“An alchemy of diverse artistic expressions.” This is what the MARÉ festival offers, in the words of its director, Vítor Belho. The event is presenting its fifth edition, which between September 25 and 29 will feature around thirty performances in Santiago de Compostela, including those of Albert Pla and The Surprise Band, the Portuguese Ana Lua Caiano and Summrá & Niño de Elche. The philosophy is to serve as a meeting point for Atlantic music in Galicia, with voices from different parts of the peninsula but also from Brazil, Mozambique, Mexico, Estonia, Germany, Angola and Palestine.
Belho reviewed this year’s poster, which seeks to establish the philosophy of activism, intercultural dialogue and the promotion of collaborations between local and international artists. The director highlighted the organizers’ vision that culture has social value and the ability to reaffirm the identity of territories. The festival, he stressed, has local roots and occupies already existing cultural spaces in the Galician capital. The concerts will take place at the Teatro Principal, the Sala Capitol, the Riquela, the Casa das Crechas and the Praza de Mazarelos.
In the presentation, the Secretary General of the Language Policy of the Xunta, Valentín García, highlighted the importance of the diversity of languages present in the festival; while Xosé Regueira, Vice-President of the Deputation of A Coruña, focused on the economic dimension of culture. On behalf of the Santiago City Council, Councillor Míriam Louzao assured that the cultural diversity promoted by the festival “is in line with the values of the city”. The representative of Estrella Galicia, Loreto Rodríguez, also stated that these values are in line with those of the company.
The programming
The opening will be Su Garrido Pombo and then the Galicians Sumrrá with Niño de Elche, a joint venture that “represents the essence of MARÉ so well”. It will be in the Capitol Hall. On the same day, you can see Diadorim and a foliage in the Sala das Crechas. On Thursday 26, SÉS Trío, Al Azar, Aluminé Guerrero, DJ Panko and Albert Pla and The Surprise Band will perform.
On the third day, the trio Nacho-Faia-LAR, Ana Lua Caiano, Delahuerta, Dupla and Puuluup will take to the stage. It is also the date on which the Ultranoites of the Chévere theater group return to Santiago, the city where they were born. On Saturday 28, the lineup includes A Pedreira, Laura Itandehui and Francisco, El hombre. Also in O Coro da Rá, Marala, Alana and Zuaraz.
The closing will be a tribute concert to the Portuguese Zeca Afonso, composer of the song that became a symbol of the Carnation Revolution, Grandola, Vila MorenaIt will be an interpretation “in an African tone” of the work of the song, involved in the struggles for decolonization and the development of Portuguese-speaking societies, Belho said.
MARÉ will also commemorate the European Day of Languages on September 26, as part of its commitment to linguistic diversity. On the 28th, before all the performances, there will be activities around the role of language in artistic creation, social coexistence and plurality. The festival also offers activities designed for children and MARÉ Rúa, with circus, poetry and craft interventions.
