La biennial of Flamenco from Cadiz, Jerez and Los Puertos raises the curtain on a fourth edition that will begin on October 3 and will last until November 30, 2025. On this occasion, what is already one of the most important flamenco events in the province is dedicated to the figure of the Sanlúcar singer Maria Vargas, legend of cante which has won such outstanding awards as the National Prize for Flamenco de Jerez (1998) or the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2019).
For almost two months, the flamenco will be featured in eight venues —Algeciras, Cadiz, Chiclana, Chipiona, Jerez, Puerto Real, San Fernando and Sanlúcar de Barrameda— with more than thirty activities ranging from shows to cante, dance, and guitar to master classes, lectures, roundtable discussions, book presentations, and exhibitions. Finally, El Puerto de Santa María will not be part of this edition for reasons beyond the organization's control, despite the efforts made to maintain the port city's presence in the program.
The Biennial has the institutional collaboration of the Junta de Andalucía —through the Ministry of Tourism and Andalusian Foreign Affairs— and the Cadiz Provincial Council.
A chamomile-flavored start
The Biennial starts on Friday October 3 in Jerez with a unique prologue in The Angel's Lair starting at 13 p.m., with a lecture by the flamencologist Jose Maria Castano, which will explore the artistic profile of Maria Vargas through audiovisual material, accompanied by a tasting of Manzanilla from Sanlúcar, a wine closely linked to the essence of the singer.
That same afternoon, at 20 p.m., the official opening of the Biennial will take place at the Municipal Art Center Flamenco The mercy, in Cadiz, with the opening of a exhibition dedicated to María Vargas and a performance of the dancer Macarena Ramirez and the guitarist Javier Ibanez, which will evoke the seguiriya, the Sanlúcar singer's signature, reviving the figure of her father, a blacksmith by profession, through a symbolic element: the anvil. María Vargas herself, along with local and provincial political authorities, will be present.
The Biennial kicks off on Friday, October 3rd in Jerez with a unique prologue at La Guarida del Ángel starting at 1:00 p.m., featuring a lecture by flamencologist José María Castaño, who will explore María Vargas's artistic profile through audiovisual material, accompanied by a tasting of Sanlúcar Manzanilla.
Premieres and big names
In the section premieres, the most anticipated of this Biennial will be that of Thorn, the last show of the company of Macarena Ramirez, that will see the light October 10 at the Main Theatre of Puerto Real Starting at 19 p.m. The work is structured as a flamenco trilogy around pain, struggle, and the thorn, understood as a symbol of what hurts and protects, and proposes an emotional and poetic journey through dance, cante and flamenco music.
As for this year's lineup, as is traditional, it combines the strength of young talent with the experience of established figures. Among the former, the guitarist Alba Espert, who will give a recital at the Paco de Lucía Interpretation Center (Algeciras) on October 24; the singer Gem Carrasco Moneo, who will perform at La Guarida del Ángel (Jerez) on October 10; or herself Macarena Ramirez, which adds to its show in Puerto Real and the opening performance some master classes at the Municipal Art Center Flamenco from Cadiz. These are joined by shows by the dance schools of Puerto Real, those of cante, dance and guitar of Sanlúcar, those of the neighborhood centers of Jerez or that of the School of Flamenco of Andalusia.
Among the established artists, the Biennial will feature Rancapino Chico, Antonio Reyes, Pedro 'El Granaíno', Luis 'El Zambo', Jose of the Shrimps, Jose Mendez, José 'El Mijita' o Anabel Rivera, among others, in addition to the participation of the honoree María Vargas, who will offer her show My life, my cante at the Manolo Sanlúcar Auditorium, in her homeland, accompanied by Alba Bazán, November 15th, starting at 21 p.m.
Conferences, presentations and round tables
Since its first edition (under the name of Biennial of Cante of Jerez), the Biennial of Cante of Cadiz, Jerez and Los Puertos has also been characterized by giving space to prominent names in the flamencology and flamenco and gypsy culture, and this edition couldn't be missing. Thus, the aforementioned José María Castaño is joined by the journalist Joaquin Lopez Bustamante, the flamencologist and critic flamenco Manuel Martin Martin or the journalist Susanne Zellinger, who will give different lectures in Algeciras, Puerto Real and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, respectively.
These conferences will be joined by various book presentations in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, as well as a round table in San Fernando, in which issues relating to the figure of Rafael Romero and about his legacy, analyzing whether this legacy constitutes a nascent island guitar school. This event will conclude with a recital by local guitarists.
«Among the established artists, the Biennial will feature Rancapino Chico, Antonio Reyes, Pedro 'El Granaíno', Luis 'El Zambo', José de los Camarones, José Méndez, José 'El Mijita' or Anabel Rivera, among others, in addition to the participation of the honoree María Vargas"
About the honoree María Vargas
Born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1947, María Vargas burst onto the scene flamenco at a very early age and soon became an indisputable reference of the cante feminine. Throughout her career she has shared stages with artists such as Paco de Lucia, Camarón or Manolo Sanlúcar, consolidating itself as a essential voice of the history of flamenco.
Su cante, characterized by depth and personality, has earned him awards such as the National Prize for Flamenco de Jerez (1998) and the highest cultural recognition in Spain, the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2019).
