Flamenco Season in Cartagena

[Fiona Pitt-Kethley]

The Flamenco season has just started in Cartagena. We have been to most of the concerts the last two years and are totally hooked. They take place in my barrio, Santa Lucia, which is the traditional fishing area. The first concert takes place in the old fishmarket. They all start at 10.30. The rest of the concerts are in the square beside the church of Santiago - Santa Lucia claims to be the place where Saint James first landed before going on to Compostella. They are run by the El Pinacho bar in that square and they do a fantastic job. It´s a wonderful cheap night out. The street is filled with plastic tables and waiters bring you food and drinks from the nearby bar which is very cheap. The concerts are free. It´s best to get there early to get a good seat.
If you live within reach of Cartagena it´s a great way to hear good music. Most of the soloists have won top prizes in festivals around Spain and the guitarist comes from a family of famous Flamenco musicians. It´s a friendly atmosphere also for meeting other music-lovers and local Spanish people.
Here´s the programme off the ayuntamiento site:

Sábado 07 Junio 2008 - Miguel Flores, 'Capullo de Jerez' y Salvador Salas Munar
Sábado 14 Junio 2008 - Juan Pinilla
Sábado 21 Junio 2008 - María José Pérez
Sábado 28 Junio 2008 - Isabel Rico, 'Morena clara'
Sábado 02 Agosto 2008 - Jesús Matías Solano, 'Jesús Chozas'
Sábado 09 Agosto 2008 - Esther Merino Pilo
Sábado 16 Agosto 2008 - Rafael Carlos Moreno, 'Churumbaque Hijo'
Sábado 23 Agosto 2008 - Sergio Gómez, 'Coloraito'
Sábado 30 Agosto 2008 - Rocío Segura

[Fiona Pitt-Kethley]

No dancing on the whole, but a lot of toe-tapping, clapping and finger-clicking. The second singer in the series, Juan Pinilla, had a worrying woman after him - number one fan was written all over her. She was dancing and throwing her arms open to him very close to the stage. Then she went and sprayed him with perfume at the end - poor guy.
The nice thing about these concerts is that you are getting nationally-known artists because the council puts so much money into the series. It´s a much better introduction to Flamenco therefore than going to a tourist show or a restaurant that can only afford to pay its performers peanuts.

[Fiona Pitt-Kethley]

Don´t book the 16th, Jan, as the performer is now singing on this Friday instead. Probably the clash with the end of the Cante de las Minas is the reason...The Cante de las Minas people have been really slow putting out publicity this year. I notice that they have not renewed their usual domain for the festival and I am told that tickets are not on sale till the 7th...

[Jan]

Thanks for letting me know Fiona.

I haven't booked anything yet. Having just returned from Ibiza, we have daughters birthday celebrations to get through (she usually manages to spread this over about 3 days!) then its only over two weeks before our daughter goes to the UK and we need to finalise arrangements for her to stay with a variety of friends. (and us to go on our med cruise)

I have booked a night in Murcia for october as we needed to use up a discount hotel voucher we held and I haven't had a proper look around that City yet.

There seems to be a lot going on in La Marina, so we may just stay closer to home after all. The caves in Rojalas have concerts every Saturday evening which appeal to me, but I can't get hubby to go anywhere 'cultural' at the moment, so need to work on him a bit - promise of a good meal usually does the trick

[Fiona Pitt-Kethley]

I can´t get my hubby near anything cultural either...Fortunately the son is quite keen.