Cap Roig
Stars in the Gardens
The Cap Roig festival is one of the country’s top summer music events and this year’s edition includes a total of 28 performances from some dozen top international artists, another dozen Spanish musical stars as well as Catalan acts. On from July 13 to August 22, the festival in the seaside town of Calella de Palafrugell kicks off with Luis Miguel on his world tour. He is followed by Roxy Music front man, Bryan Ferry, in a concert that reviews some his career highlights, while on the same weekend Manolo García will present his latest album, Geometría del rayo.
Scottish band Texas will also take to the stage to present their latest album, Jump on Board, followed by legendary front man for The Police, Sting, who returns to the Cap Roig festival after a three-year absence. Meanwhile, Antonio Orozco will perform tracks from his new disk, Único, and Luz Casal will be on stage with her latest work, Que corra el aire. Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, Mexican outfit Manà and Jarabe de Palo will also offer concerts.
The festival begins in August with performances by Colombian musician Juanes, flamenco-pop artist Rosario, Joan Dausà, illusionist Mag Lari, James Blunt, Colombians Morat, and top Catalan artists Sergio Dalma, Els Catarres and Dàmaris Gelabert. Later in the month it is the turn of band Macaco, Loquillo, Antonio José and musical legend Joan Baez bidding the stage farewell after 60 years of performing. The festival is topped off with concerts from Hombres G, Taburete, Roger Hodgson, Pablo López and Andrea Bocelli with the Giorquestra bringing things to a close.
From Mozart to Bernstein
Xavier castillón
The Nits de Clàssica festival, organised by the Fundació Auditori Palau de Congressos de Girona and directed by Víctor Garcia de Gomar, will dedicate its seventh edition to US composer Leonard Bernstein, on his birth centenary. There will be three concerts of his music, by the Jove Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya, the Jove Orquestra de les Comarques Gironines and, in the Notes al Parc section, the Kabel Quartet will perform some of Bernstein’s most popular compositions, such as West Side Story.
The festival opens on June 30, and in the Museu d’Art the next day, violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov will conclude the project to perform the 36 sonatas that Mozart composed between 1763 and 1788 begun last year. On July 12, Faust will give a third concert in the same venue with a group of friends, performing works by Schubert and Webern.
Meanwhile, Russian pianist Alexei Lubimov will perform in the cloister of the Sant Daniel monastery, and Austrian-Perisan cellist Kian Soltani and Aaron Pilsan on piano will play in Girona cathedral, where baritone Stéphane Degout will also sing. Countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski will give a recital in the cloister of the Sant Pere de Galligants church, with Carolyn Sampson and Juan de la Rubia, Les Talens Lyriques and Musica Reservata de Barcelona some of the festival’s other highlights.
Farewell, Rubén
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This year heralds the 40th anniversary of Siembra, one of the most important records in the history of salsa, by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades. It features Plástico, Buscando guava and the immortal Pedro Navaja. Coinciding with the anniversary, on July 27 Blades will perform in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, not long turned 70, in this, his farewell tour, very appropriately titled, Caminando, adiós y gracias. The next day Caetano Veloso will be on stage at the Espai Port with his children Moreno, Zeca and Tom.
In addition to these two great classics of Latin American music, the Festival de la Porta Ferrada proposes a full and varied programme that, in just over a month, will include the performances of Jack Johnson – with Xavi Calvet as support, Adrià Puntí, Maceo Parker, Estopa, Txarango, James Rhodes, Joan Manuel Serrat, Diego El Cigala, Ismael Serrano, Sara Baras, Pablo Alborán, Ara Malikian, Rozalén & El Kanka, Cor Geriona and another double performance of Celtas Cortas and Mägo de Oz. Also at Espai Port on August 18, the festival will include the second edition of Electronic Sunset, the festival promoted by the Electrona platform, with the music of Luciano, Chelina Manuhutu, Edu Imbernón and Enai. Ricky Martin closes the festival on August 20.
In addition, a new presentation dedicated to singer songwriters has been programmed at the Teatre Auditori, with performances by Roger Mas, Gerard Quintana and three Biscayne musicians born in 1977: Mazoni, Sanjosex and Miquel Abras. A performance of Fedra, interpreted by Lolita Flores, Juan Fernández, Tina Sáinz, Críspulo Cabezas and Eneko Sagardoy, under the direction of Luis Luque, will also take place at the same venue. A concert by the Saint Petersburg Choir is also scheduled at the monastery.
The Porta Ferrada Festival has its own fringe with the Singlot comedy festival, from July 5 to 7. Directed by Andreu Buenafuente, Singlot will include several shows – Mongólia sobre gel, Dos machos verdes fritos, Debemos hablar, etc. – and a conference.
Noa, in the olive grove
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The 47th edition of the Cadaqués International Music Festival will include a dozen concerts, half of which will take place in the magical setting of the olive grove of Sa Conca. Among the performers are the French Electro Deluxe, Mishima, Noa and Jarabe de Palo. Closing the festival will be the Cadaqués Orchestra, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary joined by Catalan singer Mayte Martín. On August 13 at the same venue, the Gastro Lounge will feature DJ, violinist and trumpet player, Rosina Lia Jensen, who will create a great atmosphere for a tapas tasting session.
The Empordà festival will begin on August 4 with a free concert by Hora Joglar, and on the same day an organ recital in the church of Santa Maria with Loreto Fernández Imaz and Ainhoa Zubillaga. Other concerts feature El Petit de Cal Eril, Kaué & Ricka, pianists Jean-Pierre Dupuy and Pilar López-Carrasco.