Flamenco Festival Trocadero 2023

Flamenco Festival Trocadero Sotogrande 2023

Contemporary music and dance festivals in Andalucia

by Tony Bryant

The third edition of the Flamenco Festival Trocadero in Sotogrande presented some of the iconic names from the world of flamenco. This is a gathering which is sure to attract both aficionados who prefer the more orthodox style of this art, along with those who enjoy fusion and the new trends within the world of flamenco.

The festival took place at the Trocadero Beach Club and Restaurant from 28 July until 25 August 2023, and presented ten performances, four less than last year.

Conventional artistes like Luis El Zambo, Juana la del Pipa, Diego Carrasco, El Yiyo, Raul Perla and José Tobalo will be joined by those who fuse flamenco with other world music, such as Diego El Cigala, Antonio Carmona and Rosario. There were also concerts by two bands that do not strictly fit into the flamenco category, like 84, a trio from Madrid who perform catchy pop music; and Los Secretos, a Spanish rock/pop band that made their name on the 1980s counter-culture movement known as the Movida Madrileña.

The performance scheduled to take place on 17 August has been billed as a ‘surprise concert’, although organisers have yet to announce who the mystery artiste will be. All shows start at 10pm and tickets have varying pieces depending on the artiste and area selected.

About the artists

El Yivo
Miguel Fernández Rivas, El Yiyo claims he began to walk and dance almost at the same time, germinating a relationship with flamenco that arose, as he asserts, in a very natural way. He has become the new face of current flamenco, knocking Joaquín Cortés (someone he is often compared with) from his throne, and he has shared the stage with many established figures such as Estrella Morente and Miguel Poveda, among others.

Born in Badalona in 1996, El Yiyo has been influenced by two of the art’s greatest dancers, El Farruco and Manuela Carassco: his dance is fresh and innovating and overflows with naturalness. He is well versed in the orthodox styles, for which he demonstrates impeccable compás.

Although he shies away from any comparison with Cortés, he is certainly following in his footsteps, not on the dance floor, but on the catwalk, collaborating with Armarni and Dior, and appearing on the cover of Vogue.

Diego El Cigala
Diego El Cigala has risen from being a notable singer of the orthodox flamenco to world-wide recognition as one of today’s top musicians and composers.

Born Madrid 1968, El Cigala recorded his first disc in 1998, a collection of traditional flamenco styles that included bulerías, fandangos and alegrías. For the last 20 years, however, the award-winning Gypsy artiste has fused flamenco with different genres and cultures, such as his ground-breaking work with Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes on the 2003 recording Lagrimas Negras.

This disc was followed, after a return to his flamenco roots with Picasso en Mis Ojos in 2005, with Dos Lagrimas, a fusion of flamenco with traditional Latin American music (boleros, chachachá and tango) and the copla, a recording that includes a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti.

His performance at the Trocadero festival will present music from his last disc, Cigala Canta a Mexico (2020), which he says he recorded as an ode to the country that has given him so much through its rhythms, lyrics and airs. His first trip to Mexico was more than 20 years ago, before he began his deep exploration of Cuban rhythms, and his latest show will offer a collection of classic Mexican music, of which, the mariachi will be the protagonist.

Café Quijano + DJ Nano
Consisting of three brothers from León, Café Quijano is a Latin rock, pop and bolero group who made their first demo in 1996 and were snapped up by the Warner record company. The group has since released several commercially successful CDs, as well as collaborating on projects with renowned artistes such as Rafael, Joaquín Sabina and Celine Dion, to name a few.

La Extraordinaria Paradox del Sonido Quijano, released in 1999, was considered a benchmark in Spanish music and brought the band international fame. The album went on to become a double platinum disc, and Café Quijano became the first Spanish group to be nominated for an American Grammy.

Café Quijano are also revered for the work they have done as ambassadors of their land, promoting the image of León around the world to boost regional tourism.

Jerez Canta -Luis El Zambo, Enrique El Zambo, Juana la del Pipa, Diego Carrasco, Viejas de Jerez
This show, which is a must for those who enjoy the purest Gypsy flamenco, will be performed by several of the most renowned artistes from Jerez de la Frontera, a town considered to be where the very first seeds of the cante flamenco sprouted.

Jerez is renowned for its bulerías and this explosive show will demonstrate why. Luis and Enrique El Zambo descend from the large Gypsy dynasty of Paco la Luz, an 19th century singer who was the creator of many different styles of siguiriyas.

Luis and Enrique El Zambo are both celebrated performers who possess that copper-toned, cracked voice so associated with the artistes of this area.

They will be joined by Juana la del Pipa, a tempestuous Gypsy singer (and aunt of dancer Antonio el Pipa) whose voice will send shivers down one’s spine; Diego Carrasco, considered one of the masters of the art, especially for his lively fiesta styles; and Viejas de Jerez, which, as the name suggests, consists of a group of aging dames renowned for their exciting fin de fiestas and joyful gitanerías.

Antonio Carmona
The former singer and guitarist of ‘80s flamenco fusion legends Ketama, Antonio Carmona has carved a lucrative career as a respected solo artiste. His family are well established in the flamenco world, although Antonio’s music, which is termed ‘nuevo flamenco’ (new flamenco), has moved away from traditional flamenco to concentrate on a fusion of the genre with styles such as blues, jazz, reggae, salsa, funk, and even hip hop. This fresh style of flamenco began during the 1980s and was performed by a new generation of flamenco performers inspired by the mythical singer Camarón de la Isla, who, along with guitarists Paco de Lucia and Tomatito, introduced flamenco to a much younger audience than it had previously enjoyed.

Along with his brothers, Juan and José Miguel, Antonio composed !Ay qué Deseo!, which was Spain’s entry in the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest, although the song finished fifth from bottom.

84 + DJ Nano
A trio of guitarists and singers from Madrid, 84 perform catchy, harmonised pop songs influenced by legendary bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Eagles.

The band’s name is a reference to the movement known as Movida Madrileña, considered one of the most exciting times in Spanish pop music.

84 emerged from the Movistar music label and recorded their first CD in 2007. They have since released a string of CDs and singles, including their latest album, which consists of reworkings of their greatest hits from the beginning of the 21st century.

Rosario
The youngest daughter of singer/guitarist Antonio González, El Pescaílla, and the mythical artist Lola Flores, Rosario Flores, known artistically as Rosario, has become one of Spain’s top female singers.

Rising from the streets of Madrid’s flamenco scene, and often overshadowed by the iconic talent of her mother, Rosario carved a lucrative career with a style of pop, copla and flamenco-infused music, often called ‘flamenquito’, that has earned her many accolades, including a Latin Grammy for best female pop vocal album in 2002, and again in 2004. She has twelve platinum and three gold discs, selling more than 2 million records world-wide.

Rosario has inherited her mother’s incredible vocal talent, along with her sense of humour and impeccable compás, but she has risen above the legend of Lola to become an artiste in her own right.

In 2020 she received the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts of Spain.

Los Secretos
Los Secretos are a Spanish rock/pop band founded in Madrid in 1978 who are influenced by the British new wave scene of the 1980s. The line-up has changed a few times over the years, mainly due to the deaths of three band members, but they have carried on to become among the most important groups in the history of Spanish pop/rock music. Their most productive period was during the 1990s, although the band has continued to record and perform, clocking up 14 studio albums.

Their music is described as new wave and they are considered one of the most productive groups to emerge for the Madrid Movida scene.

Perla y Tobalo and the Yummiband
Guitarist Raul Perla and percussionist José Tobalo have made their name on the Andalusian flamenco scene by performing with a variety of artistes at numerous festivals, peñas and tablaos.

Renowned for his command of the traditional styles of flamenco, such as the soleares and bulerías, Raul Perla is a musician that sees flamenco not as a profession, but as a way of life. He arrived in Barcelona as a fresh 19-year-old attempting to break into the world of flamenco, although he was already making his name by accompanying the legendary Gypsy singer, El Chocolate.

He has also toured America with the Montoya dynasty, a family whose members include world-renowned dancer Farrucuito: he has also performed alongside the likes of Juana la del Pipa, Juan del Gastor and José Valencia.

Born in Barcelona, although now based in Seville, José Tobalo has become one of the most sought-after percussionists in flamenco. The 40-year-old musician has accompanied many performers, although he made his mark with Spanish pop sensation Rosalía,

The Yummiband is an ensemble of celebrated singers, dancers and guitarists who will demonstrate the true essence of a Gypsy family fiesta.

 

About the Fifth edition of the festival in 2025.
About the Fourth edition of the festival in 2024.
About the Third edition of the festival in 2023.
About the Second edition of the festival in 2022.
About the First edition of the festival in 2021.
Music and dance festivals in Andalucia