The first decade of the 21st century was one of the consolidation of the flamenco macrofestival model. With Seville’s Bienal de Flamenco as its main exponent, the large programs over one week long revolving around the genre, occupying different stages in the city and backed by different public institutions, have proven how effective the formula is. In the even years of the decade, the Andalusian capital was the showcase where creators displayed their new proposals, the space for the safekeeping of classical ways and the meeting point for international enthusiasts. Memories remaining, for example, will be the nights like the one which joined La Paquera and Bernarda at the Alcázar, the premiere of ‘La metamorfosis’ by Israel Galván, Estrella Morente’s jam-packed audience at the Auditorio de La Cartuja, and this same year, the inauguration and closing shows by Miguel Poveda and Paco de Lucía, respectively.

Cartel del XIV Festival de Jerez 2010

Cartel de la Bienal de Sevilla 2010

Bienal de Sevilla 2008, by Carlos Saura

Jerez personalized the formula, its Festival de Jerez specializing in flamenco dancing and Spanish dance as well as complementing its two weeks of live performances with a top-notch training program which now has over one thousand international students. Every year, from late February to mid-March, the genre’s most outstanding shows have been displayed at several stages in the city, having between 2000 and 2010 companies such as the Ballet Nacional de España and those of Sara Baras, Eva Yerbabuena, Antonio Canales, Javier Latorre, Farruquito, Manuela Carrasco… as well as new talents that have grown edition after edition, and a select offer of cante and toque at unique venues in the city.

Bienal de Sevilla 2000, by Luis Gordillo

In the rest of Andalusia, Málaga also tried to have its macrofestival, but following a much-talked-about first edition, it didn’t manage to have continuity. And that, even though Málaga en Flamenco 2007 forced artists’ creativity, having them stroll around the Bullring in Ronda, making Rocío Molina dance amidst the rocks of El Torcal de Antequera and Estrella Morente sing to the sound of the sea waves at Playa del Palo.

What has come together in these years in Andalusian territory are the programs with a series format. Of a regional nature is Flamenco Viene del Sur which, promoted by the Andalusian Flamenco Agency, has gradually managed to span all the Andalusian capitals with weekly performances from January to May. In Seville, Cajasol sponsors Flamenco Thursdays at the Sala Joaquín Turina at its cultural headquarters, with a weekly flamenco program that especially bears in mind young talents. Sneak previews have taken place there of shows which later triumphed at the big festivals such as ‘La puerta abierta’ by Isabel Bayón.

Festival Flamenco Caja Madrid 2007

Enrique Morente, Festival Catalunya Arte Flamenco 2010

Flamenco viene del Sur 2010

Outside of the region, the most solid event is the La Unión Cante de las Minas Festival, which unites its show schedule, especially of cante, with the most popular of contests and its prizes: the Lámpara Minera (Mining Lamp). In this decade, current cante talents were lit up with it such as Rocío Márquez and Miguel Ortega.

Festival del Cante de las Minas 2002, Picasso

Two big festivals are held in Madrid. On the one hand, the more veteran Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival, and on the other hand, the new Suma Flamenca, arising from an initiative of the Community of Madrid in the middle of the decade. Unlike the former, concentrated in one week at a single venue (it went from the closed-down Teatro Albéniz to the Price Circus in the past season), the latter is scattered to different towns and cities in the region, which made it possible for Enrique Morente to be heard in Buitrago de Lozoya and Tomatito at Main Square in Chinchón.

Barcelona has given its stamp to its annual flamenco program. The Ciutat Vella Flamenco Festival, which is organized every spring by Taller de Musics at the Contemporary Culture Center, draws an eclectic audience with thematic programs very attentive to new music trends and even to design. With slogans like ‘Maldades’, ‘Caramela’ and ‘Versus’, in its different editions throughout the decade shows were seen such as the face-off between Enrique Morente and Tomatito, ‘Piano abierto’ by Dorantes and the concerts by groups like Son de la Frontera, UHF and Calima. With a regional spirit, the series Catalonia Flamenco Art was developed in 2009 and 2010, which splits a program of leading figures throughout the network of Catalan theaters. The De Cajón! Festival also in the Catalan capital and the Torrent Flamenco Festival in Valencia are other annual flamenco events on Spain’s Mediterranean strip.

Festival del Cante de las Minas 2010, by Martín Chirino

Festival del Cante de las Minas 2000, by Luis Caruncho

Festival Suma Flamenca 2009

Once past the Pyrenees, you find the main flamenco events beyond our borders. Although they are veteran, it was in this past decade when the French flamenco festivals of Mont de Marsan and Nîmes consolidated their formats and gave international scope to their identity. Located in the southern region of France, where the world of bullfighting is very deep-rooted, they combine the defense of classical cante with a territorial label, with current proposals revolving around baile, adding complementary activities to their programs, especially training ones. For example, at Mont de Marsan the much-talked-about premiere of Farruquito’s ‘Alma vieja’ took place as well as the idea of taking shows to the streets of the city.

Coinciding with the decade is the project “Flamenco Festival”, which has taken stable annual programs to cities such as London and New York in association with local institutions like Sadler’s Wells Theatre and World Music Institute, respectively. The most interesting thing is the recovery of these venues for flamenco, especially the U.S. one, several decades after the triumph of geniuses such as Carmen Amaya, Rosario and Antonio, Sabicas and Vicente Escudero. And also the creation of productions of its own which have traveled all over the world, like ‘Mujeres’. In the past edition of the one in New York, besides the large-scale shows at venues like the City Center, the festival organized an original exhibit of historical pieces of flamenco wardrobe at the Guggenheim Museum. Also standing out in the United States is the Alburquerque Flamenco Festival, promoted by the National Institute of Flamenco; and the New World Flamenco Festival which is organized in Irvine by The Barclay Theatre.

New festivals are still joining the international circuit, like the one which is held in Holland, the Biennial, in the shape of a triangle with vertexes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. One of their marks of identity has been fostering encounters between flamenco and other types of world music. Also European are the Rome ¡Flamenco! Festival and the Lisbon Flamenco Festival, which revolved around Lorca this past year and therefore starred Morente.

Together with them, worthy of attention is the work which has been carried out over the years by the Instituto Cervantes to complement these programs with music, reflection, teaching and literature, opening their headquarters to flamenco all over the world. Moreover, the spirit of exchange must be highlighted which is arising between the events in Spain and those abroad. For example, in 2009 the Rome Festival closed with ‘Noche de Sevilla’ (‘Seville Night’), contributed by the Bienal; and in 2011 the Jerez Festival has a production in its program from the Dutch Biennial, the encounter ‘Qasida’ between cantaora La Tremendita and Iranian singer Mohammad Motamedi. A phenomenon which is also coming about between festivals within Spain.

Flamenco Biennale Holanda 2011

Flamenco Festival New York 2009

Festival Flamenco de Mont de Marsan 2010, by Amelie Fontaine