The opening of “¡Oh Cuba! Federico García Lorca: Son Flamenco”—a flamenco show that integrates classical and contemporary flamenco styles with influences by Cuban maestros Ernesto Lecuona, Amadeo Roldán, and Alejandro García Caturla—was celebrated on July 18, 2017, at the Theater of the Generalife (Patronage of the Alhambra and Generalife) located at Calle Real de la Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The show, which continues until August 26, pays homage to the work of Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, and in particular, his time spent in Cuba, in the company of his Cuban literary and artistic counterparts. [See my translation of excerpts below. For detailed information, see ¡Oh Cuba! Federico García Lorca: Son Flamenco.]
Incorporating poetry, music, and dance, this show serves to illustrate the ongoing relationship between García Lorca and Cuba. The work includes unpublished texts that García Lorca left on Cuban soil, poems by his friends [Cuban writers] Nicolás Guillén and Alejo Carpentier, and other singular testimonies by colleagues and acquaintances.
The production, directed by Francisco Ortuño Millán, includes a great team of 23 Spanish and Cuban artists headed by Loles León for theatrical interpretation, Antonio Carmona for musical composition, and Adrián Galia for choreography. The Flamenco arrangements were composed by Diego Franco. The music is original and is performed live on stage.
The Theater of the Generalife will witness, every night, an evocative “conversation” between flamenco and son, with the vocal and instrumental brilliance of an exceptional musical roster that includes special collaborations by [Cuban singer] Alina Sánchez and soloists from the Ballet Español de Cuba [Spanish Ballet of Cuba], with choreography by its director Eduardo Veitía. [. . .]
After its world premiere at the Generalife, the show will be presented at the Gran Teatro de La Habana as the beginning of a world tour.
For more information (in Spanish), see https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/lorcaygranada/es/%C2%A1oh-cuba and https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/agendaandaluciatucultura/evento/oh-cuba-lorca-y-granada-en-los-jardines-del-generalife
