1st to 10th August, Cante de Las Minas, Flamenco Festival, La Union

53º Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas (2013)

The 53rd International Festival of Cante de Las Minas in La Uníón combines flamenco galas with an annual competition to find the most promising Flamenco artists in the disciplines of singing, dancing, guitar and percussion.

The Festival is one of the most prestigious in Spain, and those who win these competitions are guaranteed the opportunity to make their name in the world of flamenco, and many of the biggest names in the industry today are former winners from La Unión.

The Festival galas and competitions are accompanied by a series of Flamenco-related events and the thousands of people attracted by the event are also offered a gastronomic experience by the local bars and restaurants, as well as other cultural activities.

The musical events all take place in the Catedral del Cante, the former indoor market hall in La Unión, an attractive modernist building which gives a special atmosphere to the proceedings, surrounded by trade stalls selling flamenco CD’s and memorabilia, tapas bars and artworks.
It’s a busy, vibrant atmosphere, and enjoying a bit of tapas and a beer afterward part of the whole experience, many of the bars with music continuing until the early hours.

Flamenco is an unknown world to many expats, the tourist flamenco scene in bars along the Costas bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the true world of flamenco, which is a world of deep intensity, passion and artistic virtuosity, but a world which is hard for our ears to adjust to, as the rhythms, vocal tones and style of music are so unfamiliar to our ears.

However, several of the artists featured in the galas here cross into the world of flamenco fusion, and those who achieve mainstream success have their own styles, blending flamenco with other types of music to create a wider audience, bringing the essence of flamenco into mainstream popular music.

Dance is another means of crossing from pure flamenco, and is generally an easier in for those wishing to experience flamenco.
Tickets in the main galas are pricey, as the artists here are top International artists, but the wings are cheaper, and the competition nights also offer a good cross section. Sometimes these can be really exciting, it all depends on the artists: last year the standard was outstanding and the competition nights were thoroughly enjoyable, and sometimes there are just too many “mineras” for comfort, but they’re  worth coming to if starting a journey to explore Flamenco.

If you want just a taster, come on the inaugural night and see last year’s winners who were all superb: this is the only night entrance is free, although there’s quite a bit of formal presentation to sit through as well.

Ticketing information:
Tickets can be purchased from Corte Inglés ticketing, via their web www.elcorteingles.es or Telephone sales Corte Inglés : 902 400 222

Alternatively from the Tourist office of La Unión, La Oficina de Turismo de La Unión, between 10am and 1pm Monday to Friday.
Casa del Piñon
Calle Mayor 55
The Casa del Piñon also houses the town hall of La Unión-  Click for map, Calle Mayor La Unión
Telephone: 868 049 941 or 692 925 970

Parking:

There is plenty of parking behind the railway station at the back of the "Catedral del Cante" . Overspill parking is in the carpark of the Parque Minero, so follow the signs for the Parque Minero when driving into La Unión for the venue.

Programme Cante de las Minas 2013
Thursday 1st August
11pm
Inaugural night.
This begins with the pregón, or opening speeches, and is followed by a performance by the group Flamenco Roots (Raíces Flamencas), which combines Indian artists and flamenco artists. It’s a fascinating fusion of music and marks the beginning of closer ties and collaboration between India and the world of flamenco.

Finally, each of the winning artists from 2012 will perform:  cantaor ( singer)Ricardo Fernández del Moral (Lámpara Minera), dancer, ( bailaor) Jesús Carmona (El Desplante) instrument by flautist Óscar de Manuel (El Filón), all accompanied by Antonio Muñoz, Bordón Minero in 1988 ( winner of the 2008 guitar competition) and official guitarist of the Festival, who will present his own album. Last year the guitar prize was not given, as the judges felt that none of the competitors reached the required level to actually win.
Entry is free.

Friday 2nd August
11pm
Gala Flamenca: EVA LA YERBABUENA.
Tickets 69,50€,43,90€,27,85€,20,40 €

Eva la Yerbabuena is one of the most prominent flamenco dancers of our time, and has won many prestigious awards throughout her career and collaborated in performances with top flamenco artists worldwide.
She has produced five unique shows of her own and tours internationally with the Eva Yerbabuena Ballet Flamenco

Saturday 3rd August
11pm
Gala Flamenca: VICENTE AMIGO presents TIERRA
Tickets    69,50€,43,90€,27,85€,20,40 €

Vicente Amigo is a top flamenco guitarist with an incredible ability to fuse influences and create astonishing world music.
Hailed as "the Sultan of Duende" and already an international sensation, Spanish-born flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo won the Latin Grammy in 2001 for Best Flamenco Album for his BMG debut City of Ideas. Like Amigo’s first three albums, it has won him new fans in his homeland and across Europe, as well as in South America and Japan.

His exposure to a wide range of musical expression and rhythmic possibility has allowed Amigo to expand beyond his trademark "roots of flamenco" approach to incorporate a mix of what he calls "other feelings, outside roots."

"I love flamenco music as a foundation because it allows me to tell a story in a very different, non-linear fashion," says Amigo. "The organization of that tale is less important than the feeling of it. I can start at the end or the beginning and explore and insert many themes upon the main theme, adding little messages along the way. There can be many hidden meanings within the main storyline as I change melody and harmony. There doesn’t have to be a specific ending. It’s just a matter of following my soul when I find something good to express in the song."

Vicente Amigo has been called by some fans "the natural continuation of Paco de Lucia," and indeed it was a television performance by the legendary flamenco master which inspired Amigo, all of three years old, to visualize his future playing that instrument in that style. Still, he says, "I believe that flamenco has always been something for adults, not just for children. To understand flamenco, you need maturity. You can play the guitar as a child. You understand the technique. But the essence of flamenco is something that requires maturity."

Amigo draws that notion from experience. He began playing at age eight, after falling in love with the sound of a beloved neighbor playing the guitar. He learned from several legendary performers, including Juan Munoz and Merengue de Cordoba, and by fifteen, he was attracting attention as the protogee of Paco Peña. He spent six years playing in a band with Manolo Sanlucar and then worked with the legendary Camaron de La Isla. Towards the end of the eighties, Amigo was receiving various awards from the flamenco world for his solo performances; his breakthrough came in 1991 when he shared the stage with de Lucia during the international guitar festival "Leyendas de la Guitarra" in Seville. Other participants were Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Phil Manzanera, Joe Cocker, Jack Bruce and Richard Thompson. That same year, Amigo recorded his debut solo album De Mi Corazon al Aire, which received two media awards. Pat Metheny quickly called him the greatest player of the Spanish guitar, and Guitar Player magazine named him Best International Flamenco Guitarist.

Sunday 4th August
11pm
Gala Flamenca:DIEGO EL CIGALA Presents "Cigala Flamenco"
Tickets:38,55 €, 22,50 €, 17,40 €

Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar (born Madrid, 27 December 1968), known as El Cigala (Spanish for Norway Lobster, a shellfish popular in Spain), is a famous Spanish Romani Flamenco singer. As he himself has said, the nickname was given to him by three guitar players, Los Losada, for being very thin, not by Camarón de la Isla as commonly believed.

One of his great albums is 2003s "Lágrimas Negras", a cooperation with then 85 year old Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés. The easy fusion of Cuban rhythms and flamenco vocals made this record an international success.

Born into a family of Spanish Gypsy artists and intellectuals in Madrid, El Cigala started singing in flamenco peñas (enthusiasts clubs) and tablaos, until his excellent meter and ability to mark the rhythm caught the attention of world-class bailaores like Mario Maya, Faíco, Farruco, El Güito, Manuela Carrasco, Cristóbal Reyes, Carmen Cortés, Joaquín Cortés and he began touring as part of their companies. By the late nineties, having collaborated on recordings by Camarón, Tomatito, Gerardo Núñez and Vicente Amigo, he was ready to record his own CD. With the success of "Undebel" he launched his career as solo singer. He has now recorded 8 CDs and has won two Grammys and 5 Latin Grammy nominations.

Monday 5th August
11pm
Gala Flamenca:ARGENTINA + ISRAEL GALVÁN
   ARGENTINA presents Un viaje por el cante
   ISRAEL GALVÁN presents Flacomen
Tickets:    38,55 €, 22,50 €, 17,40 €

Argentina is the stage name of Spanish Flamenco singer Argentina Maria (17 June 1984). She was born in Huelva, and raised in El Carmen. She started her singing career in a local band at age 14. In December 2005, she signed her first recording contract as a solo artist. Since then she has gone on to achieve notable success as an international flamenco artist.

Israel Galván: controversial, contemporary, a man who breaks the boundaries of flamenco to create a unique experience which fuses flamenco dance with cutting edge creativity. An accomplished pure flamenco bailaor, he has created his own unique form of expression which leaves none un-moved.This is flamenco as you´ve never seen it before and is about as far from traditional as it’s possible to get without creating a whole new form of dance, yet……..compelling, memorable, hypnotic.

Tuesday 6th August
1pm
Gala Flamenca: MIGUEL POVEDA Presents "Recital de Cante"
Tickets:    54,60 €, 38,55 €, 22,50 €

Miguel Ángel Poveda León (b. Barcelona, Spain, February 13, 1973) is a Catalan flamenco singer, who has successfully achieved the transition from pure flamenco into the mainstream flamenco fusion genre. His father is from Lorca in Murcia and his mother from Puertollano (Castilla-La Mancha). Poveda is essentially a flamenco singer but through a number of collaborations with artists from other genres has achieved a wider audience and become a popular figure with a younger market as well as maintaining a core following of flamenco enthusiasts.

He first moved into the limelight in 1993 when he won the coveted Miner’s lamp at the Cante de las Minas festival in la Unión, a success which propelled him into the spotlight of the flamenco world, shortly afterwards appearing in the film "La Teta y la Luna" by Bigas Luna, before launching his first recording project "Viento del Este".

 He often collaborates with the Catalan flamenco guitarist, Juan Gómez "Chicuelo" with whom he has toured extensively in Europe, Japan and the US.

7th , 8th and 9th August Semifinals
Start time 10pm
Ticket prices 16,40€, 14,40 €, 10,40€

On these three nights the contestants who have participated in the fiercely fought heats all over Spain come together to compete for the titles in the cante ( singing) dance, guitar and instrumental modes. These nights can be extremely good and are an interesting way for those who want to experience a broad spectrum of flamenco disciplines to attend.

However, it’s extremely important to understand that these artist are in a competitive situation, so the cante, for example, is pure flamenco, rather than the gala flamenco, and certain pieces will be repeated, so there may well be 3 contestants all performing a minera on the same evening, which can be hard on the ear for those unaccustomed to flamenco. However, there is usually a good blend of dance, guitar and instrumental in amongst the singing, so these can be extremely entertaining. Last year the standard was very high and some interesting artists gave a real oomph to the proceedings, so the mineras were less noticeable and the competition nights of an outstanding standard.

It’s well worth picking up a sheet showing the order of performances and looking at the number of songs a contestant will perform. Some of them compete in 3 or 4 different singing categories and their performance can take a good 20 minutes, so if the singing is not to your taste, there are plenty of bars outside for a quick beer, and it’s quite acceptable to wander in and out between contestants: many people do!
You just never know what you’re going to get at these particular nights.

10th August Grand final, Cante de las Minas 2013
Start time: 10pm
On this last evening the finals of the competitions and prizegiving take place. This is generally a very good night, depending on who has come through from the semifinals.

Ticket prices: 54,60 €, 27,85 €, 17,40 €, 12,40 €