Free live music in Las Palmas, June 2019

Some amazing musical events took place in June — many at the same time, so I was able to see but a fraction.

• 1 June: Islazz @ Auditorio José Antonio Ramos, Parque Doramas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  Yul Ballesteros & Friends, a true Canarian jazz “supergroup” closed this Musicando season presenting Islazz, a cycle of eight compositions dedicated to the islands of our archipelago: Fuerteventura, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Graciosa, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife. Featuring Juan Bosco Arencibia (trombone), Yul Ballesteros (guitar), Jose Carlos Cubas (percussion), Sebastián Gil Armas (trumpet), José Alberto Medina (piano), Gustavo Navarro (theorbo), Gladys Pérez Molina (flute), Yone Rodríguez Monzón (timple), Tana Santana (bass), Suso Vega (drums) and Jose Angel Vera (saxophone).

• 4 June: Exsurge Domine @ Casa de Colón, calle Colón, 1
  A part of the cycle Música antigua en el patio, this recital by the Valencian musician Vicent Bru i Soler was dedicated to the composers of the times of Martin Luther and the Counter-Reformation such as Antonio de Cabezón, Arnolt Schlick, Conrad Paumann, Hans Buchner, Hans Kotter, Francisco Correa de Arauxo y Pablo Bruna. Vicent played a beautiful harpsichord, a replica of the 16^th century instrument.
• 6 June: Seamus Blake @ Teatro Guiniguada, Plaza F. Mesa de León, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  The last masterclass organised by Mousikê La Laguna before the summer break.
• 7 June: Nancy Fabiola canta a Canarias @ Plaza de Santa Ana
  Every year, to celebrate the foundation of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (the official date is 24 June of 1478), our city celebrates Fiestas fundacionales. This year, they started with the opening speeches by Dania Dévora (I am sure she is a good producer but man it was boring) and then by our mayor, Augusto Hidalgo (shorter and better). The concert, when it finally started, was quite good. Nancy Fabiola Herrera (mezzo-soprano) was accompanied by Orquesta Sinfónica de Las Palmas conducted by Rafael Sánchez-Araña and guest artists Berna Perles (soprano), Enrique Ferrer (tenor), Silvia Gómez Tuñón (soprano), María del Mar Moreno (baile), José María Curbelo (piano) and Leonel Gasso (bandoneon).
• 8 June: Música en el corazón de Vegueta @ various locations (in Vegueta)
  I just learned that this is the fourth year that patios of Vegueta hosting a number of musical events. As for us, we just discovered it this year. Altogether, there were ten patios and two plazas, but we had time to visit just three. Nayaband were playing in the patio of Fundación Juan Negrín (c/Reyes Católicos, 30); Francisco Navarro (marimba and drums) at Ilustre Colegio de Abogados (Plaza de San Agustín) — jolly good building they've got there, the lawyers I mean — and Abraham Ramos (timple) at Casa de la Iglesia (c/Doctor Chil, 17).
• 9 June: Eme Alfonso @ Auditorio José Antonio Ramos
  A brilliant Cuban singer-songwriter accompanied by Kiki Ferrer (drums), Santiago Greco (bass), Israel Sandoval (guitar) and Alejandro Vargas (piano).

• 15 June: Robert Jon & The Wreck and Morgane Ji @ Auditorio José Antonio Ramos
  A double bill of two very different but equally impressive bands. Blues-rockers from Orange County, California, Robert Jon & The Wreck are Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocal, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums), Henry James (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Maggiora (keyboards, vocals) and Warren Murrel (bass, vocals). The band’s former guitarist, Kristopher Butcher, defined their sound as “Southern cosmic rock’n’soul”, and I think it still holds true.
  Morgane Ji (lead vocals, banjo) with E.r.k. (guitar, keyboards, samples), Olivier Carole (bass, vocals) and Mogan Cornebert (drums), currently on their Woman Soldier tour, play catchy rock/electronica/world music fusion that makes everybody dance.

• 22 June: Lila Downs @ Plaza de la Música, Avenida Roberto Clemente Benijófar (next to Auditorio Alfredo Kraus)
  What a treat! It’s been more than ten years since I saw Lila Downs playing in London — and she is still as young as I remember her. She was accompanied by Nikki Campbell (percussion, quijada), Josh Deutsch (trumpet), Rafa Gómez (guitar), Luis Guzmán (bass), Sinuhe Padilla Isunza (jarana, quijada), George Saenz (trombone, accordion) and Yayo Serka (drums). With repertoire spanning her career, or at least from La Sandunga to her latest offering, Al Chile, Lila and the band were a pinnacle of already fantastic Fiestas fundacionales programme. I didn’t know until now that we have so many Mexicans in Gran Canaria.

Lila Downs’ concert was the last music event I went to in Las Palmas before heading to the Peninsula. It was so good that I didn’t even want to go to any other concert until my departure. Hasta luego, Gran Canaria!