Born in Madrid and of Peruvian descent, violinist Leticia Moreno has strong ties with Latin America. She usually goes to Peru each year to perform, but elsewhere in South America she has been inspired by a composer from the land of the tango - the Argentine Astor Piazzolla, who was born in March 1921.
Piazzolla, whose instrument speciality was the bandoneon, revolutionised traditional tango and thus created “nuevo tango”, which incorporated elements of the classics and jazz. Leticia Moreno, who received the highest degree ever at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for her final recital, is the Balearic Symphony Orchestra’s latest invited soloist. This week’s concert is a tribute to Piazzolla, she having recorded an album entitled ‘Piazzolla’ for Deutsche Grammophon.
Thursday, 8pm, Trui Theatre, Cami Son Rapinya 29, Palma
Jazz season
Michael Olivera is one of Cuba’s leading musicians. He studied at the National School of Art in Havana and is a bandleader, producer, composer and arranger. He is also a drummer and has performed at top jazz festivals the world over, such as Montreux and Blue Note New York.
The leader of The Cuban Jazz Syndicate, he has brought in one of a group of Cuban musicians dubbed the “new generation”. Pianist Pepe Rivero moved to Spain in 1988 and his music has evolved into a mix of classic jazz with flamenco and bossa nova. Plus, there is the Cuban element, so the group’s music is one of a journey from Cuba to different parts of the world, and it has settled for the moment in Mallorca as one of the acts in the Alternatilla Jazz season.
Friday, 8.30pm, Sant Domingo Church, C. Guillem Cifre de Colonya, Pollensa
Love of Lesbian
It is quite possible that some of you may first have encountered Love of Lesbian when they were the group signed up to do the music for the Estrella Damm summer ad in 2013. These ads are whole productions in themselves, and the 2013 version was based around the group’s song, ‘Fantastic Shine’.
As with all the Estrella Damm ads, this was utterly charming, and so was the song. If proof were needed that here was a Spanish indie-pop group in the European top drawer, then ‘Fantastic Shine’ offered it. For a wider audience, there was the benefit of the vocals having been in English.
Formed in 1997 in Barcelona, they were in the news earlier this year when theirs was the first large-scale concert to test Covid measures.
The origins of the Saxophobia Funk Project lay with the classical Saxophobia Quartet. In 2011, two of this quartet branched out and moved into a whole different genre - that of funk and jazz. Cristian Sorribas (alto sax and vocals) and Albert Moreno (tenor sax) were joined by Juanjo Monserrat (guitar and vocals), Joel Ródenas (bass) and Miquel Marquet (drums).
They have toured nationally and internationally and have recently been working on their first album release, ‘Take Off’, having produced EPs in the past.
From Wednesday to Sunday, Manacor is celebrating the Manacor Music Fair. Designed to promote the island’s music industry, it will be a fair with “musical intensity”, says councillor Carles Grimalt, himself a rock musician. Saxophobia Funk Project is one of the fair’s headline acts.
Saturday, from 4pm, Rambla Rei en Jaume, Manacor
Claptone at Son Amar this week!
Who is that masked DJ? No, not a DJ with a surgical mask but one with a mask like that of the plague doctor of centuries past who treated victims of the plague. So, it is a mask with a beak and it is the trademark of the anonymous Claptone from Germany.
So little is known of Claptone and so great has been the mystique that it is uncertain if Claptone is one person or two. The general view now is two, as Claptone has been known to perform in two different places at the same time. There have also been performances with two DJs.
This intrigue aside, Claptone is recognised as one of the leading DJ producers on the European tech house dance scene. Claptone has performed at major club venues in Ibiza and is now in Majorca for the sixth Danzu anniversary at Son Amar along with various other DJs.
Sunday, from 6pm, Son Amar, Ctra. Palma- Soller, Palmanyola
Mal pelo coming to palma
Mal Pelo is a contemporary dance ensemble based in Barcelona. Founded in 1989 by choreographers Pep Ramis and Maria Muñoz, it has since become well known throughout Spain and abroad; the company has performed in New York, for example.
Over recent years, the company has been developing a series of productions based on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The music forms a dialogue with the dancers and with texts, which are either in Catalan or in the original language. Highlands is the fourth in the series, the previous having been entitled Bach; On Goldberg Variations/Variations; and Inventions.
This production explores the inhospitable, savage and endless place called the Highlands and offers reflections on questions asked by “little humans”. Adapted words include those of Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave.
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