The Encuentro de músicas de raíz 2024

This year’s Encuentro is once again an “encuentro” of Encuentros: we continue to explore the history that has forged our traditions for centuries.

The music, words, and dances of the peninsula, the entire Mediterranean, the Maghreb, Latin America, and West Africa would not be the same without the influence of so many people who, for mysterious reasons, emigrated traveling to these places with the backpack of their knowledge and traditions to other lands and with renewed air… they changed the history and traditions of each place.

In this Encuentro, we want to revisit history, return to that moment when there was the meeting that changed us forever. What do the jota and the Chilean cueca have in common? What do the tarantella and Gnawa music have in common? What is a fandango in Mexico and why do they play the tambourine and “zapateado”? What do Galician songs, Berber songs, and Bulgarian voices have in common? Through workshops, conferences, and traditional gatherings, we want to share this history that we have inherited, make it ours, and be the link that passes it on to future generations.

We believe that now more than ever, it is time to find the common points of the different communities that inhabit the cultural territory we have inherited. Our heritage has undoubtedly been shaped by all the integral parts of this encuentro. So this year, we pay tribute to all the individuals and communities that have left their mark on their respective traditions.

The schedule

This year we propose six instructional days in which you will have classes every morning and the first afternoon of the workshop you have chosen. Choose wisely which workshop you prefer because we do not offer the possibility of changing workshops.

Starting from the second afternoon, we will gather in small combos and some days with all the workshops to rehearse the repertoire of the final concert or sometimes to practice dynamics of collective improvisation on traditional genres. As every year, there will be an afternoon of workshop exchange and, of course, sufficient openness to be prepared for whatever arises.

At night, we will share freely and openly as we do every year. Bring the instruments you want to participate in these evenings and nights!

We will end at the top with the celebration of the Main Party of the Encuentro!

SCHEDULE

Arrival: August 21st from 5:00 p.m

Departure: August 28th. We’ll have breakfast, hugs, and emotions, and then we’re off!

CLASSES

From August 22nd to August 26th: 10:00 a.m to 14:00 p.m and from 16:30 p.m to 19:00 p.m

Tuesday, August 27th: Class in the morning and Final Concerts in the evening.

Every afternoon, there will be an open dance class at the end!

Fiesta mayor del Encuentro

The Fiesta Mayor is the culmination of a week full of all kinds of musical and dance experiences. This year will begin with the showcase of workshops, where each teacher will present what they have been working on throughout the week with their respective classes or with various ones. It will end with the grand final concert where all the workshops will come together and present a repertoire elaborated to mix and find the common points of all participating cultures.

19:00 Concert Showcase of the Workshops

21:00 Popular dinner.

22:30 Final Concert of the Encuentro with all participants and professors.

The Fiesta Mayor will be held on August 27th and will be an open day for the public so that anyone who wants to can come and spend the afternoon in Castellnou with us.