Cantaor José Mercé heads the lineup
of the 2007 Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival

Javier Barón, Rocío Molina and Diego Amador also perform in the event’s nineteenth edition, which is to be held from July 2nd to 7th in the French city

Flamenco-world.com, June 2007

2007 Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival. Complete program

It had been waiting for some time. And the Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival finally welcomes José Mercé. But the Jerez-born cantaor shares the limelight with other solid flamenco talents such as bailaor Javier Barón, cantaores Aurora Vargas and Pansequito, bailaoras Rocío Molina and Ángeles Gabaldón and pianist Diego Amador. The lineup of the nineteenth edition, which is to be held in the French city from July 2nd to 7th, 2007, also offers the show ‘Moroneando’ and the closing gala ‘Maestros’, starring the instructors from the courses organized by Taller Flamenco.

	Javier Barón on Meridiana (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

Mont de Marsan renews its “story of friendship” with flamenco. The French city is now preparing the nineteenth edition of its outstanding festival, one of the main international events on the jondo agenda. From July 2nd to 7th, 2007, every stage, music school classroom and even the very streets of the city will once again be filled with cante, baile and toque.

The festival will be inaugurated by bailaor Javier Barón, who presents his new show, ‘Meridiana’, at the Espace François Mitterrand on Monday, July 2nd. The show, premiered at the past Festival de Jerez 2007, focuses on the game of compás, with the participation of artists such as Tomasito and a female dance corps. The Café Cantante (Singing Café) at Place Saint Roch opens its doors on Tuesday, July 3rd with a bill shared by pianist Diego Amador - who performed in the previous edition in the company of his family - and bailaora Ángeles Gabaldón with her show, ‘Volantes de jondura’.

Halfway through the festival, the crowded Espace François Mitterrand will be ready to welcome the long-awaited concert by José Mercé. The show by the Jerez-born cantaor, which will take place on Wednesday, July 4th, is split up into two parts: the first, with traditional cante; and the second, with flamenco-style songs which he has been turning into hits for years now. The next day, it will be time to face avant-garde and tradition at the Café Cantante. Rocío Molina, a young baile talent, presents ‘Pasos contados’ in the first half. And in the second, veterans Aurora Vargas and Pansequito will perform deep-roots cante.

Rocío Molina (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

Morón, flamenco territory

Collectivity will prevail on the last two days of the festival. On Friday, July 6th at the Espace François Mitterrand, the bill will stress a flamenco territory: Morón. As in previous editions with Jerez and Utrera, several artists from the Seville-area town will share their unique brand of flamenco with fans under the title ‘Moroneando’. And then on Saturday, July 7th, following the dinner at the Hal de Nahuques, the ‘Maestros’ will take care of closing the festival. The instructors who will teach courses organized by Taller Flamenco throughout the festival will share an exceptional gala. Rafaela Carrasco, Rocío Molina and Fuensanta la Moneta will express different ways of understanding today’s baile, just like Eugenio Iglesias and Daniel Méndez on guitar as well as José Valencia and David Palomar on cante.

At the same time, there will also be live flamenco at the Bodega located at Place de la Mairie, with performances every night by French groups and soloists such as Huella Flamenca, Manuel Delgado, Los Tiburones and Pepe de Nieves, among others. The novelty this year is the street show ‘Las 24, cuando uno quiere y el otro no’ by bailaores Chloe Dauphin and Marco Vargas, with David Palomar as guest cantaor, which will be performed at several points in the city. Completing the bill of the festival is the series of lectures every afternoon at L’Ecole de Musique Auditorium on subjects like ‘La fiesta flamenca’, ‘Los archivos del Centro Andaluz de Flamenco’ and ‘Flamenco, la letra con sangre entra’, among others.

19th Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival 2007 Mont de Marsan (France), July 2nd to 7th, 2007 CONCERTS Monday, July 2nd Espace François Mitterrand (9 p.m.) ‘Meridiana’, Compañía Javier Barón Tuesday, July 3rd Café Cantante – Place Saint Roch Diego Amador (7:30 p.m.) ‘Volantes de jondura’, Compañía Ángeles Gabaldón (9:30 p.m.) Ángeles Gabaldón (Photo Daniel Muñoz) Wednesday, July 4th Espace François Mitterrand José Mercé (9 p.m.) Thursday, July 5th Café Cantante – Place Saint Roch Pasos Contados, Compañía Rocío Molina (7:30 p.m.) Aurora Vargas & Pansequito (9:30 p.m.) Friday, July 6th Espace François Mitterrand (9 p.m.) ‘Moroneando’ Daniel Méndez (Photo Daniel Muñoz) Saturday, July 7th Hal de Nahuques (10 p.m.) ‘Maestros’, Rafaela Carrasco, Rocío Molina, Fuensanta la Moneta, Eugenio Iglesias, Daniel Méndez, David Palomar and José Valencia BODEGA Place de la Mairie (9 p.m. /11:30 p.m.) Monday, July 2nd Huella Flamenca Tuesday, July 3rd Manuel Delgado Wednesday, July 4th Los Tiburones Thursday, July 5th Antonio Martínez Friday, July 6th Pepe de Nieves COURSES Ecole de Musique et de Danse, July 1st to 6th -Baile: Rafaela Carrasco, Rocío Molina, Fuensanta la Moneta, Marco Vargas, Esther Vélez, Olga Villalobos -Compás and clapping: Gamba de Jerez -Guitar: Eugenio Iglesias, Daniel de Morón, Michele Iaccarino, Pierre Pradal Further information at Taller Flamenco.com LECTURES L’Ecole de Musique et de Danse Auditorium (5:30 p.m.) Tuesday, July 3rd ‘La fiesta flamenca’ (‘The Flamenco Party’), Fernando González-Caballos Wednesday, July 4th ‘Los archivos del Centro Andaluz de Flamenco’ (‘The Archives of the Andalusian Flamenco Center’), Olga de la Pascua Thursday, July 5th ‘En torno a la cultura en Andalucía: una visión a través del flamenco’ (‘About the Culture in Andalusia: a Vision through Flamenco’), Juan Manuel Suárez Japón Friday, July 6th ‘Flamenco, la letra con sangre entra’ (‘Flamenco, Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child’), Juan José Téllez STREET SHOWS ‘Las 24, cuando el uno quiere y el otro no’, Chloe Dauphin & Marco Vargas -Tuesday, July 3rd, Place Saint Roch (5:30 p.m.) -Wednesday, July 4th, rue Gambetta (5:30 p.m.) -Thursday, July 5th, Place Saint Roch (5:30 p.m.)

 

More information: Interview with José Mercé, cantaor (November, 2004) Interview with Javier Barón, bailaor (October, 2006) Festival Flamenco Mont de Marsan 2006. Daily follow-up: reviews, photos, videos Festival Flamenco Mont de Marsan 2005. Daily follow-up: reviews, photos and videos Visit the international flamenco festival agenda www.flamencofestival.info