22 April 2022
Los Chichos, Junco and Duquende headline the 7th Annual Benicàssim Flamenco Fusion Food Festival
Benicàssim, 22 April 2022
Benicàssim is to be brimming with flamenco once again. The 7th Annual Benicàssim Flamenco Fusion Food Festival will be held from 29 April to 1 May and over the course of these three days the spirit of flamenco will be in the city centre.
As stated by the mayor of Benicàssim, Susana Marqués, the event will now return to its normal dates after the 6th edition was held out of season last October. “This event started in 2015, and over the course of these eight years we have seen it grow to become a major event in Benicàssim’s calendar and a chance to enjoy our city’s music and cuisine, making our list of tourist and cultural activities that much more attractive. This year the festival will return to its normal dates after being put on hold by the pandemic, and thanks to this our residents and visitors will be able to enjoy, live and feel flamenco for free on the streets of Benicàssim.”
The Tourism Councillor, Cristina Fernández, unveiled the full programme for the 7th annual festival. It will take part across four areas in the city “and will continue the tradition of bringing flamenco song and dance to a variety of outdoor areas and continue to be backed by businesses, which is so vital, helping flamenco culture and local cuisine come together hand in hand.
The main stage, El Tablao, will be placed along Paseo Pérez Bayer, “and here on this stage residents and visitors will be able to take in the biggest names in the world of flamenco like Los Chichos, Junco and Duquende”, Fernández went on to say.
Los Chichos, a leading rumba band in the 70’s and 80’s, will open the main stage Friday 29 April at 11 pm. Songs like “Ni más ni menos”, “No sé por qué” y “Son ilusiones”, are part of the history of Spanish music, “and despite officially stepping down from the stage in 2015, we are glad to have them back”, added the Tourism Councillor.
On Saturday starting at 7:30 pm it will be Ketamania’s turn on the stage, a tribute band to the legendary Carmona brothers’ group, made up of Paradita Flamenca’s members. After them Ricardo Gabarre will perform. Better known as Junco, this 80’s artist is one of the most famous “balada gitana” singers. “Hola mi amor” and “Celos” are two other songs that are part of the history of rumba and flamenco.
Duquende, the third headliner, will close the main stage Sunday 1 May (6:30 pm), leading the 3rd Singing and Dancing Performance. Joining Juan Rafael Cortés Santiago (Duquende), the official singer-songwriter for Paco de Lucía’s tours for almost 20 years, will be Fosi y Familia.
Plaza de Los Dolores, Plaza Sequiota and Plaza de la Estación are three other locations for performances in this year’s 7th annual festival, which will also include three indoor gigs at venues on Friday and Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. A total of eleven performances from regional groups are on this year’s programme: A Compás, Desandar, Jarite, Efraín, Jarana, Paradita Flamenca, Isra Maldonado, Patxi Ojana, Rumbasound, M.ª José “La Gitanilla” and Rumbología.
In addition, on Sunday at noon the programme includes a Rocío group performing traditional Andalusian songs at the 2nd meeting of Sevillanas and, before this, kids will have the chance to take part in the “Kid’s Flamenco” workshop.
All in all, almost twenty performances will bring flamenco back to Benicàssim for the May long weekend. Go to turismo.benicassim.es to see the entire programme.
