Pueblos Blancos Music Festival

Pueblos Blancos Music Festival

Contemporary music and dance festivals in Andalucia

The Pueblos Blancos Music Festival is a unique grass-roots summer festival that bridges the vibrant musical landscapes of Austin, Texas, and the picturesque white hilltop villages of Serranía de Ronda. PBMF takes place in several venues over four days in late July, with Montejaque as its base.

The festival, which embraces genres from rock and soul to R&B and jazz, has become a beacon of cultural and artistic exchange, drawing music-lovers from around the world to Andalucia. The festival owes its success to the dedication and passion of a handful remarkable individuals - to find out more, read on.

This free-entry festival celebrated its seventh edition on Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 July 2024, with about 25 bands playing, around half of which hailed from Texas. The 2025 edition is expected to take place around the same dates.

 

 

White village venues

This American-Andalucian music festival is held over four days in charming outdoor venues; until 2023 it was shared between four Serrania de Ronda villages, with one day in each. In 2024 the festival expanded to five towns and villages:  Ronda, Montejaque, Olvera, Jimera de Libar and Cortés de la Frontera. The festival features a mix of blues, country, rock, pop, soul, funk, R&B, and jazz under the strap-line 'From Austin to Andalucia'. About 20 to 30 bands mostly from Austin, Houston, and Nashville, share concerts and musical experiences with local groups. All performances have free entrance, with an informal and friendly atmosphere.

Montejaque is the base for the festival, with musicians travelling to the other villages for their evening performances. In 2024 there were five stages set up in five villages. In Montejaque concerts took place on each of the four days, while the other villages and towns had concerts on either one (Cortes and Ronda), two (Olvera) or three days (Jimera). 

The venues are Auditorio Blas Infante in Ronda; Plaza Constitution in Montejaque; Plaza Allioli Bar, Plaza San Roque in Estacion de Jimera de Libar; Plaza Virgen de la Salud in Jimera de Libar; and Plaza Carlos III in Cortés de la Frontera.

 

 

Planning your evening and moving between venues

We recommend that festival-goers check out each evening's programme to decide which venue to attend. Each village has its own character, and the venues are distinct too, as is the mix of locals and visitors enjoying the music.

Many acts from Austin, TX  play in a different village each evening, so that locals can see most of the bands without leaving their own pueblo. Ferrying musicians and their instruments between villages is quite a complicated logistical operation, but the organisers believe in their mission to make the festival sustainable and to bring its benefits to different parts of the Serranía de Ronda.

The white villages are quite remote, and public transport connections are sparse in the day and non-existent in the evening, so moving around requires your own transport. Each village hosts different bands in the evening, offering wonderful opportunities for daytime rambling followed by mingling with like-minded music-lovers into the early hours.

Don't expect the organisation of a major festival - no twin stages with clockwork precision changeovers in the Serranía. Equally, you won't find the crowds or the queues of a major festival, with the upsides and downsides that brings. In many cases the bands and their families and friends, plus the villagers who wander down to the Plaza, make up the majority of the audience.

However as word spreads that surprisingly skilled, experienced and entertaining bands are playing, the village plaza begins to fill up. In some villages, such as Montejaque, the café bars around the square are well-prepared, with plenty of tables and chairs and a varied menu, while in others, such as Cortés de la Frontera, the square's only bar has just seven tables.

This festival offers a great opportunity to meet the visiting musicians, as there are no restricted backstage areas. The audience and the musicians are happy to mingle, sitting on the steps of the town hall, enjoying the local fayre, and chatting about music, the Serranía and current cultural topics. 

 

 

Not to be missed are the concerts at the Alameda del Tajo in Ronda. This open-air auditorium with cliff-top stage has a spectacular backdrop, and is especially awe-inspiring on a summer's evening when the distant mountains behind the artists glow in the setting sun.

2024 edition

Artists taking part in the 2024 edition included: Bourbonnais (Austin, TX),  Colin Clark (Austin, TX), Cowboy Diplomacy (Austin, TX), Ciudadano Fo (Malaga),  Deann René (Austin, TX),  Donovan Keith (Austin, TX), Enrique Heredia "Negri" (Madrid, ES), Fuzz Kamikazes (San Pedro de Alcántara), Joao Cossa (Mozambique), Joe King Carrasco (Austin and Puerto Vallata), Kansas University Jazz Ensemble, Los Widow Makers (Madrid), Mary Mahaffey (Greensboro, South Carolina & Barcelona),  Neon Signs (Kansas City, Missouri), Pfiasco (Austin, TX), Picky Pressure (Montejaque / Benoajan),  Pierson Keating (Austin, TX), Rikki Todd (Austin, TX), Robin Mordecai (Austin, TX),  Sara Acero (Cali, Colombia) with Low Tension (Austin, TX),  Sister Sister (Houston, TX), Slim Jim & The Redeemers (Barcelona),  Syrah Morrison (Cadiz), and Tangerine Flavor (Madrid). More details of the 2024 edition. 

A labour of love for all those involved

The festival is a labour of love for the organisers and the musicians who return year after year. The musicians don't charge a fee and have to pay their own travel expenses, while the town halls provide the special venues, a stage, a PA and modest stage lighting.

As many of the headliners are unable to travel with their full backing band, house musicians such as Phil Plata, Aaron Feder; Javier "Padi" Perez, Miguel Varela and Pierson Keating play with several bands, adding to the sense of community. In a scene reminiscent of hotel manager Pepe's multiple roles in the 1972 comedy classic Carry on Abroad, drummer Phil Plata played for four bands in two different villages on the Friday of the 2024 edition.

Some of the artists organise separate gigs either before or after the festival, whether in Madrid or Granada or more locally. Donovan Keith and Joe King Carrasco often play warm-up or cool-down gigs at Louis Louie in Estepona. Joe King Carrasco's unwavering support cannot go unnoted: as an unofficial ambassador for the festival, he has only missed one edition.

 

 

How was the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival founded, and who are its organisers?

So what is the connection is between Serranía de Ronda and Austin, TX? It all began when a Spanish musician visited the music mecca of Austin and met the accomplished drummer Phil Plata, which led to Phil working remotely on the Travellers album. Phil explained his vision in combining the musical talents of his hometown of Austin with the scenic beauty and rich culture of Andalusia.

Josu Camacho, president of band tour organiser Perform in Spain, who has extensive experience in organising tours and events in Spain, facilitated the integration of American bands into the local Andalucian context, thereby enabling cultural exchange and mutual appreciation between the two regions.

The local contact on this team is Juan de Castro, whose non-profit project, the Sierra de Libar Foundation, adds a dimension of social innovation and community development to the festival. De Castro's involvement ensures that the festival not only entertains, but also contributes to the sustainable development of the festival villages, ensuring a positive impact.

Finally, Karen Loke, director of communications, is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television documentarian whose expertise in storytelling and media production has been instrumental in shaping the festival's public image.

 

History of the festival

The first edition of the festival took place in September 2016 in Ronda and Montejaque, and was headlined by Joe King Carrasco and Deann Rene leading more Austiners: Jak Levinson Band, Danger Cakes, SEFO, Future Air  Travel, Moxxy, Loop One, Motes Float  Aloft, DD Dagger. They were supported by Vuca (Budapest, Hungary), Mercader (Montejaque) and B-sides, Canamo & Bluses Club and Nuak from Madrid.

As Joe King Carrasco says, "I was originally going to go and play with Phil [Plata] and whoever was there, and then suddenly my band wanted in on the deal, and then Kim, my manager wanted in on the deal, and then before you know were were playing the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival. What it did was kick us over to Europe. This festival was special: it was such a crazy mixture of musicians. It was amazing playing with the musicians from Spain too. Nobody will forget that impromptu flamenco jam session at 4.30 in the morning at the Hotel Montejaque."

By the second edition in September 2017 the festival had grown to four villages - Ronda, Montejaque, Grazalema and Villaluenga del Rosario. Joe King Carrasco returned with 15 more bands from Austin including Kev Bev and the Woodland Creatures and Los Widow Makers. Post-Covid in 2022 the festival was back with returning artists such as Joe King Carrasco, Los Widow Makers, Suso Diaz, SEFO and first-timers such as Donovan Keith, who has returned every year since.

2024 was the biggest and most complex festival yet, with five villages (three of which were new to the festival) and about 25 bands playing.

• Pueblos Blancos Music Festival 2024

 

Venues and dates 2024

Plaza de la Constitución, Montejaque - Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 July 

Plaza Allioli Bar, Plaza San Roque, Estacion de Jimera de Libar - Thursday 25 July .
Plaza Virgen de la Salud Jimera de Libar - Friday 26 to Saturday 27 July .

Olvera - Thursday 25 and Friday 26 July 

Plaza Carlos III Cortes de la Frontera - Friday 26 July 

Auditorio Blas Infante, Ronda - Saturday 26 July 

2017 to 2023 editions also included Grazalema and Villaluenga del Rosario

Contact

More info at pueblosblancosmusicfestival.com Latest news and lots of 2024 photos on Facebook page.

• Next Pueblos Blancos Music Festival
• Pueblos Blancos Music Festival 2024
• Music and Dance Festivals in Andalucia