Live music in Santander, April 2015

I spent first ten days of April in England. I had a great time meeting my friends. I went busking with Arco Iris in Cambridge city centre and to a class of kizomba in Nomad club, London. I also had an overload of nostalgia. I think there should be a law forbidding visits to nostalgia-inducing places. I was glad to be back to Santander and go to my favourite live music spots.

• 11 April: The First Anniversary of Desafinado Wine & Jazz, Barrio Las Mazas 15, Liencres
  This was an amazing concert featuring many bands and musicians who were performing at Desafinado throughout its first year of life: Adriana Blue, Chucho Manoucho, Saul Crespo, Eder Paiva Jazz Quartet, El Tumbao, Denise, Mabel Sierra... The party went from 7 pm beyond midnight.

• 14 April: Fiesta de la República @ Rvbicón, Calle del Sol 4
  Politically charged, and at times very funny, songs from Cantabrian cantautores.
• 15 April: César Latorre Trio @ Rvbicón
  César Latorre (piano), Petros Klampanis (bass) and Iago Fernández (drums) play innovative and melodic jazz full of interesting twists and pauses. Rvbicón is probably the only bar in Santander were one can play this kind of music and expect the audience to listen in silence.
• 16 April: Bolero Night @ Desafinado Wine & Jazz
  With Lázaro Álvarez Fuentes (vocal, congas) and Eduardo Nápoles (piano).
• 24 April: Chebú @ El Café de Noa, Calle Alcázar de Toledo 1
  Chebú is a duo of Yenia Popova (vocal) and Nahúm Cobo (guitar and piano), this time accompanied by Dani Simons (double bass) and “Charly” Pérez (drums). An evening full of magic and surprises. La Celestina by Lhasa de Sela was the first one; also, it was the only Spanish-lyrics song. Most of the songs are sung in English, with some bits in Russian. I wonder how many people in Santander know the meaning of “достать чернил и плакать”.
• 26 April: Fiesta de Primavera @ Calle del Sol
  Great street party, with market, workshops, traditional and not-so-traditional food, and, of course, live music. Discoveries of the day: Korokotta Dixie Band (traditional jazz) and, all the way from France, Rolland Merguez (funk/brass/soul).
• 28 April: Saul Crespo Standards Group @ Canela Bar
  Saul Crespo (violin), Fer Serrano (piano), Dani Simons (double bass) and Rubén Ortiz (drums) play swing and modern jazz standards including Donna Lee, Footprints, So What and Some Day My Prince Will Come. Magnificent.
• 29 April: Pablo & Lola @ Rvbicón
  The Argentine duo Pablo Garaffa and Dolores Torre play songs based on traditional rhythms such as chacarera, zamba, cueca and candombe. Catchy tunes and great sense of humour.

One more month to go, Santander. It’s better be good.