Ramiro Navarro, Madrid

Seville's FIBES Convention Center will be the venue chosen for the bringing together, from October 23rd to 26th, of the most international fair of jondo art and the world's largest music festival, World Music Expo (WOMEX), which will have the performances of Javier Ruibal, El Bicho and the duo Bebo Valdés and El Cigala on its extensive bill.

Seville'es FIBES Convention Center

With the bill still unannounced and with increasingly growing expectation, the International Flamenco Fair is preparing its third edition which will be held at Seville's FIBES Convention Center from October 23rd to 26th. A third edition in which the experience will be appreciated from the two previous ones which managed to draw over 20,000 visitors. Institutions, production companies, record companies, artists, publishing houses, instrument makers, academies, peñas and the rest of the active elements of the flamenco world will have their annual gathering at this fair coinciding this year with WOMEX 2003. An encounter embellished with lectures, album presentations and autographing, fashion shows, shows and film showings. The organizers hope to welcome around 120 exhibitors, which would surpass the volume of the last edition, and to increase the rate of visits from previous editions. The performances, yet to be announced, will all be held at the Convention Center.

More flamenco overtones at the international showcase

As for WOMEX, it will be the setting coinciding with the flamenco fair. The most important international music fair is to arrive in Seville from October 22nd to 26th after having spent previous editions in cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Stockholm, Marseilles and Rotterdam. On its bill, the few artists from Spain at this gathering are nearly all of a flamenco air.

The performances will be held from the nights of the 23rd to the 26th at the Cartuja Island Arena. The first performance on the 24th, at 9:30 p.m., will be by El Bicho, the group led by the voice of Miguel Campello, which on their début album enjoyed the production of Tino di Geraldo and the collaborations of Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Tomasito and Diego Carrasco. Scheduled that same night at 11:45 p.m. is the performance of Bebo Valdés and El Cigala, a surprise marriage between flamenco and boleros, presenting their album Lágrimas Negras.

On the night of Saturday, October 25th, at 11:45 p.m., Cádiz-born Javier Ruibal will take his personal songs and his melodies with flamenco and Arab overtones to the arena. These three contributions represent an increase in the presence of the flamenco world on the worldwide music scene, since until now its appearance at the event had been relegated to a nearly anecdotal role with the performance of the Catalan group Ojos de Brujo in last year's edition.

Now, the joint celebration of both fairs will make Seville a meeting point for musicians from all over the world with special attention for flamenco lovers and above all for its industry.