The Mas i Mas Festival: a summer filled with music
The festival, which is set to end on 4 September, features 160 musical performances
Things are changing in Barcelona: what was once almost a cultural desert in August is not blooming with options. Proof of that is the Mas i Mas Festival, which until 4 September will be feature upcoming artists and bands, presenting a multi-genre series of concerts with diverse artists and groups in styles that run from jazz to flamenco, by was of hip-hop, techno, gospel, and classical music.
The highlights of the next few weeks include the singer Sara Pi (El Born Centre de Cultura, 19 August), who is coming to Barcelona to present the nine songs on her latest release Break the Chains (2015). Pi is a veteran soul singer who evokes intimate atmospheres by combining exotic melodies with avant-garde sounds. Another highlight is the composer Clara Peya who will be appearing at Born Centre Cultural on 20 August with the intimate and passionate style that has made her one of the most promising artists in recent times.
Other performances in the festival include saxophonist and singer Ray Gelato (Jamboree, 21 August) accompanied by the Barcelona Big Blues Band directed by Ivan Kovacevic; Nexus (Palau de la Música, 22 August), a piano duet playing pieces by Granados, Albéniz and Falla; and La Puente (Tarantos, 22 August), the flamenco company of Carmen Ríos who will offer a classically styled repertoire guaranteed to satisfy the most demanding tastes.