Flamenco will be the core of the 2009 Etnosur World Music Festival

Dorantes directs the orchestral show ‘Convivencias’, which will include Lebrijano, Esperanza Fernández and Pastora Galván as guest artists

S.C./ Flamenco-world.com, June 19th, 2009

The organizers of Etnosur say that “if this festival were held in Ukraine, flamenco would always be present as the world music it is”. However, what usually happens is that what you have closest to you ends up being paid the least attention to. And even though in this world music festival, which takes place every summer in the Jaén-area town of Alcalá la Real, more heterodox flamenco has already had presences as impressive as the one captured on the DVD ‘Flamencos del siglo XXI’, it will be the main theme in this thirteenth edition.

Dorantes and Pastora Galván (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

And that’s what the program will be like on Sunday, July 19th, the third and final day of Etnosur 2009. That will be the night of the premiere of ‘ConVivencias’, an instrumental concert based on music by Dorantes and directed by the Lebrija-born pianist. Taking part in the show as guest artists, besides the Philharmonic Orchestra of Andalusia conducted by Tomas Gubitsch, are cantaores El Lebrijano and Esperanza Fernández, guitarist Pedro María Peña and bailaora Pastora Galván. Besides the pianist’s usual group, they are joined by outstanding instrumentalists such as contrabassist Renaud García-Fons and Theodosii Spassov on kaval.

Flamenco’s presence in this thirteenth edition of the festival also spreads to the program of related activities. At the Aula de Literatura, Enrique Morente will star in a recital with poems by Luis García Montero on Friday, July 17th. Moreover, there will be baile, box drum and compás workshops, besides an exhibit of flamenco photographs signed by Mario Pacheco, instigator of the record company Nuevos Medios.

All of this jondo flavor will coexist with concerts by world music groups such as the Ethiopians Dub Colossus, the Italians Luisa Cottifogli Ensemble, the Mali Bassekou Kouyate, reggae group Ras Kuko, Spanish folk group Nuevo Mester de Juglaría and the band Candelaria (consisting of members of ElBicho), among others. Documentary showings, photo contests, a street circus, narrators, forums, a night nursery and re-broadcasts of Radio3’s program ‘Duendeando’ add still further interest to the program.

Esperanza Fernández (Photo Daniel Muñoz)