The international flamenco event, consisting of 50 shows, is to be held from February 24th
to March 11th, 2006 in Jerez (Cádiz, Spain)

Carlos Sánchez. Jerez, November 2005

With ‘A Solas’, the Joaquín Grilo Company will open the 10th Festival de Jerez 2005, organized by Fundación Teatro Villamarta, from February 24th to March 11th, 2006. The event, devoted to flamenco dancing, will offer a total of 50 shows – ten more than in the previous edition. The festival also covers a training area – with thirty-six courses – and a series of complementary activities such as presentations, lectures and discussion groups about flamenco.

Joaquín Grilo (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

A Jerez-born bailaor will be in charge of kicking off the 10th Festival de Jerez. Joaquín Grilo will premiere ‘A solas’ on February 24th, 2006 in a series of shows scheduled at the Teatro Villamarta. The artist from the land of wine will present a show inspired by the novel ‘El Guardián de la Luz’ (‘The Guardian of the Light’) by Sergio Bambarén.

Francisco López, director of the Teatro Villamarta, explained some of the most noteworthy novelties at a press conference for the presentation of the 10th Festival de Jerez.

“This year the festival has gone from thirteen to sixteen days. This extension has allowed us to leave two days free so that those shows having a great set-up can be carried out without haste. It's also let us spread out the timetables of the courses a little more for the students themselves, since in previous editions everything was more concentrated”, the festival's director affirmed.

The tenth edition aims to be a “kaleidoscopic festival”. To do so, the organization has presented a wide spectrum of shows where in specific series, great names in flamenco are combined with the new blood coming to the surface.

Besides Joaquín Grilo's premiere, new creations will also be presented by Carmen Cortés with ‘La puerta del silencio’ and Aída Gómez with ‘Carmen’. Merche Esmeralda and Rafael Campallo will do the same with a show that will see the light at Festival USA. Meanwhile, Sara Baras will bring to the Teatro Villamarta her latest show, ‘Sabores’, which will previously be put on in Paris and Barcelona.

The series of scheduled shows at the Teatro Villamarta is completed with ‘Un sorbito de lo sublime’ by the Manuela Carrasco Company, ‘Diálogo del Amargo’ by Mario Maya, which following its premiere in Granada will reach Jerez with quite a bit of experience behind it; ‘El eterno retorno’ by young Málaga-born bailaora Rocío Molina, which was premiered at ‘Málaga en Flamenco’, just like ‘De tablao’ by Antonio ‘El Pipa’; the ‘Los Farruco’ Company; and ‘La soleá’ by El Güito. Also to appear at the top venue in Jerez are some of the hits from the last edition of Seville's Bienal de Flamenco such as ‘La mujer y el pelele’ by Isabel Bayón and ‘Asimetrías’ by Andrés Marín. The grand finale will be provided by bailaora Blanca del Rey and cantaor Fosforito – winner of the ‘Llave de oro del cante’ – on Saturday, March 11th, 2006

Other series

	Andrés Marín (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Besides the Teatro Villamarta, the 10th Festival de Jerez will have other stages which will have room for a wide range of shows that will complement those put on at the leading venue in Jerez. The Sala La Compañía will host the series ‘Solos en Compañía’. Devoted to baile, it includes a new generation of artists with extensive careers. That is the case of Domingo Ortega, Rosario Toledo, Lalo Tejada, Hiniesta Cortés, Marcos Flores and Manuel Liñán, La Truco, Ángel Muñoz, Juan A. Tejero, Manuela Carpio and Israel Galván, who will present his latest show, ‘Tabula rasa’. This same venue will host the premiere of a new series entitled ‘Flamenco pa’ toos’, appearing in which will be bailaora Ángeles Gabaldón, cantaor David Palomar and narrator and scriptwriter José Luis Ortiz Nuevo with the show ‘Erase una vez el flamenco’, which will be performed on March 3rd and 10th.

Guitar will also star on that same stage, savoring Jerónimo and Rafael Riqueni on toque in the series ‘Bordón y cuenta nueva’.

This new edition will have a new stage located in the Jerez district of Guadalcacín. The theater of said district will welcome the series ‘De la frontera’, dedicated to those artists who are “at the limit” of the features sustaining flamenco. Belén Maya, together with José Luis Rodríguez on guitar and Pitingo on cante, will premiere ‘Dibujos’. Also to appear in this series are ‘Arrieritos’, Belén Cabanes, Txalaparta and David Morales. The series ‘Los novísimos’ will move to this new venue with the baile of Belén López, winner of the ‘Mario Maya’ Prize at Córdoba's 17th National Contest of Flamenco Art; Daniel Navarro, recent winner of the ‘Desplante’ Award at the 45th Las Minas International Cante Festival; Fuensanta La Moneta and Pastora Galván.

‘Los conciertos de Palacio’ will alternate guitar and cante in joint sessions, and a couple of ‘duels’ between cantaores. At the Palacio Villavicencio – where there will be no acoustic amplification – starring together will be Antonio Rey with cantaor Salmonete; Pedro Sierra on guitar with La Tobala on cante; the echo of Pitingo with the throat of Macarena Moneo; José Luis Montón's toque with Eva Durán's voice; the duel between Gema Jiménez –‘Lámpara minera’ 2005 winner - and Raquel Benítez; and the character-laden voice of Luis ‘El Zambo’, who will be in charge of opening this series on March 1st.

Finally, González Byass's Bodega Los Apóstoles will have an eminently Jerez flavor with the presence of Diego Carrasco, ‘La Reina Gitana’, María José Santiago, Tomasito, and the show ‘Alreó de la Fragua’ – appearing in which will be Juanito Villar, Nano de Jerez, Fernando de la Morena, Gordo de Jerez, Yolanda Lorenzo, Eduardo Rebollar and Antonio Carrión. This series, named ‘Café cantante’, will be completed with the Sevillian group ‘Son de la Frontera’.

Training area

Andrés Peña, Inmaculada Aguilar, Angelita Gómez, Mercedes Ruíz, Javier Latorre, the Matilde Coral Dance School, Rosario Toledo, Rafael Campallo, Juan Antonio Tejero, Antonio ‘El Pipa’, Maria José Franco, Ana María López, María del Mar Moreno, Manolo Marín, Irene Carrasco, Javier Barón, Victoria Eugenia, Israel Galván, Alicia Márquez, Isabel Bayón, Lola Greco, Manuel Betanzos, Merche Esmeralda and Belén Maya will be in charge of teaching a total of 36 courses with a capacity of 900 places. The courses at Festival de Jerez are a great success. Since registration began in early September, some 690 places have been covered by pupils coming from all corners of the world, with Japan standing out with twenty-five percent.

As far as the complementary activities, the ‘Tertulias de la Bodega’ round-tables provide a break for relaxed gatherings with the artists; to get to know about the new projects cooking in the flamenco world and to talk about current subjects of interest. The ‘Tertulias’ will take place at Bodega San Ginés, from February 28th to March 11th.

Festival de Jerez has grown over time, firming itself up as the world's most important flamenco event that exclusively stars flamenco dancing and Spanish dance. An event which brings thousands of people together every year for over two weeks of festival.

magazine@flamenco-world.com