Voces del Sur: Marbella launches flamenco and poetry cycle, 18-21 November
Marbella's first Voces del Sur cycle brings poetry, literature and flamenco to the municipal theatre from 18 to 21 November. All activities are free until capacity is reached.
By Costa del Sol Journal Newsroom · · AI-assisted
Marbella will host the first edition of Voces del Sur, a new cultural cycle combining literature, poetry and flamenco, from 18 to 21 November. The programme, announced by the Ayuntamiento de Marbella (town hall), runs mostly at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella and is free for anyone who collects an invitation.
Key facts
- Dates: Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 November, under the motto 'Donde nacen las voces'.
- Venue: the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella, plus an open-air workshop in plaza Ramón Martínez outside.
- Price: free until capacity is reached; invitations are available at the theatre box office from two hours before each session.
- Schools element: a composition workshop for about 120 secondary-school students on 19 November.
The four days
The cycle opens on 18 November at 19.00 with 'La tierra que nos nombra', a conversation between the poet Jaime Siles, the flamenco singer Rocío Márquez and the musician Raúl Rodríguez. According to the town hall, it will look at the links between territory, memory and artistic creation, and the influences that shaped the cultural identity of the south.
On Thursday 19 at 11.00, 'El sur que improvisa' is a composition workshop led by the Cuban poet and improviser Alexis Díaz-Pimienta. It is aimed at around 120 students from the municipality's secondary schools. It will introduce them to spontaneous verse-making and to the history of the décima, a poetic form linked to Vicente Espinel that crossed the Atlantic, took root in Cuba and returned to Spain through flamenco singing.
On Friday 20 at 19.00, the poet Noelia Cortés and the guitarist Daniel Casares perform 'La letra y el toque'. The recital sets Andalusian Gypsy poetry in dialogue with flamenco guitar.
The cycle closes on Saturday 21 at 12.00 with 'Marbella baila a compás' in plaza Ramón Martínez. The dancer Juan José Jaén, known as 'El Junco', from Cádiz province, will lead a workshop on palmas (rhythmic handclapping) and flamenco rhythms. It is open to all ages and needs no prior knowledge. It is organised with the Fundación Paco de Lucía and coincides with the week of International Flamenco Day.
Who is behind it
The programme was presented by the town hall's director general for culture, Carmen Díaz, with its promoter, the cultural manager Violeta Dávila; Curro Sánchez Varela, a trustee of the Fundación Paco de Lucía; and Federico González of Grupo La Sala, one of the private backers.
Díaz said the cycle "encaja plenamente con nuestros objetivos de promoción y difusión de la cultura" (fits fully with our aims of promoting and spreading culture) and that the town hall hopes it will continue in coming years. She also stressed the educational side, saying it helps young people connect with a heritage that also belongs to them.
Dávila said the idea grew from a wish to reflect on how one territory has produced so much creativity, generation after generation. She said she hopes Voces del Sur becomes an annual event.
Sánchez Varela said the project matches the foundation's aim of promoting flamenco and preserving the legacy of the guitarist Paco de Lucía. He described flamenco as "no es un compartimento estanco" (not a watertight compartment), but a culture enriched over centuries by music, poetry, film and literature. González said Grupo La Sala backs the first edition and that Marbella businesses should help develop cultural initiatives that broaden the town's offer.
What to do
Because entry is free but limited, anyone planning to attend should collect invitations at the theatre box office, which opens two hours before each session, according to Dávila.
