At nightfall, in the Constitution Square in Algodonales The atmosphere of a summer night was in the air, with children running around, grandmothers sitting in the fresh air, and families taking a stroll. But this Thursday was not going to be just another night. A new festival was born: Tagarnina Fest, dedicated to flamenco dance, and this gave the event a certain historical character, a patina of transcendence that ended up involving the artists on the bill and the audience.
The Austrian journalist and scholar also underlined it. Susanne Zellinger, who was in charge of delivering the opening address, gave a lighthearted speech in which she analyzed the name of the newly founded festival as a brand “that sticks in your head, stands out, sparks images and curiosity,” even though there are many people around the world who don’t know what a tagarnina is. “I surveyed my friends, and some thought it sounded like a wild animal, others asked if it wasn’t a medicine, or the name of an Indian poet, until an Italian friend hit the nail on the head, suspecting it might be something to eat.” For most people, thistle is nothing more than a weed by the side of the road, as is the flamenco for the uninformed. But for those who know it, it is a treasure, an exquisite delicacy.”
The truth is that, from now on, the name of this popular herbaceous plant of the scolymus genus that makes irresistible stews will be associated with Algodonales and the dance flamenco, thanks to the good offices of the Algodonaleño dancer Francis Hidalgo, promoter of the eventOne of its successes has undoubtedly been to dedicate the opening day to the little ones, something that, more than a technical decision, is a declaration of intentions: to think about the cantera, looking to the future, is the best way to express a vocation for continuity.
"And between one game and another, sowing seeds for tomorrow as if by chance, the audience takes the rhythm of the martinete or tango with them in their memories, and a good farruca to the beat of the marimba and a farewell garrotín with them. The night was ending, but the first edition of the Tagarnina Fest had only just begun."
Before the beautiful illuminated silhouette of the St Anne's Church, the very young dancers from the schools of Pilar Carretero y Francisco Flores, from Algodonales, together with the students of Maria the German, by El Gastor. The recognizable bongos of Between two waters, the universal rumba of Paco de Lucía, the pop tangos of Maíta sells ca and the exciting tanguillos of Chano Lobato, and in all of them the dancers applied themselves to the delight of their families and neighbors. With their baskets and shawls, the dance is very much a play for them, but it's also a discipline: they learn to put their tiny bodies at the service of art, even if it's the simple arithmetic of sevillanas, while commanding respect from the audience, to whom they pay their very best. It's a shame that the overwhelming majority are girls, but I'm sure that, with time and once the prejudices that still weigh on us have been banished, many boys will discover the wonders and charms of dance. flamenco.
All this is also present in the proposal of Leonor Leal y Antonio Moreno, That Manual of flamenco for families that we could already see in the last one Seville Biennale, and which now acquired another dimension by being represented in an open square, with fathers, mothers and children sharing that playful aspect that the flamencoWhat the Jerez-born dancer and the Utrera-born percussionist do is remind us that primal dance begins with the celebration and emulation of nature, and that the movements are not gratuitous, but rather possess their own allegorical and sensorial meaning. The girls follow their unexpected teacher, bumping into each other and laughing as they imitate the wind or the falling leaves.
And between one game and another, sowing seeds for tomorrow as if by chance, the audience takes the rhythm of the martinete or tango with them in their memories, and a good farruca to the beat of the marimba and a farewell garrotín. The night was ending, but the first edition of the Tagarnina Fest had only just begun.
Credits
I Tagarnina Fest
Constitution Square, Algodonales, Cádiz
August 21th, 2025
Pilar Carretero School, Algodonales
Francisco Flores School, Algodonales
María La Alemana School, in El Gastor
Manual of flamenco for families
Leonor Leal, dance
Antonio Moreno, percussion
