The Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival will feature the participation of two local bands, Midnight Soul Band and M&M feat. Cristina James, an opportunity that Esther Suárez, singer of the first of them, values as “a unique experience in an incredible environment”.
César Martel, one of the members of M&M, adds: “You can’t imagine how happy it makes us to be part of this program, it’s a great opportunity for us to continue to grow and add concerts to our career.”
M&M emerged in 2019, with Martel serving as the band’s trumpeter. He recalls that the idea was born “after working with Elio Moreno, saxophonist, on different projects, from Buzo Ruso to Birkins”. The musician remembers that “the chemistry of live” gave him the idea to form a group with songs “quite grooveWhich we both loved.” The first line-up was a sextet with trumpet, sax, drums, bass, guitar and piano. “We started making instrumental songs by Kenny Garrett, Maceo Parker, Roy Hardgrove, music that we loved, very funky”.
Midnight Soul Band, for its part, was born from the combination of a group of musicians from different bands from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. His style goes through the update of the purest soul and the rhythm and blues “with intertwined vocals, a compact rhythm section and a wind section that end up giving the final color”. According to Esther Suárez, “we propose an encounter with the classic values of soul: a lot of rhythm, passion and feeling; a sound that connects to the most essential of the soul and that thrills the youngest and the oldest”.
M&M imparts “a fresh air to this genre, in which the winds have always been in the background. Here, we wanted to highlight it, with more importance”. From its creation to today, the group has changed format. “The arrival of Cristina James changed everything a bit, including the repertoire. Now we are doing more commercial songs, with better known songs”. James not only arrived to lead the band “with his powerful stage presence”, but also provided two backup vocalists. “We liked the sound of the first rehearsals and after the brutal acceptance of the first concert we gave, we decided to touch up the repertoire and the staging a little more. And we focused more on better known artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin and some songs from the previous repertoire”.
However, Midnight Soul Band offers a repertoire with more classic songs from the soul, funk there rhythm and blues “from artists like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Gladys Knight”, although they don’t forget more modern or current voices like Sharon Jones, and independently even great pop rock songs of yesteryear brought to the soul ‘like With a little help from my friends, satisfaction oh The letter (The box tops)”.
The goal of M&M is “that people have a good time remembering songs that are part of the collective memory, the great hits of their time, brought to our land, with our arrangements and our particular vision of music”.
Midnight Soul shares the passion for classic soul. “It’s our trademark, we focus on the most classic sound, and on stage we always give everything in addition, there is good vibrate, we feel it and it is transmitted to the public, it’s wonderful. We call them the Soul Power”.
For M&M to be at the festival “it’s a joy, the first thing I said from the first concert was that we had to be there, on the beach of San Agustín, that we enjoyed it in as an audience, as a family, with our people, but now off the stage, and you can’t imagine how happy that makes us.”
For Midnight Soul, it is “a unique experience in the Canary Islands, in an incredible setting and with an exceptional atmosphere. And we can also enjoy great artists of this genre and, more importantly, with an audience that wants soul”.
In its sixth edition, which will be held in Playa de San Agustín from July 29 to 31, 2022, it has brought together around the group led by Anthony Paule, its Soul Orchestra, an unparalleled ensemble of voices such as Chick Rodgers, Ernie Johnson, Larry Springfield , Leon Beal, Mitch Woods or Nona Brown, as well as two excellent Canarian bands, Midnight Soul Band and M&M Connection feat. Christina James. The music selected by the Palm of Monterreina, El Especialista Manel Ruiz and Sergio Miró Dj Set completes the poster for this year’s festival, which this year pays tribute to the figure of James Brown.
Poster for the Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival
Friday 29
1 p.m.: Opening of the Soul Petanque catering area.
1:30 p.m.: Sergio Miró Dj Set session. Restoration area.
18.00: Sergio Miró workshop Story of the soul. A matter of soul (and rhythm). Restoration area.
7:30 p.m.: Specialist Manel Ruiz. Main stage.
8:30 p.m.: M&M Connection feat. Christina James. Main scenario.
9:50 p.m.: Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra with Larry Batiste, Nona Brown and Omega Rae. Main scenario.
10:15 p.m.: Mitch Woods. Main stage.
10:35 p.m .: Léon Béal. Main stage.
11:40 p.m .: Ninth Brown. Main scenario.
00:00: Ernie Johnson. Main scenario.
2:00 a.m.: Closure of the Soul Petanque restaurant area.
saturday 30
1 p.m.: Opening of the Soul Petanque catering area.
1:30 p.m.: Sergio Miró Dj Set session. Restoration area.
5:30 p.m.: Mitch Woods Woggie Boogie piano workshop. Restoration area.
6:30 p.m.: Sergio Miró Dj Set session. Restoration area.
7:30 p.m.: Monterreina session. Main stage.
8:30 p.m.: Midnight Soul Band. Main scenario.
9:50 p.m.: Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra with Larry Batiste, Nona Brown and Omega Rae. Main scenario.
10:15 p.m.: Mitch Woods. Main stage.
10:35 p.m.: Chick Rodgers. Main scenario.
11:45 p.m .: Larry Springfield. Main scenario.
12:35 a.m.: Grand finale. Main stage.
2:00 a.m.: Closure of the Soul Petanque restaurant area.
Domingo 31
11 a.m.: Opening of the Soul Petanque restaurant area.
12:00 p.m.: Mitch Woods & Anthony Paule Workshop Boogie Woogie piano meets Jump Blues guitar. Restoration area.
1:30 p.m.: Sergio Miró Dj Set session. Restoration area.
2.30 p.m.: Roc Fleurs concert. Restoration area.
3:30 p.m.: Sergio Miró session Thu Sept.
8:00 p.m.: Closure of the Soul Petanque restaurant area.