The Backpackers Hostel Blog

Sat 24, Sun 25 May

COBLA, CHOIR AND DANCE

Sat 24 May, 7pm at Palau de la Música Catalana, Sala de Concerts (C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6) 7 – 20€ Buy tickets

Choral School of The Catalan Choral Society
Glòria Fernández, Elisenda Carrasco, Buia Reixach, Esteve Nabona, Directors.

Program
GASULL: The singing of the birds
BRAHMS: Vier Gesänge, op. 17
GASULL: Eighteen Muses’s stamps

OPERA AND FLAMENCO

Sat 24 May, 8:30pm at Palau de la Música Catalana, Petit Palau (C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6) 30 – 45€ Buy tickets

Ensamble of Barcelona’s Orchestra of Opera
Soprano, Tenor I Grup Flamenc

Program
SOROZÁBAL: La Tabernera del Puerto. No puede ser
VERDI: Il Trovatore. Miserere
BIZET: Carmen. Habanera
PENELLA: El Gato Montés. Torero quiero sé
FLAMENCO: Zambra, Tientos Tangos, Soleá por Bulería, Bujería

MASTERS OF THE SPANISH GUITAR

Sat 24 May,10:15pm at Palau de la Música Catalana, Sala de Concerts (C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6) 12 – 40€ Buy tickets

Manuel González, guitar

Program
RODRIGO: Aranjuez ma pensee
ALBÉNIZ: Spanish Suite
TÀRREGA: Gran Jota Aragonesa
TÀRREGA: Memories of Alambra

SORS: Variations on Mozart’s Magic Flute

SUNDAY MORNING’S CONCERTS

Sun 25 May, 11:30am at Palau de la Música Catalana, Sala de Concerts (C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6) 8 – 28€ Buy tickets

Orquestra Simfònica Del Vallès. Miquel Ortega, Director

SUNDAYS AT PALAU

Sun 25 may, 6pm at Palau de la Música Catalana, Sala de Concerts (C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6) 7 – 18€ Buy tickets

Orquestra Nacional Clàssica D’andorra, Cor De Cambra Del Palau De La Música Catalana
Paul Cortese, viola. Daniel Mestre Dalmau, director

Program
ELGAR: Introduction and allegro, op. 47 for string orchestra
BRITTEN: Lachrymae op. 48 string orchestra and viola
WILLIAMS: Three Shakespeare Songs for a choir mix in cappella
FLOS CAMPI: Suite for orchestra, viola solist and choir

Tue 20 & Wed 21 May

9pm at Mercat de les Flors, Sala: Teatre Tantarantana (Lleida, 59) 8€  Buy tickets

BCSTX has become a window through which ‘alternative’ artists can be presented and it is also a possible door to access to new possibilities, in order to show their work through proposals that start from various concepts of body, action, dance or choreography.

Còncau, II is a physical study inspired in the modernist sculpture of Pablo Gargallo (1881-1934), which investigates the creation of volumes from the empty space, the suggestion and the combination of the convex and concave surfaces of the bodies represented in metal. More and more minimalist forms, which maintain the extreme details of the real body. (Taken from www.mercatflors.org and www.trans-forma.es)

Sat 12 Jul & Sun 13 Jul

10pm & 8pm at L’Auditori (Lepant, 150) 40 – 90€ Buy tickets

Isabel Pantoja is a popular contemporary gypsy Spanish singer. She has released twenty seven albums throughout a career spanning many decades, and is known as the Queen of the “Copla Andaluza”.

(Taken from http://fotolog.miarroba.com and www.wikipedia.org)

Fri 13 Jun

10:30pm at Palau Sant Jordi (Paseig Olímpic, s/n) 25€ Buy tickets

Estopa is a popular Spanish rock/rumba duo. The band consists of the brothers José and David Muñoz, who sing a unique blend of sounds reflecting many genres, including rock, rumba, flamenco, and a “sonido callejero” that does not easily fit into categories. The band has commented on such difficulty by stating “We don’t like to be easily categorized.” They are similar to the band Los Chichos, a rumba band from Spain, popular in the 1970s.

The band famously made a cameo appearance in the Spanish film The 4th Floor. (Taken from http://bp3.blogger.com and www.wikipedia.com)

Fri 4 Jul

9:30pm at Palau Sant Jordi   28,38 – 37,77€   Buy tickets

“El Canto del Loco” is a Spanish pop rock band. In 2005 they won Best Spanish Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

The band is formed by:
* Dani Martín (vocals)
* David Otero (guitar-chorus)
* Chema Ruiz (bass)
* Jandro Velázquez (drums)

They have 8 albums: El Canto del Loco, A contracorriente, Estados de ánimo, Zapatillas, Arriba el telón (Las mejores rarezas)and two live albums.  (Taken from  mojocanario.files.wordpress.com and www.wikipedia.org).

Tue 20 – Sun 25 May

At Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Montalegre 5)

This year at the “Festival de Flamenco de Ciutat Vella”, the spotlight will be on the voice in flamenco. Without trying to unravel the complexities of its origins, the program will show the different modes and forms of “cante” (flamenco singing), based on the intuition that it is responsible for a large part of the mystery and enchantment of the art of flamenco.

Eternal themes like love, life and death, are at the centre of the “cante” lyrics, which reflect suffering, pain and joy. With spirit that can be sober or festive, they express the human experience, moving and disquieting those who know how to listen without barriers.

This year’s festival launches Flamenco-visual which will consist of four sections, two of them competitions, the other two showcases for existing work. The two sections open to competition will be Flamenco video clips and Flamenco documentaries. (Taken from www.cccb.org).

Program

On the “Pati de les Dones”

• Wed 21: 10pm Montse Cortés, La Farruca 20€ for two presentations Buy Tickets
• Thu 22: 10pm Manuel Moreno “El Pele”, Carmen Cortés 20€ for two presentations Buy Tickets
• Fri 23: 10pm Juan Moneo “El Torta”, Hiniesta Cortés 20€ for two presentations Buy Tickets
• Sat 24: 10pm Fernando Terremoto, Rafaela Carrasco 20€ for two presentations Buy Tickets

On the Hall:

• Tue 20:
  • 9pm Guadalquivir with the colaboration of Perico Sambeat
  • 10 pm Gertrudis 20€ for two presentations Buy Tickets

• Wed 21:
  • Cañizares 8pm 15€ Buy Tickets
  • Aiaiai 12am 10€* Buy Tickets
• Thu 22:
  • José Antonio Rodriguez 8pm 15€ Buy Tickets
  • Papawa a las 12am 10€ Buy Tickets

• Fri 23:
  • Suk 8pm 15€ Buy Tickets
  • Rumba Amazigha 12am 10€ Buy Tickets

• Sat 24:
  • Cía. Manuela ‘FLAMENK’ (Kid’s Show) 12pm – Free Admission
  • Agustín Carbonell “El Bola” 8pm 15€ Buy Tickets
  • Los Manolos 12am 10€ Buy Tickets

Sun 18 May

9.30am Pl.Catalunya/Passeig de Gràcia

The “El Corte Inglés Cursa” is one of the most important and better known popular races. The route is 11 kilometers long through the streets of Barcelona.  The distance is officially recognized by the Federació Catalana d’Atletisme.

This is greatly due to the support given by both public and private institutions and, most of all, to the massive response of the citizens of Barcelona who, through their participation, have made it possible for the celebration of this sporting event to be eagerly expected year after year.

The Cursa held its first edition in 1979, when 17,184 runners took part, out of which approximately 85% were non-federated participants. By the year 1994 the number of participants in the Cursa had grown to 109,457 athletes, a number of runners that still today holds a Guinness Record. In its last edition, 52.708 persons took part in the Cursa. In the whole editions 1.615.962 runners had take part along his 29 years history.

Since 1986, the Cursa El Corte Inglés has offered its exceptional capacity for getting news coverage to organizations or civic events of special renown. Sport Aid – Tot el món corre per Àfrica (1986), Fundación de Ayuda Contra la Drogadicción – Engánchate a la Vida (1990), Intermón (1991), Manos Unidas (1994), FASE, Fundación Anti-Sida España (1995), Creu Roja (1996), Fundació Privada d’Investigació Cardiovascular (1997), la Fundació Internacional Josep Carreras (1998), Unicef – Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (1999), Médicos Sin Fronteras (2000), Banc d’Ulls per a tractaments de la ceguesa (2001), Fundació Esclerosi Múltiple (2002) Fundación Vicente Ferrer (2005) Manos Unidas (2006) y el Casal dels Infants del Raval (2007) are the nongovernmental organizations that have had a leading role in previous editions of the event.

The adherence of the event to the Olymic Games and Paralympic Games in 1992 and in the celebration of events such as the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Guardia Urbana police force (1993) and the X World Police and Fire Games (2003) or the Universal Forum of Cultures (2004), are four good examples of this link between the race and the city that hosts it.

The 30th Cursa El Corte Inglés has strengthened its clearly social facet with it colaboration with the Red Cross.

(Taken from http://w3.bcn.es and www.cursaelcorteingles.net)

Fri 16 May to Sun 28 September 2008

At Picasso Museum (Carrer Montcada 15-23)

Opening Times
Tuesday to Sundays (including holidays): 10am to 8pm.
Mondays closed

Admission
Museum + temporary exhibition € 9
Temporary exhibition €5.80

“This exhibition is a tribute to this essential part of our collection, exploring Picasso’s links with the tradition of Spanish painting, and with Velázquez in particular, while proposing new readings of the series Las Meninas, thanks in part to the numerous subsequent interpretations and contributions made by various contemporary artists.” (Taken from www.museupicasso.bcn.cat)

Thu 29 May

9pm at L’Auditori, Hall 1 Pau (Pablo) Casals (Lepant 150) 25€ Buy tickets

Chucho Valdés is considered to be one of the best pianists in the world and is quite an institution in the Latin jazz world. A founding member of the mythical band Irakere, winner of several Grammies and leading light of the largest festivals around the world, this Cuban artist will be joining forces with another heavyweight: Javier Colina.

This musician from Navarra is currently among the great European double-bass players and as such is indispensable for providing the rhythmic base that all groups who play Latin fusion music dream of, as proved by all the other geniuses with whom he has joined forces: Bebo Valdés, Pancho Amat, Jerry González…

The two artists will be offering a unique concert, where jazz and Latin music will mingle with the kind of naturalness that only the most skillful musicians can achieve. Intimate, sensitive: an evening of perfect beauty.

(Taken from www.pianomundo.com.ar and www.auditori.org)

Tue 27 May

9pm at L’Auditori, Hall 2 Oriol Martorell (Lepant 150) 35€ Buy tickets

“Miriam is a stage animal, full of creative fury and poetic sweetness. Some people consider her the Spanish “Piazzolla” and others the Carmen Amaya of the piano. You be the judge, although whatever the case, you certainly won’t feel indifferent” says Michael Haas, winner of numerous Grammies, producer of famous artistes like Placido Domingo, Rostropovich, George Solti or Luciano Pavarotti.

Miriam has recently recorded her first two records with him.

(Taken from www.thy.com and www.auditori.org)