Luis Giménez Amorós – Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos (KRB, 2024)
Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos presents an innovative fusion of tradition and experimentation by Spanish musician Luis Giménez Amorós. This album, created in collaboration with the Banda Chapí, a wind ensemble emblematic of Spain’s Levante (eastern) region, reimagines traditional Moorish marches and breathes new life into Villena’s musical heritage.
Part of the Desconocido Levante series, composed across diverse countries like Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Brazil, and Mexico between 2021 and 2024, this album focuses on La San Gervata in Villena. It is a unique moment during the Moros y Cristianos festivities, which are parades and theatrical performances that commemorate the Reconquista and the battles between Christians and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula. In this context, musicians from various bands improvise beyond the standard repertoire, a practice that inspired Amorós to explore the harmonic and instrumental versatility of Moorish marches.
While incorporates non-traditional elements like electric guitar and violin, the album also features traditional wind instruments. As a consequence, the album pushes boundaries while maintaining a strong connection to its roots. Featured musicians include members of Villena’s Ruperto Chapí municipal band: Carlos Zapater (trombone), Isaías Beneito Ribera (trumpet), Pepe Sánchez García (clarinet), Victorino Muñoz Bellod (tenor saxophone), and María Muñoz (flute); as well as collaborators Antonio Prats (percussion), Manu Ruiz (violin), and Fran Ramos (alto saxophone). Special contributions by accordionists Alex Daniels and Carlos Botella further enrich the recording.
The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered in Villena’s KRB Studios during July and August 2023.
Buy Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos.
Author: Tyler Bennet
