Festival Cordas is celebrating its 10th edition in Madalena do Pico, Azores, with local players sharing stages with international artists and rarely heard string instruments.
On Tuesday night at Auditório da Madalena, Canary Islands’ musician Beselch Rodríguez returned to the festival alongside Carlos Martín. A leading figure of the new generation of Spanish timple players, Rodríguez combines contemporary approaches with traditional roots; this appearance marked his third at Cordas.
Gambian artist Mbye Ebrima made his festival debut and drew the event’s biggest ovation to date with the kora on Sunday afternoon, according to artistic director Terry Costa of MiratecArts. “We’re at a special celebration and a turning point for our festival, small for the world, but giant for the island,” Costa said, noting a decade of cultural exchange.
The Indo-Persian sarod also featured earlier in the week. Presented by Wyetta Bontempo at the Madalena Library, the intimate set “brought peace to the space and a zen moment,” librarian Fernanda Medeiros said. Regular attendee Fernando Machado praised the program’s breadth, calling the festival’s diversity “incredible.”
The lineup continues through October 11 with Finland’s Maija Kauhanen closing the program, Brazil’s Luizga and Laya, Germany’s Kukka and Rai Ridder, and China’s Lu Yanan. Portuguese artists include Frankie Chavez, Marta Pereira da Costa, Pedro Mestre, and Azoreans Ruben Bettencourt and Jonathan Afonso, among others.
More details and daily updates appear at festivalcordas.com.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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