Fernando Quinones sparked a back-and-forth naming process that echoed through the room, drawing on American songs such as guajiras, milongas, and vidalitas reinterpreted in a flamenco key. This became the central idea for a new edition titled The World of Flamenco and Its Forms: The Memory That Unites Us. The program at the University of Alicante presents a respectful tribute to its creator and unfolds over six days at the UA City Center in Alicante.
The series begins on 17 October and concludes on 23 November, guiding attendees through a thoughtful journey at the UA City Center in Alicante.
During a visit to Argentina earlier in the year, a milonga listening session recalled summers spent exploring flamenco in Spain, a memory that resonates with the organizers and participants alike. The memory they aim to preserve links flamenco with its broader cultural exchanges.
Consequently, this theme anchors the forthcoming edition of the gathering. Round-trip ideas have sometimes met resistance from flamenco purists, but the program embraces dialogue and exploration across styles.
Anticipation is high as many renowned flamenco figures will participate, offering performances, studies, and research across the event’s sessions.
Carmen Linares in the UA flamenco cycle
Faustino Nuñez, a cellist and guitarist with formal training in musicology, will discuss the relationship between American flamenco influences and the broader history of the art. The discussion will consider how flamenco connections traveled to America and back, carrying goods and music alike.
Nostalgia and melancholy in flamenco and tango will frame a conference scheduled for 24 October, with Pablo Martinez-Samper leading as teacher and editor, collaborating with Raquel Álvarez.
Guitarist and singer Curro Piñana, a professor of music and performing arts, will return for a special session on 2 November. He will discuss South American songs in collaboration with guitarist and composer Francis Turner.
Alexander Hurtado, a guitarist from San Vicente and a colleague of Miguel Poveda, will explore the shared features and aesthetics of flamenco habits on 7 November. Hurtado is recognized as a flamenco master with performances across major venues in Spain. The event features a scholar with ties to Alicante and notable concert credits at Aranjuez’s Teatro Real, Madrid’s National Auditorium, and the Gran Teatro de Córdoba.
Rachel Alvarez, a singer from Alicante and a psychologist, will present alongside guitarist Robert Saber, a professor at the Professional Conservatory of Jerez de la Frontera, in a session focused on the flamenco figure and its cross-cultural reach.
The course will close with Christina Cruz, a PhD in Geography and History and a professor of social anthropology, returning to explore the flamenco figure through the lens of dialogues between Spain and Mexico.
As Jose (Martínez Bernicola) described, flamenco resembles a polyhedron with faces that reveal many influences, extending beyond flamenco culture into wider European cultural currents. This perspective sits at the heart of the cycle as it invites a broad conversation about the art form and its global connections [Citation: University of Alicante].