B-ESTIVAL CONCERTS
There are some fine festivals that pass through Barcelona each summer, and this is no exception, with an eclectic mix of musicians including The B-52s and Erykah Badu. From the 9th to the 29th of July, B-Estival will be going strong at select venues around the city. The concerts are pricey at about €40 a pop, but the artists are mostly big names in music and therefore perhaps worth the higher price. Book in advance online or go to the FNAC in Plaza Catalunya to buy tickets in town.
Here are a few I recommend:
The 14th of July: Erykah Badu
If you haven’t heard of her go immediately to MySpace and have a listen. More likely than not, you have heard of this soulful diva and the music from her album Baduizm, which made her famous. This year she is promoting her new CD titled, Amerykah: Pt. 1 (4th World War).
The 17th: Muchachito Bombo Infierno + Peret
A multi-piece band, they claim to be influenced by Elvis Presley, Perez Prado and flamenco. They will play with Peret, the ‘king’ of Catalan Rumba. After their first album Vamos que vamos y Visto lo visto, the band has toured internationally and now returns to their home city to get things shaking.
The 20th: Loreena McKennitt
I am a long time fan of McKennitt’s mystical sounds. Her soprano voice is one-of-a-kind and her music is completely different from the rest of the B-Estival line up. The Canadian sings a style of music that could be called folk, but it’s more magical than that and has always seemed very spiritual to me without being ‘fakey new-age’.
The 23rd: Macy Gray
Grammy-winner Gray has been out of the musical spotlight for some time, but is now back with a new album titled Big. You may remember Macy’s scratchy voice from her pop hit Sexual Revolution and Psychopath.