The Potaje de Utrera and Caracolá de Lebrija kick
off the summer festivals in Andalusia
Bernarda de Utrera, Chocolate,
El Lebrijano, Antonio Canales and Manuela Carrasco are some of the heavyweights
this year
Flamenco-world.com, June 2003
Summer is back, and summer festivals are
right around the corner. Prestigious yearly events like the Potaje of Utrera and
the Caracolá of Lebrija are offering some of the most important artists
at this time. In Utrera, Bernarda
de Utrera, Chocolate, Juana la del Revuelo and Manuela Carrasco are to perform
on June 28, and El Lebrijano, Curro Malena, Aurora Vargas and Antonio
Canales are scheduled for the festival in Lebrija. The festivals are like
a fountainhead from which flamenco flows throughout Andalusia, and it could be
said that the open-air cultural events democratized flamenco in the 1960s.
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Caracolá 2003 poster
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Although other festivals have already taken
place, like La Yerbabuena in Las Cabezas de San Juan, a town neighboring Seville,
the real splendor of the summer festivals in Andalusia begins with the coming
of the Potaje of Utrera and the Caracolá of Lebrija. The oldest and most
prestigious festival is the Potaje of Utrera, which is in its forty-seventh year.
Organized by the Hermandad de Los Gitanos, it is scheduled for June 28 in the
Colegio Salesiano de Utrera, and includes the singers Bernarda de Utrera, Chocolate,
Juana la del Revuelo, Inés Suárez and Chato de Utrera; the guitarists
Antonio Carrión, Martín Chico and Niño José Manuel;
and the dancer Manuela
Carrasco.
Nearly a month afterwards, the Caracolá
of Lebrija, in its thirty-eighth year, is to be held on July 19 at the Campo de
Deportes del Convento de San Francisco, with the singers El Lebrijano, Curro Malena,
José Valencia, Aurora Vargas and Sabor Jerez; the dancer Antonio Canales;
and the guitarists Antonio Malena, Pedro María Peña, Diego del Morao
and Fernando Moreno. On this occasion, the festival is dedicated to El Chozas
in the centennial of his birth.
Between Seville and Huelva
The summer festivals are an opportunity for
close contact with flamenco art and the different areas of the south, but also
showcase the characteristics of Andalusian culture, including the gastronomy that
has provided the names of many of these events. A good number of the festivals
take place in the province of Seville. In the wake of the earliest events in the
year, like the Festival Juan Talega of Dos Hermanas, others take place in the
month of July, like the Festival Joaquín el de la Paula of Alcalá
de Guadaira, the Festival of Castilblanco de los Arroyos, the Festival de la Campiña
of El Rubio, the Reunión de Cante Jondo of Puebla de Cazalla, the Festival
de la Mistela of Los Palacios, the Festival de la Guitarra of Marchena, and the
contests Concurso de Cante Ciudad de Carmona and the Concurso de Osuna, among
others. Events in August include the Gazpacho of Morón, the Festival of
Badolatosa, the Festival de la Naranja of Brenes, the Noche Flamenca Ecijana,
the Festival of El Viso del Alcor, the Festival del Polvorón of Estepa,
the Concurso and Festival de Cante Jondo Antonio Mairena of Mairena del Alcor,
in August and September, respectively. The Festival Flamenco Villa de Pilas also
takes place in September.
Events in Huelva include the contest Certamen
de Fandangos de Huelva Paco Toronjo of Alosno and the Festival de Cante Flamenco
of Moguer, in July, and the Festival Flamenco Ciudad de Isla Cristina and the
Festival de Lepe, in August.
The coastline between Cádiz and Málaga
In Cádiz, flamenco can be found from
the coast to the mountains in summer. The most significant events in July include
the Reunión del Cante de Cádiz y Los Puertos in El Puerto de Santa
María, the Noches Flamencas of Grazalema, and the contest Concurso de Cante
por Peteneras of Paterna. There are many more events in August, including the
Noche Flamenca of Algeciras, the Velá Flamenca de las Nieves in Arcos,
the Noche Flamenca of Barbate, the contest Concurso de Cante de Casas Viejas in
Benalup, the contest Concurso de Alegrías in Cádiz, the Festival
Flamenco Ciudad de Castellar in Castellar de la Frontera, the Festival Flamenco
La Barrosa in Chiclana, the Festival Flamenco de la Flor Cortada in Chipiona,
the Festival of Olvera, the Festival Flamenco El Arranque Roteño of Rota,
the contest Certamen Nacional de Cante Flamenco Isla de San Fernando, the Noches
de Bajo de Guía in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the Noche Flamenca de
la Piel of Ubrique, the Noche Flamenca of Vejer, and the Festival de Cante por
Livianas of Puerto Real in September. The second Saturday of September marks what
is perhaps the biggest of them all: the Fiesta de la Bulería of Jerez.
Bernarda de Utrera (Photos: Javier Hurtado)
Following the coastline, we come to Málaga,
where there is also plenty of flamenco to be found. The Festival Torre del Cante
of Alhaurín de la Torre and the Moraga Flamenca of Málaga kick off
the activity in this area in June. In July, the events continue with the Festival
de Cante of Álora, the Festival de Cante Grande of Casabermeja and the
Concurso y Festival de Cante y Baile Estepona Cantaora. Festivals in August include
the Festival Flamenco of Alcaucín, the Noche Flamenca of Alhaurín
el Grande, the Noche Flamenca de Santa María in Antequera, the Festival
Flamenco Villa of El Burgo, the Villa of Mijas, the Festival Castillo del Cante
of Ojén, the Festival de la Luna Mora of Guaro, the Festival de Cante Grande
of Ronda, and the Festival Flamenco of Torremolinos.
From Córdoba to Levante
Córdoba is the backdrop to the highly
acclaimed Festival Internacional de la Guitarra, but also offers a number of smaller
events. In July, this activity includes the Noche Flamenca of Aguilar de la Frontera,
the Reunión de Cante Flamenco of Baena, the Bellota Flamenca of El Viso
de los Pedroches, the Festival of Encinarejo, the Festival de Cante La Barrera
in Lucena, and the Festival Flamenco of Moriles. Events in August include the
Vendimia Flamenca of Doña Mencía, the Noches Flamencas en El Mirabrás
of Fernán Núñez, the Festival of Guadalcázar, the
Noche Flamenca Hinojoseña, the Botijo Flamenco of La Rambla, the Cata Flamenca
of Montilla, the Semana Flamenca of Palma del Río, the Festival de Cante
de Las Minas of Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo, the Festival of Posadas, the Festival
of Priego, the Festival de Cante Grande of Puente Genil... In September, events
in the province of Córdoba include the Partía Flamenca of Benamejí
and the Festival Flamenco of Cabra.
The East of Andalusia has just as much to
offer. In Granada, the Noche Flamenca del Albaycín, the Concurso de Cante
Volaera Flamenca of Loja, and the Concurso de Cante Flamenco of Padul take place
in August, and the festivals of Armilla and Los Ogíjares are scheduled
for September. Events in Almería start in July with the contest Certamen
de Flamenco Las Fraguas in Turre, and continue in August with the Festival de
Cante Grande of Adra, the Caldo Minero of Pechina, the Festival of Berja and the
time-honored Festival of Almería, which will feature Chocolate, Carmen
Linares and El Torta this year. Things come to a close in September with the contest
Concurso de Cante Pedro el Morato in Almería and the Festival de Cante
Flamenco of Dalias, among others.
The province of Jaén also has a number
of festivals, starting in July with the Festival Flamenco of Navas de San Juan
and the Festival Flamenco Juanito Valderrama of Torredelcampo. In August, events
include the Festival of Arjona, the Concurso y Festival de Cante Ciudad de Baeza,
the Festival de Cante Jondo of Jódar, the contest Concurso Nacional de
Tarantas of Linares, the Pipirrana Flamenca of Mancha Real, the Noche Flamenca
of Martos, the Festival of Pegalajar, the Besana Flamenca of Porcuna, the Festival
Flamenco Ciudad de Quesada, the Festival of Villanueva de la Reina. The Festival
Flamenco Feria de San Miguel of Úbeda and the Festival Flamenco Pepe Polluelas
in Jaen capital are scheduled for September.
More information at http://caf.cica.es/mundo_flamenco/
