THE GYPSY KINGS – Jardin Stage – 10:45 PM
According to the Bible, no one is a prophet in their own land… Welcomed like princes in China, the Middle East, across Latin America, or even in the United States where they usually perform in stadiums, the Reyes and the Baliardos — the two families whose members form this unique group — are too often overlooked by the French cultural circles that view them as just another gypsy band. Yet, the Gypsy Kings had already distinguished themselves long before the worldwide success of their hit “Bamboleo” in 1987. Adored by Charlie Chaplin, Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Miles Davis, who saw them as enlightened advocates of a magnificent tradition, the Gypsy Kings have long infused their flamenco with jazz and Latin scents, contributing to the popularity of a style that would soon circle the globe. While they no longer need to work as seasonal agricultural workers to survive, the Kings have not given up living on Catalan soil, as dignified descendants of a people whose music has touched hearts for a long time.
TOMATITO – Arenas – 11:00 PM
This virtuoso guitarist, an undisputed star of the new flamenco scene, was discovered very young by the great Paco de Lucia. For fifteen years, Tomatito has been blending flamenco and jazz with intelligence and taste. By multiplying successful collaborations with artists such as Michel Camilo or the Spanish techno-pop group Mecano, he celebrates the happy union of traditions that are less distant than one might think. Tomatito’s recordings, universally acclaimed by critics, have secured him a unique reputation in the flamenco-jazz sphere.
DIEGO EL CIGALA – Jardin Stage – 9:00 PM
Diego Ramón Jiménez Salazar, nicknamed El Cigala, is today the undisputed master of flamenco singing. Like most of his peers, El Cigala learned to sing in the small streets of Madrid as well as in the taverns inhabited by the Spanish queen of music. After spending several years in the shadow of great dancers (El Güito, Cristóbal Reyes, Manolete…), Diego dared to “sing from the front stage” — the expression used in the milieu when a singer dares to steal the spotlight from the orchestra’s dancer. While continuing the tradition, El Cigala strives to rejuvenate his art by enriching his music with touches of jazz and Cuban rhythms.
CHANO DOMINGUEZ NEW FLAMENCO SOUND – Arenas – 9:30 PM
Six years after the superb concert he offered the audience at the Cimiez arenas at the invitation of Viviane Sicnasi, the pianist from Cadiz brings together this year the biggest names in Spanish jazz, joined by a singer and a dancer. Dominguez developed this new project with the ambition of opening flamenco-jazz to unprecedented perspectives. A breathtaking project that reveals Chano at the peak of his art.
EL BICHO – Jardin Stage – 7:30 PM
This septet proves that flamenco retains all its vitality in the age of rock. The members of this unique group first conquered the young Madrid audience before setting out to conquer the largest concert halls in Spain, thanks to a repertoire with strong jazz tones made up of traditional themes, electric sounds, and African rhythms. The presence of El Bicho in Nice is unmistakable proof of their growing popularity beyond Spain.
LA SHICA – Matisse Stage – 8:00 PM
With a desire to offer an alternative to flamenco, this Spanish singer has developed a new artistic language by integrating elements of hip hop and funk into her music and choreography.
In the process, this inspired creator’s group revolutionizes the art of flamenco with a subtle alchemy between today’s rhythms and acoustic sounds of yesterday.
LEMMY CONSTANTINE – Arenas – 7:45 PM
His father, a famous actor from the 1950s who played the private detective Lemmy Caution on screen, also had a career in records promoting the joys of the dolce vita in “Cigarettes, Whisky, and Wild Women.” Constantine junior inherited his multifaceted father’s first name as well as a marked penchant for humorous texts, which he embellishes with flowing guitar phrases borrowed from the gypsy school personified by Django Reinhardt. An unusual musical setting for the repertoire of Frank Sinatra, to whom Lemmy pays a heartfelt tribute this summer.
SOCCA JAZZ
GOOD GIPSY VIBE – 6:30 PM – Matisse Stage
This gypsy orchestra deliberately sought to highlight the best of its heritage by building its repertoire on great classics borrowed from Django Reinhardt. The formula might appear ordinary if the trio of Antoine Marcel, Yacine Lagoune, and Romain Collard did not display their uniqueness by asking the trumpet to share the place of honor with the guitar. A bold formula that tinges the group’s repertoire with a rich and original brassy color.
