This year ‘s Encuentro, (spanish word for meeting) is an Encuentro of Encuentros.

West Africa, Latin America, Italy, the Middle East, among others, are all part of our cultural reality. They have for a long time, and increasingly so, coexisted in our day to day throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Thanks to immigration we have had, and still have, the opportunity to see and experience other ways of expressing ourselves through music, dance and words. This immense cultural contribution is a great opportunity to enrich and broaden our horizons.

Many of these cultural diversities and richness are those that, over the years, have inspired and influenced the local Spanish culture and way of life. With time, they have weaved themselves into what we now call tradition. Tradition has never been something frozen in time and static. It has always evolved thanks to the changes brought by people’s creations and unique visions expressed through music and dance. But where is the common ground to be found in such diversity? The answer is quite simple and straightforward: the need to come together, celebrate and share life through play, through a language, a code, that goes beyond words. These are the common languages and codes that bring us closer to each other without distinctions. This is one of the goals of this meeting: to get to know the distant up close and that the near might grow far away.

Benvinguts

Bienvenidos

Benvido

Bem-vindos

ongietorria

Benvenuti

Dallen ak Diam

Alning Fama

καλως ΗΡΘΑΤΕ

‎ مرحباً

‎ברוך הבא

բարի գալուստ

This year the Ecuentro is a little longer than previous editions in order to deepen the content of the workshops and enrich the collective experience. We offer 6 days of teachings in group classes every morning in the workshop of your choice. Choose well which workshop you prefer because we don’t offer the possibility of changing workshops : you will be with the same group all week.

But don’t worry, in the afternoon we will all get together for collective improvisation dynamics based on the traditional styles of different origins and cultures. There will also be a combo day, free afternoons, workshops interchange and whatever else might come up! At night we will share like every year in a free and open way. Bring the instruments you want to participate in these afternoon and night jams!

You will also have the chance to enjoy a night with an exclusive concert by the teachers, and of course we will end in style with the big celebration of Fiesta Mayor del Encuentro on the last day!

The Fiesta Mayor (a traditional annual celebration unique to each city, neighborhood or town, a get together of the local community) of the Encuentro is the high point of a week’s worth of music and dance experiences. For those who have participated before, this year will be different from the previous ones. We encourage all students who wish to participate in this great demonstration to show their creations or personal interpretations in the format of their choice, whether as a duo, solo, quartet or with a group. These creations can be born of the Encuentro or previously. This way, the public will be able to enjoy intimately the works and talents of many of our students. Each teacher will also present a sample of what they have been working on throughout the week with their respective classes or with several of them. Through the streets and corners of Castellnou, we will go from one discovery to the next before all getting together in the main square to witness the demonstration of all the participants in a great final concert. This will be followed by a community dinner and a collective improvisation experience where the public will also play and take an active part in this joint experience.

The Festival will be on August 23 and will be a day open to the public so that whoever wants to can come and spend the whole day in Castellnou.