Mad About Madrid

Suma Flamenca - Flamenco Festival Hits Madrid

For the third year running Suma Flamenca hits the streets of Madrid with a mixture of music, dance, cinema, poetry and exhibitions across not just Madrid Centre but the whole of the Madrid Community. Artists who are appearing include: Estrella Morente, Carmen Linares, Arcángel, Pitingo, Serranito, Miguel Poveda, Eva Yerbabuena and La Moneta. More information can be found on the Suma Flamenca and EsMadrid sites. The festival runs from the 17th May to the 15th June, 2008.

New Year's Eve in Madrid

I have been asked this question so many times now, that I thought I would display the answer on the site. I would also welcome suggestions by other people on the subject, which is:

What can I do and where can I go on New Year's Eve in Madrid?

This is what I normally end up doing if I find myself in Madrid with my wife, her family and our friends.

Many places in Madrid have private parties on that night - especially the nightclubs. Tickets are not that bad - around 40-60 Euros. However, I have only once been to one of these places and I would personally recommend that you do the following: Have a late dinner in a nice restaurant, preferably near the centre of the city as you don't want to be catching the Metro (I do believe it closes for an hour or two). Try and finish around 11.15  - 11.30. Head as near to the Puerta del Sol as you can. Make sure you buy yourselves a bottle of Cava (Spanish champagne) - I would personally ask the waiter in the previous restaurant to keep it chilled for you. You also need to buy twelve grapes and make sure that you eat them on the stroke of each chime at 12 midnight.

I would then head over to Plaza Santa Ana where you will find plenty of nightlife - and in the nearby streets such as calle Huertas. Try the Moderna, Cerveceria Alemana and Naturbier. You may want to explore the bars around c/ Principe, such as Viva Madrid.  Don't be alarmed if the bars are closed - this does happen as it gives waiters and bar staff the chance to celebrate with their families. They will open at least by 1 am!

And finally, try and have a cup of chocolate in Cafeteria San Gines - preferably around 6 or 7 in the morning.

These are just some quick thoughts and I would welcome suggestions from other people on where to go in Madrid on New Year's Eve. Simply add a comment below.

2007 Festival de Otoño

For the 24th year running the Festival de Otoño returns to Madrid. A combination of music, theatre, dance and circus from around the world will entertain visitors and Madrileños for the coming 5 weeks. The event runs from the 15th October to the 18th November and is held is venues across the city.

The Theatre companies who are represented include: Britain's National Theatre, La Comédie-Française, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Josep Maria Mestres.

Dance companies attending include: Les Ballets C. de la B., Compañía Blanca Li, Toneelhuis. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Compañía Carlotta Sagna.

On the music front Caetano Veloso, Companyia Carles Santos, David Sylvian, Philip Glass and Compagnia dell' Ambra will all be performing.

For more information, visit the Festival de Otoño website.

Shameless Advertising!!

December Suggestions from Metrópoli

Metrópoli has a really good guide to what you can do in Madrid this December - it is in Spanish, though. They have come up with 150 suggestions for what you can do in the coming weeks - eat, drink, be merry and much more. Interestingly, they have broken them down into 15 categories - based on different types of personality. These range from the sportsman (woman), the art lover, the over 65's, under 18's, the shopaholics, singles, and a good few more. There are some really cool suggestions here - there is even a category for those who think they're cool!!

Christmas Programme for Madrid

If you'd like an "exhaustive" programme of activities on in Madrid this Christmas, download [pdf] the esMadrid magazine. Be aware this is quite a "beefy" 8MB pdf!!

9 Propuestas for Summer, 2006

   

Suite Española Presents Clave Flamenca at Teatro de Madrid

The Suite Española has been enchanting audiences across the world for the past 21 years, with their innovative flamenco style. Over  the next 17 days – from the  9th - 26th March, 2006 – they will be doing exactly the same in Madrid’s Teatro de Madrid. The Madrid audience will be the first to see ‘Clave Flamenca’, which is a homage to the composers Albéniz, Tárrega y Sarasate. The members of Suite Española will turn the creations of these composers into different flamenco rhythms, all of which will be sung, played and danced to by two female vocalists, a violinist, flautist, percussion and ten dancers.

The second part of the show is dedicated to Garnata, a story of a beautiful Jewish woman who, in the times when Granada was both Jewish and Arabic, breaks the hearts of both Jews and Arabs. It is sure to be a wonderful night of music and dance.

Timetable
Tues & Wed: 7.30 p.m.; Thurs & Fri: 8.30 p.m.
Sat: 7 p.m. & 10 p.m; Sun: 6 p.m.

Prices/Ticket Sales
10-22 Euros; Reduced Price: Tues & Wed (18 Euros)
Groups (over 20): 12 Euros
Tickets can be bought from the Box Office or through Entradas

Address
Teatro de Madrid (Avda de la Ilustración s/n)
Metro: Barrio del Pilar

La Otra Mirada del Flamenco - Flamenco Festival

The flamenco festival La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary at the Teatro Pradillo. It has supported comtemporary flamenco artists and projects over the decade and says itself that some of the productions have been quite risky and have broken new ground. For the tenth anniversary they have put together a line up of both young and well-known artists such as Belén Maya and Rafaela Carrasco, Angel Rojas, Manuel Liñán and Silvia Marín.

The press information actually says that La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will give international visitors to Madrid an alternative flamenco programme of great quality in a small format to the purely commercial offerings that can be found.

Ticket Prices: 12 Euros can be bought at the theatre
Address: C/ Pradillo, 12
Metro: Concha Espina (Exit Plaza Cataluña)

XXI Jazz Festival of Madrid

This week sees the start of the 21st Jazz Festival of Madrid. It kicks off on the 15th October and runs until the 20th November. Events will take place across a number of venues in Madrid, including Jazz bars and concert halls and brings to the capital more than 100 groups and musicians. Highlights include: Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Ron Carter, Birelli Lagrene, Richard Galiano, Youssou N´Dour and the Dizzy Gillespie All Big Band; with Solomon Burke providing Soul and Paco de Lucía the Flamenco angle. There will be a range of activities going on throughout this period, including debates and documentary projections in FNAC, a children's jazz concert and music in Retiro Park.

More information can be found on the Esmadrid.com website or simply by my suggestion would be to buy the Guía del Ocio guide or (free in the newspaper El Mundo's Friday edition) from a Madrid newsagent.

Corral de la Morería - Flamenco Shows

The Corral de la Morería is often billed as one of the best flamenco shows in the world - if the list of famous personalities who have visited it are anything to go by, they certainly are. George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, Tom Jones, Samuel Jackson, Hugh Grant and Mariah carey have alll visited this famous place. Since its inauguration in 1956 it has put on shows with all the major flamenco artists like Antonio Gades, Lucero Tena and Pastora Imperio. The shows cost around 32 Euros, whilst a show plus dinner will set you back 72 Euros. Though the menus are impressive, most people would recommend going for dinner first and then on to the show.

Address: c/ Morería 17
Telephone: 91 3658446
Metro: Sol & Ópera