From shows to the Sevillian ball, from concerts to conferences, the “Rencontres Albi Flamenca” festival will take place from March 9 to 19 in Albi. A look at these 10 days of encounters on the flamenco route.
During its 10th anniversary, the festival brought together 1,500 people for the return of its long-awaited programming. This year, the “Albi Flamenca Encounters” offer the return of a tribute program to the vibrant Spanish culture. Organized by the very active association Flamenco Pour Tous, the festival likes to cross the arts and the public in the service of Spanish culture. For its 11th edition, the unmissable event will have as its theme “Poetas en Albi”, in reference to the famous literary group of the “Generación del 27” where great names in Hispanic poetry such as Federico García Lorca or Rafael Alberti.
In a few days, it is therefore about fifteen appointments with varied aesthetics which will settle in town around the theater, a language café, cinema, conferences, flamenco shows and courses. “It’s an edition, a little tight, but of high quality which should please the Albigensians”, summarizes the manager of the Albi Flamenca Meetings (RAF), Orchidée Monferrer. A pretext for encounters and sharing, the RAFs aim to open up the pleasure of Hispanic culture to as many people as possible. A rich culture, to which the city of Albi is historically linked.
The 11th edition is already shaping up to be a great success for its organizers.
The festival will open at the Grand Théâtre on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 March with the show “La vie est un dream” which is already shaping up to be one of the great successes of the festival. “It’s a famous and extremely complex piece by Pedro Calderón de la Barca”, laughs Orchidée Monferrer. “An important piece of Spanish culture, which will be performed in Spanish, but with subtitles”, adds Jacqueline Coutu.
The return of the guitar contest
After several interruptions, the 11th edition is also that of the great return of the guitar competition. The final of the competition will take place on Sunday March 19 at 2 p.m. at the Théâtre des Lices and will oppose three finalists in two categories: flamenco and classical. “Registrations are not yet closed, but we already have eight candidates in flamenco and four in Spanish guitars”, explains Alain Abeilhou. The 2023 trophy was created by the artist-painter cOBo. Last-minute candidates have until March 13 to register.
Among the winners of previous editions, we can find great international artists such as the Ukrainian Marko Topchii or the Japanese Isana Akita. “It will be a very nice way to end the festival in music with artists of very high quality”, concludes Orchidée Monferrer.
