Cartagena in November means jazz; because in the penultimate month of the year, the Cartagena Jazz Festival takes place, one of Spain’s oldest festivals, celebrating its 42nd edition this year with big names like Ron Carter, Morgan, Steve Coleman, Nubya Garcia, Josemi Carmona accompanied by Javier Colina and Bandolero, and the jazz fusion ensemble Patáx. Other artists, including Núria Graham, Pol Batlle, and Santero Los Muchachos, will also be performing at the festival. You can find the full schedule and ticket information at jazzcartagena.es.
The festival was presented by the Councillor for Culture, Nacho Jáudenes, along with the festival director, José Luis Cegarra. “Organised by the Cartagena City Council, this festival is an example of how jazz festivals have been embracing new sounds, similar to what the Montreux Jazz Festival does,” commented the Culture Councillor.
“Cartagena will host both emerging figures of contemporary jazz and classic musicians who have left their mark on the history of music, along with a fusion of other genres like African music and flamenco,” added Jáudenes.
CONCERTS AT THE NEW TEATRO CIRCO
Composer and saxophonist Nubya Garcia, one of the shining stars of contemporary English jazz, will open the festival. Despite being only 32 years old, she’s often compared to greats like Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, who influenced her as an artist growing up in Camden Town. She discovered her passion for the saxophone at the age of ten. She’s one of the most active artists in the contemporary London jazz scene, alongside figures like Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd, and Kokoroko. Among her works is the successful and acclaimed ‘Source,’ which fearlessly explores the challenging path of musical fusion. Her style embodies 21st-century jazz. Friday, November 3rd, at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
The next day, on Saturday, November 4th, Morgan will take the stage, one of the most important bands to emerge from the Spanish independent scene. Their compositions traverse rock, jazz, folk, pop, soul, and funk. Nina de Juan’s vocals in Morgan could easily be compared to the likes of Aretha Franklin or Janis Joplin. The band has won five Independent Music Awards, including Best Artist, Best Album, and Best Live Act of the Year. At the Cartagena Jazz Festival, they bid farewell to their ‘The River Tour.’ Saturday, November 4th, at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
The Cartagena Jazz Festival brings back the concert by Ron Carter that had to be cancelled last year due to the American bassist’s fall. Carter, one of the most prolific musicians in jazz history, has returned to tour and say goodbye to the stage. As a musician for Miles Davis and a member of the legendary 60s jazz ensemble alongside Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter, he will finally come to Cartagena to bid farewell to his audience. The history of jazz could not be written without him. He is the greatest bassist of all time. He will be accompanied by his prestigious quartet, Foursight. Friday, November 10th, at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
Steve Coleman has always been considered one of the most interesting saxophonists in the jazz scene, moving through the realms of post-bop, hip-hop, free funk, and blues, all the way to a personal reinterpretation of African traditions. Coleman is a jazz explorer. His name is inseparably linked to the M-Base collective, of which he was a co-founder, and his various formations, notably the Five Elements. He will perform with a trio, featuring ‘Reflex,’ which delves into metropolitan rhythms, complex metric and melodic structures that extend beyond the boundaries of Western music. Saturday, November 11th, at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
Six years ago, guitarist Josemi Carmona, along with Javier Colina on double bass and Bandolero on percussion, created the ‘De cerca’ project; an instrumental album that could be described as anthological. With that repertoire, they toured the world. In 2022, the trio presented the second part of that adventure, a new and sophisticated album titled ‘Vida,’ representative of the flamenco-jazz genre. Josemi Carmona and Javier Colina, both highly individualistic musicians in their artistic performance, will engage in a profound dialogue between flamenco guitar and double bass in Cartagena, with the special participation of Bandolero on percussion. Friday, November 17th, at the Nuevo Teatro Circo.
The concerts held at the Nuevo Teatro Circo conclude on Saturday, November 18th, with a performance by Patáx, who come to Cartagena to present tracks from their upcoming album ‘US.’ Established as one of the most prominent fusion projects in the national scene, their music is characterized by the fusion of flamenco, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and funk, filled with energy and virtuosity, creating complex, explosive, and magical atmospheres. Led by Jorge Pérez, an advanced student at Berklee—the world’s mecca for non-classical music education—they will be the highlight of the festival’s 42nd edition.
Tickets for the concerts at the Cartagena theatre range from €20 to €25. The Cartagena City Council has put 200 season passes on sale for €60, covering all the concerts at the venue. Tickets can be purchased through the website jazzcartagena.es and at the theatre box office.
POL BATLLE, NÚRIA GRAHAM, AND SANTERO Y LOS MUCHACHOS AT EL BATEL
El Batel Auditorium is another venue for the festival, hosting concerts on the first three Sundays of November. Catalan musician Pol Batlle will kick off this space on Sunday, November 5th. He’s one of the most interesting names in the independent scene in Spain, coming to present ‘Salt mortal,’ where the artist bares his soul and presents his most personal and transcendent reflections through heartfelt lyrics and finely crafted songs.
On Sunday, November 12th, Núria Graham will take the stage to present her fourth album, ‘Cyclamen,’ supported by Verve Forecast, the pop and rock division of the legendary jazz label Verve Records. The Catalan-Irish singer-songwriter possesses an exceptional talent that she showcases in each of her delicate and exquisite works. In the album that brings her to Cartagena, she steps away from indie and delves into the subtleties of folk intertwined with jazz and adorned with unpredictable arrangements.
Finally, on Sunday, November 19th, the Valencian group Santero y los muchachos, known for their carefully crafted melodies and continuous references to the past, will perform ‘Royal cantina,’ their third album, with nods to the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Kinks, and Jimi Hendrix.
- WITT CAFÉ AND PLAZA DEL ICUE, FREE CONCERTS
On the first three Thursdays of November – 2nd, 9th, and 16th
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