One more year, and now its 12 years that the flamenco cycle Los Veranos del Corral is celebrated in Granada. Sixteen performances will delight flamenco aficionados from July 19 to August 12. An attractive event to enhance the summer in this Andalusian city.

The goal of this edition is to join tradition with modernity to demonstrate the value of flamenco’s cultural heritage bid.

To reach this goal, nearly 30 young and veteran artists will bring their art to the stage in 16 shows. The singer from Granada Marina Heredia is responsible for inaugurating this cycle. However David Lagos, Belén Maya, Juan Pinilla, Ana Morales, a prize winner at the last edition of the La Unión Festival and Jesús Méndez, a member of one of Jerez’s principal song legacies, will also be performing.

Day 10 of the Jerez Festival: Patricia Ibáñez, Abel Harana, Joaquín Grilo & Soniquete

In the Los Novismos cycle, the dancer from Sanlucar Abel Harana and the dancer from Jerez Patricia Ibáñez debuted their show “Memoria Antigua” with which they intended to recover the styles that have fallen into disuse, such as the seguiriya de Frijones from Jerez, las cantiñas from Pastora and Lebrija, the romances del ciclo carolingio, and the zángano from Puente Genil. Trained in the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, the two dancers face the challenge of succeeding as solo artists...

The Sad Loss of Dancer “Rafael el Negro”

The flamenco world mourns the loss of the dancer Rafael García Rodríguez, known as ‘Rafael El Negro,’ at the age of 74. Rafael passed away this morning at Seville’s Infanta Luisa Hospital, where he was receiving treatment since Christmas. His wife, dancer Matilde Coral, with whom he had three children, was with him.

Born in Triana, he made history in the flamenco world thanks to his purity of dance, as he was considered one of the most elegant bailaores of his generation...

Day 9 of the Jerez Festival: María del Mar Moreno, Juana la del Pipa, Dolores Agujeta & La Macanita

The dancer from Jerez María del Mar Moreno, and her company “Jerez Puro”, returned to the festival with their new show “Quiero tu cante” (I want your song). Moreno’s new proposal rests on the consecrated voices of the flamenco world and searches for “that song that intoxicates her, that enamors her, that transforms her into several women, that makes her happy and that frees her deepest feelings, good and bad.” To make this a successful proposal, María relies on the haunting voices of Antonio Malena, Juana la del Pipa, Tomasa Guerrero “La Macanita”, Manuel de Malena and David Lagos. Guitarist José Luis Montón joined them...

Prayer Made Song

From Seville to Jerez de la Frontera, and passing through Algeciras, Periana, Don Benito and Miajadas, there are many cities and towns in which Saetas ring out amongst the aromas of orange blossoms and incense. Several contests and events celebrating this flamenco style born of prayers and requests for grace from the Christs and Virgins of Holy Week were held this week.

The Saeta’s lyrics reflect the moment of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ and the Virgin’s pain upon witnessing her son’s crucifixion, and what began as a spontaneous prayer ended as a song difficult to execute. The first known records of the saeta are from the last third of the XVIII century. However, it is probable that they existed even earlier, although there’s no evidence of it...