Farruquito, Javier Barón, Juana Amaya and the Tito Losada Company attend the French festival along with Esperanza Fernández and cantaores from Lebrija, Utrera and Triana

Flamenco-world.com, June 2003

Mont de Marsan, the three-river city, once again shows international enthusiasts the admiration it feels for flamenco art. The French festival's fifteenth edition has sealed a first-rate bill sustained by dancing and cante. On the one hand, the bailaores Farruquito, Javier Barón and Juana Amaya will present their respective dance shows, following the opening by the Tito Losada Company. On the other hand, Esperanza Fernández, the cantaores from Lebrija Inés Bacán, Gaspar de Utrera and Pepa de Benito, as well as artists from Triana for the festival finale, will voice their moans and groans. And, in between, the pianist Dorantes with the acclaimed concert 'Sur'. Courses, lectures, exhibits and film showings complete the program of what is already considered to be "one of the most reputed displays of flamenco culture".

With the noticeable absence of guitar, Mont de Marsan hosts its fifteenth edition. If last year it was Antonio Canales who took care of opening the festival with 'Bailaor', on this occasion the French festival puts its money on dancing creation for the inauguration on Monday, June 30th at Espace François Mitterrand with '1001 Nights' in the version by the Tito Losada Company. The following evening combines cante and dancing which is feminine, young, Sevillian, deep-rooted and reliable on the warm stage of Café Cantante ('Singing Café') de la Place Saint Roche, with a recital by Esperanza Fernández and dancing by Juana Amaya.

Esperanza Fernández with Dorantes (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Juana Amaya (Photo: Javier Hurtado)

Javier Barón (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

With the intention of presenting flamenco also "in its latest forms", the festival takes the Lebrija-born pianist Dorantes to its main stage with the concert from his second album, 'Sur', acclaimed by the public and critics this season. Café Cantante again opens up with a double show on Thursday, July 3rd. The Sevillian bailaor Javier Barón will take care of the dancing with 'Notas al pie'('Footnotes'), while the cante travels from Lebrija to Utrera, personalized in three of its oldest pillars: Inés Bacán, Gaspar de Utrera and Pepa de Benito.

Farruquito is due to repeat the success he achieved in this French town last year. The young bailaor, the current bastion of the Farruco family, returns with the show 'Alma Vieja' ('Old Soul') at Espace François Mitterrand on Friday, July 4th. In this show, which will put the final touch on the festival, he is accompanied, besides by his usual group, by Manuel Molina as guest artist and by bailaora Adela Campallo. The grand finale of Mont de Marsan 2003 will be the following night at Hall de Nahuques with a closing dinner dedicated to the neighborhood of Triana in Seville. On the one hand, the group Por lo Bajini will perform 'Caseta de Feria' ('Fair Tent'), and on the other, Curro Fernández and his family will recreate a party in the outskirts.

Farruquito (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Meanwhile, La Bodega de la Place de la Mairie will be open every night to night owls with, besides Andalusian gastronomy, French-Andalusian flamenco groups such as 'De juerga y seis flamencos', Melinda Sala, Marisol y Luisito, Pedro Verdú and Association Alboreá. And a program of parallel activities will take place at the same time. This year's flamenco dancing courses will have La China, Joaquín Grilo, Felipe Mato and Ángeles Gabaldón as their teachers at the School of Music and Dancing. There are two scheduled exhibits: a retrospective exhibit of the festival with posters, photos and canvases by Jacques Laserre and the photos by Manny Rocca 'Los colores del flamenco' ('The Colors of Flamenco'). At the same time, two lectures will be held: 'Guitarras de Cal. El toque de Morón' ('Solid Guitars. Guitar Playing of Morón'), by Fernando González-Caballos and illustrated by Daniel Méndez; and 'El cante de Utrera de ayer y de hoy' ('Cante of Utrera Yesterday and Today'), by Tomás de Perrate. The bill is completed with film showings at Cinéma le Royal -the audiovisual choreography 'Flameante' ('Flaming') and 'Por Oriente sale el sol' ('The Sun Rises in the East'), a documentary about the last performance by La Paquera de Jerez in Tokyo- and showings of films about flamenco at cinemas in the region of The Landes.

2003 Mont de Marsan Flamenco Art Festival