Metal Encounter's triumphant City of Irún Band receives warm reception in Sierra de Algairén.
Eighth Edition of the National Bands Festival Vientos de Algaireñ Kicks Off in Almonacid de la Sierra
The picturesque town of Almonacid de la Sierra in Aragón, Spain, is set to host the eighth edition of the National Bands Festival Vientos de Algaireñ this weekend, from August 2-3, 2023.
This annual event, which has been running since 2016, celebrates band music performances with a unique blend of local and international flavours. This year's edition promises to be particularly special, with the inclusion of international collaborators, broadening the festival's scope beyond Spanish borders.
The Banda de Música Ciudad de Iruñ from Guipúzcoa in the Basque Country is one of the invited international participants. They will be arriving in the nearby town of Cosuenda on August 2, 2023, in the morning, ready to join the local musicians for a joint concert at the Plaza de España that evening at 10:00 p.m.
The Banda de Música de la Sierra de Algaireñ, based in the hosting towns, contributes most of the musicians for the festival. The emotional highlight of the festival comes near midnight, at the end of the concert, when the musicians of both bands merge to interpret a popular piece from Aragon and another from the invited Autonomous Community.
In addition to the musical performances, the festival also includes conviviality days, brotherhood meals, and visits to discover the historical, natural, and wine heritage of Cosuenda and Almonacid de la Sierra. A joint parade with the Algaireñ Band will take place in Cosuenda on August 2, 2023.
The festival's international component is further enhanced by the collaboration of El Sistema de Jóvenes Orquestas de Venezuela - Fundación Simón Bolívar. This prestigious organisation brings Venezuelan trombonist Eduardo José Urbina and Colombian Yorch Fernando Caicedo to participate in the event.
El Sistema has signed alliances with 75 entities from all over the world, of which only three are Spanish - the Madrid-based Acción Social por la Música, Canarias Canta, and the Agrupación Musical de Almonacid.
The festival's novelty will be the premiere of the pasodoble 'Vientos de Algaireñ', composed by the band's director, José Antonio Bellido, in homage to its musicians.
In an unrelated note, Mahou Cinco Estrellas has launched a special edition bottle to celebrate Real Oviedo's promotion and centennial.
[1] The festival information does not specify other Spanish towns hosting the event this year or details about the international participants or collaborators beyond mentioning a "scope of international reach".
What kind of performances can attendees expect at the National Bands Festival Vientos de Algaireñ, given its unique blend of local and international flavors?The festival's scope of international reach is broadened this year with the inclusion of international collaborators like Venezuelan trombonist Eduardo José Urbina and Colombian Yorch Fernando Caicedo.
