis of jondo, vindicating its narrative power, its emotional depth, and its essential role in the tradition and avant-garde of the genre. Thus, the voices of La Tremendita, Queralt Lahoz, Lela Soto, and Ángeles Toledano are joined by the singer from Huelva Argentina, who will take to the stage on June 5th Lilian Baylis Studio Flamenco by singerIn her proposal, Argentina, accompanied by flamenco guitars, delves into the flamenco from the root to offer a wide range of cantes, some unusual ones, such as the cartagenera, the granaína or the petenera, and the essence of their land will not be missing either: the fandangos of Huelva.
This cycle of flamenco singers comes to Flamenco London Festival thanks to the collaboration that the event maintains with the Instituto Cervantes, an institution that shares the commitment to giving visibility to female talent and promoting flamenco culture internationally.
The richness of the flamenco guitar
The guitar, instrument flamenco par excellence, will also occupy a prominent place in this 20th anniversary of Flamenco London Festival, in co-production with Kings Place and the International Guitar Foundation. The guitar series offers a journey through guitar playing. flamenco In intimate dialogue with dance, bringing together some of the most prominent guitarists on the current scene alongside dance performers who complete the stage experience through the body. This section was created in collaboration with the SGAE Foundation, through his initiative FlamencoJAN, focused on the internationalization of Spanish flamenco creation, giving special prominence to music, as deserved as it is unusual on the international scene. This collaboration also extends to Lela Soto's performance on June 6 at Lilian Baylis Studio.
Each performance will offer a unique conversation between the rhythm of the guitar and the expressiveness of the dance. Far from being a mere accompaniment, the guitarist becomes the sonic narrator of each piece, while the dancer engages in a dialogue through movement, interweaving tradition, improvisation, and pure artistry.
The cycle will begin with the performance of Alejandro Hurtado, who will share the stage of Kings Place to Inmaculada Solomon, prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Spain, on May 29, to present Looks. In this show, the Alicante guitarist offers a careful and varied selection of pieces for guitar, with works from the pre-flamenco period to pieces that reflect the current way of composing in the flamenco, such as Hurtado's own compositions, through to others by the masters of flamenco guitar, as well as classical music, such as Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz or Francisco Tárrega.
They will be succeeded on the same stage the following day by the Jerez guitarist Manuel valencia and the dancer Antonio Molina 'The Thief'. The three shores is the title of the recital that Valencia will offer, a montage that arises from his personal need to capture, in an introspective way, the musical and artistic transformation that he experiences when moving between different registers of flamencoThe participation of El Choro adds an additional dimension to the show, enriching it with his energetic and expressive dancing.
The six strings will also be the stars of the last event of the cycle, on June 8, led by Alvaro Martinete, who will stage solo guitar works in Flamenco harmony, with rondeñas, soleás, guajiras, alegrías or bulerías. The Granada guitarist, who masterfully fuses tradition and innovation, will be accompanied in the dance by Claudia 'La Debla', embodying the essence of flamenco traditional while injecting it with its own fresh, contemporary energy.
Workshops with dance figures
Flamenco London Festival celebrates its twentieth anniversary by collaborating, for the first time, with Acosta Dance Foundation, a London-based charity founded in 2011 by renowned Cuban dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta with the primary mission of making dance accessible to all. This collaboration materializes through a series of workshops for all levels, within the framework of the Festival, which will be led between May 31st and June 1st by leading figures in dance such as Manuel Liñán, Alberto Sellés, Juan Tomás de la Molía, and José Agudo.
«I love this art unconditionally. I'm turning 55 soon. I try to be realistic; there are people who come along with a lot of strength and we have to give them their place. But it's going to take me a while to retire. And I'll continue helping the flamenco "continue to be in such wonderful places as Sadler's Wells" (Eva Yerbabuena)
Flamenco Festival, in the capital of the United Kingdom
Flamenco London Festival is one of the largest platforms for the flamenco in the world. In addition to hosting the most representative and established artists of this art, the Festival has regularly presented emerging talent and new generations of dance, guitar and cante, offering a space for their foray into the international scene.
To date, Flamenco Festival has offered 1.436 performances and 190 companies presented in 182 venues around the world, from the hand of all the big names of the flamenco of the last almost 25 years. Figures at the height of their careers, such as Sara Baras, María Pagés, Eva Yerbabuena, Carmen Linares, Estrella Morente, Tomatito, Manuela Carrasco, Miguel Poveda, Israel Galván, Mercedes Ruiz, Carmen Cortés, María Terremoto, Rocío Molina, Olga Pericet, Manuel Liñán, Rocío Márquez, Rosalía, and Rafaela Carrasco. And geniuses who are no longer with us, such as Paco de Lucía and Enrique Morente.
The importance of flamenco, and specifically of Flamenco Festival, as one of the largest displays of Spanish performing arts outside its borders, is evident from its more than forty editions already experienced in London and New York, and having taken the flamenco up to 101 cities around the world, and therefore, 1,6 million people.
Only in London, Flamenco Festival has already surpassed 300.000 spectators and 300 performances, led by some of those very relevant figures and young promises of the flamenco current, thus marking itself as a consolidated event in the British capital and in its theatre season, and a space for the discovery of the paths that the flamenco begins to build in search of new horizons.
Olivier Award to Eva Yerbabuena
The act of presenting the Flamenco London Festival in Seville has had the presence of Eva Yerbabuena, which comes from receiving the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance by Yerbagüena (dark shiny). "This award not only honors a dazzling artistic career, but also recognizes the power of flamenco to move and engage in dialogue with the world from the depths of our roots. Eva is, without a doubt, one of the great figures of flamenco", commented Miguel Marín. For her part, the dancer from Granada could not hold back her tears when she took the floor: "I always ask life, the universe, to be able to thank the flamenco what it has given me. From the chance to meet the father of my two daughters to being all that I am as a person. And above all, the love of so many colleagues, the joy they feel when they recognize you. We are here because of all those great teachers, so that flamenco is always on the best stages. It's a unique music, a dance, a voice, that penetrates the soul when the audience can share it. And we have no choice but to pamper it, to take care of it like gold, to continue growing, evolving, without forgetting where we come from, who we are, and why we are. I love this art unconditionally. I'll soon be 55. I try to be realistic; there are people who come in with great force and we have to give them their place. But it will take me a while yet to retire. And to continue helping the flamenco continue to be in such wonderful places as Sadler's Wells." ♦
