The XXIX Festival Internacional de Jazz en la Costa de Almuñécar broke its own record for audience turnout with some 12,000 people attending.
Tickets were sold out, in some cases, a week before the concert night – this was the case with the Stanley Clark, Richard Bona, Kenny Garret and Nicholas Payton nights.
This Jazz festival has become the province’s biggest international attraction, even outstripping the Andrés Segovia Classical Guitar Competition. In fact, 70% of the audience come from outside the province. Some of the most popular, international, Internet sales have been from Sweden, The Netherlands and the United States.
But it’s not just Almuñécar laying on concerts etc. because Salobreña’s Tendencias, which is now in its 25th year, has also become an unmissable cultural date for your diary.
From the 1st to the 5th of August, Salobreña will host the Festival Tendencias 2016 with top national, as well as international names.
This festival is not just about music, it is an integral cultural festival with films, talks and exhibitions.
Because the festival has reached the ‘quarter-of-a-century’ landmark, Salobreña has published a book on the history of the festival, containing letters by many of the top names that have participated over the years.
The festival begins with a painting exhibition by Francisco José González Olivares, entitled: Recortes de un momento intrascendente. This will run until the 13th in the Biblioteca Municipal with viewing hours from Monday to Friday, 20.00h to 22.00h.
The film, Little Girl Blue, which is about Janis Joplin’s musical career and life, will be screened as part of the Cañaveral-Playa. There will also be a lecture entitled: Tribute to Bowie – the Galactic Minstrel. That’s on the 3rd at 22.00h on Calle Puerta Villa, behind the Old Age Pensioners Home.
As for musical concerts, on the 2nd, Coque Malla will be performing numbers from his latest album: El último hombre en la tierra at 22.00h in the municipal auditorium.
On Thursday the 4th the indie group León Benavente, will be performing songs from their latest album entitled simply “2.” That’s at the auditorium at 22.00h, too. Entrance 15 euros or 18 at the door.
Finally, on Friday the 5th, the internationally renowned Israel singer, Noa, will perform at 22.00h in front of the Pabellón de Deportes. Entrance fee 18 euros or 20 at the gate.
Which brings us to Motril where from the 27th to the 30th of July, the Festival de Música Rey Balduino Ciudad de Motril will hold its 9th consecutive year of existence.
The venue is the Teatro Calerón and the classical music concerts will begin at 21.00h. The entrance tickets can be obtained at the door at eight euros per concert of 25 for the whole event.
Artistes include tenor Enrique Ferrer, Soprano Belén López, accompanied on piano by Alberto Joya for example.
On the 28th it will be soprano Leticia Rodríguez accompanied by pianist Héctor Márquez, whilst on the 29th, Baritones Francisco García and David Mancebón, accompanied on piano by Héctor Márquez, will perform a work entitled, Paraphrasing Quijote.
The final night, the 30th, will see tenor Pablo Alonso and local soprano Bibi González Reyes, together with pianist Héctor Márquez, performing a concert entitled Una tarde por Astrida, which will be a mixture of Central European and Spanish songs.
So there you have it, a summer of culture on the Costa Tropical!
(News: Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)