“Everything is ready”. The MED Festival kicks off this Thursday, June 29th, and, until Saturday, July 1st, the Historic Area of Loulé will celebrate «multiculturality», with lots of music (and more).
Artists and sounds for all ears and tastes will provide a true musical journey that starts in Mali, with one of the great phenomena of this industry, the couple Amadou&Mariam.
Jamaica, the homeland of reggae, will also be on the MED route, with Horace Andy or Kabaka Pyramid attracting the legion of fans that this style brings wherever it goes. From Syria, nobody will be indifferent to the “kitsh” style of the legend of this country, Omar Souleyman, while Japan will be in Loulé in double dose – with Poil Ueda and Tomoro. The ever-present symbols of Lusophony, Brazil and Cape Verde, will be represented by names like Amaro Freitas or Bia Ferreira, Bulimundo or Nancy Vieira.
This Cape Verdean artist will feature special guests Acácia Maior. But there is much more, from Italy, Spain, Morocco, Romania or the United States, from the most traditional to mergers, from afrobeat to R&B, passing through Balkan music, Latin rhythms, rock, electronica, jazz or Brazilian tropicalism.
Naturally, Portugal will also be present, right away with Fado by the voice of the young Sara Correia, or through the more contemporary sounds of Pedro Mafama and a concert that will go down in history: the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Sétima Legião. A last minute surprise is that the Azorean voice and soul of this archipelago, Zeca Medeiros, will be in Loulé accompanied by Filipa Pais, one of the artists who participated in his latest work.
But the MED Festival goes far beyond music and other cultural aspects deserve a prominent place, such as cinema, literature, street arts, plastic arts, gastronomy or handicrafts.
One year away from a round date – the 20 years that will be celebrated in 2024 –, this edition intends to reaffirm the consolidation and position that MED has achieved in the context of the route of European World Music festivals.
Among the novelties are, for example, the new space of Cinema MED, next to the Art Gallery of the Convent of Espírito Santo. The curatorship is once again in charge of film critic Rui Tendinha, and films continue to go hand in hand with music. Rui Reininho will be one of the highlights of the poster dedicated to the seventh art and, after viewing “A Viagem do Rei”, by Roger Mor and João Pedro Moreira, the musician will make a ShowCase at the Cinetheater.
Back is Café Calcinha, in a commitment to valuing and promoting one of the city's most valuable assets. The musician Afonso Dias is the resident during all three, bringing different sounds that liven up this stage.
The Igreja Matriz will also host the MED Classic concerts again, this year with a renewed image after requalification works. Another National Monument – the Islamic Baths – will become the Hammam Stage, where the Islamic presence can be experienced by those who pass by.
The Open Day takes place on Sunday, the 2nd, without the big stages but with free entry, allowing everyone to feel a little of the essence of the MED Festival, for example through the true flavors of the Mediterranean.
Tickets are on sale here
Full program:
Comments