(Headline image: Dancer Estela Alonso performing at Suma Flamenca 2023 – photo by Ana Yñáñez)
Suma Flamenca, a pivotal event in Spain’s flamenco scene, will chart its course in its nineteenth edition towards the geographical expanse spanning from the Tajo de Ronda in Malaga province towards the city of Málaga, Jaén, Granada, and Almería, as well as La Unión and Cartagena. Thus, from October 15th to November 3rd, 2024, Suma Flamenca will expand its program towards the Flamenco East, a trajectory it has been constructing in previous editions.
Organized by the Community of Madrid, this nineteenth edition is the fifth under the direction of Antonio Benamargo. Suma Flamenca 2024 will take place at Teatros del Canal (Green, Black, and Red Halls), the Pilar Miró and Paco Rabal Cultural Centers in Vallecas, the Real Coliseo Carlos III Theater in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, the Royal Monastery of El Paular in Rascafría, the Comarcal Center of Humanities in La Cabrera, the Abadía Theater, Cuarta Pared Theater, and the Ateneo de Madrid.
Pre-festival activities at the Ateneo de Madrid will include an exhibition titled “El flamenco en la dramática luna negra. La discografía flamenca a través de los fondos de la Colección Carlos Martín Ballester” (Flamenco in the dramatic black moon. The flamenco discography through the holdings of the Carlos Martín Ballester Collection) in the Anselma Hall during October. Additionally, the Auditorium Cátedra Mayor at the Ateneo will host five presentations and their corresponding live performances from October 1st to 5th, offering diverse perspectives from the Tajo de Ronda towards the Flamenco East through the routes of singing. These presentations will form the theoretical background for Suma Flamenca’s performances.
These eastern Spanish territories have given rise to distinct styles of singing, as will be elucidated in the presentations of the series. For instance, Málaga birthed malagueñas, fandangos abandolaos (rondeñas, jaberas, jabegotes…), and various forms of tangos, bulerías, soleares, polos, cañas, and serranas. Meanwhile, Jaén has contributed unique artists such as Juanito Valderrama, Rafael Romero, Gabriel Moreno, and Carmen Linares; Almería, its genuine and indigenous song, the taranta; Granada, the Gypsy cultural essence of Sacromonte, and Murcia, the mining songs.
As a notable prelude to the festival, the fourth edition of Suma Flamenca Joven will take place at Teatros del Canal, featuring soloists in the art forms of singing, guitar, and dance under the age of thirty, unfolding across four galas from September 12th to 15th.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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