If the Southern Pyrenees have been characterized for something in these almost 30 years it is thanks to the diversity of styles that he embraces without complex. And this weekend, the longest of the lineup, is a good example of the melting pot of musical styles that the festival can house under the coat of the Tena Valley. Thursday evening was the turn of the crossbreeding of Macaco and the updating of the Galician tradition of the Tanxugueiras. But during more than three daysat the International Festival of Cultures you can enjoy flamenco with electronic touches of Fuel Fandango, African rhythms of Amadou & Mariam, the infallible party of Crystal Fighters, the indie new roots of Tu Otra Bonita and, finally, versatility to the voice of B Vocal.
The evening began with one of the most striking musical sensations of recent months: Tanxugueiras. The Galician female trio rose to prominence thanks to their candidacy to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest. They did not win, but their fusion of traditional music from their land and new sounds, added to the fantastic staging, impressed both the public eager for a folk revival, and those looking for a good musical spectacle. . And something similar was experienced last night in Lanuza, a setting that brought more authenticity and originality to its proposal.
Dressed in their always striking costumes and their inseparable tambourines, they were able to trigger the first cheers from the start of their performance, with “Fachenda” and “Desidia”. Accompanied by double and percussive percussion and their good stage presence, they shelled most of the latest singles. which have been released in recent months: “Desidia”, “Averno”, “Pano Corado”… The good predisposition of the public who frequented the Galician girls in the early morning helped to take off even more, reaching a final section in which “Cambia todo”, “Figa” and, the long-awaited, “Terra” stood out.
For its part, Macaco played almost at home. He starred in a distant 2004while the Barcelona native was almost starting to take his first steps on his own (he left another famous band that made Lanuza almost his home, Ojos de Brujo). His music is a fairly faithful reflection of what the spirit of Pirineos Sur means: commitment, respect (including a tribute to the LGTBI collective with the song “Black Sheep”), fraternity, musical fusion… And this is precisely what he offered during his concert, where he bulged his chest and showed that he could boast of a career well nourished with great successes.
It took off with a cheerful introduction of African rhythms and soon after, the resort to reggae of “Vívela”. The amphitheater already hot, it didn’t take him long to offer his audience the infallible “Moving”. Everything is mounted. Intrepid now, Dani Macaco and his band had no qualms about immersing themselves in the most varied sounds: soukous, jazz, funky, rumba (with a long tribute to the genre with a mix of versions by Kiko Veneno and Rosario Flores, Peret, Los Delinqüentes and C. Tangana, among others) or winks to tango). And after a long and acclaimed jam session, with “Volar”, he managed the audience as he pleased. Up down. Up down. Stop without resting to sing “All I Want”. It closed with “La mano levantá” and “Coincidir”, but success was already assured for many songs. It had been almost 20 years, but the wait was worth it.
A weekend of tradition and new sounds
This weekend will continue with some of the most anticipated concerts of this edition. Several of these names have already shown their incredible talent in the Southern Pyrenees and others, with an important musical career, will make their debut on the floating stage. This Saturday, Amadou & Mariam will once again bring the most traditional African sounds to the festival; Yes Fuel Fandango will demonstrate its mastery in fusing flamenco with more contemporary rhythms. On Saturday, Crystal Fighters will return to the same stage they were seen sweeping in 2017; and Tu Otra Bonita will have a unique opportunity to demonstrate why he is one of the best representatives of independent crossbreeding. The B Vocal group from Zaragoza will close the intense weekend.
In addition, Every day there will be a Simon Zico Dj session after the concerts and until 4:00.the ticket of which can be purchased separately at the box office, insofar as capacity permits.