Lloyd Cole, Brian Ferry, Gilberto Gil, Raimon and the Comediants all starring at the 49th Porta Ferrada Festival

Sant Feliu de Guíxols (CNA).- Far from suffering from the crisis, the Porta Ferrada Festival, held in Sant Feliu de Guixols, near Barcelona, has kept a roster full of important names in music, theatre and dance for 2011. Eclectic as always, and this year concentrated between the 21st July and the 20th August, international artists such as Lloyd Cole, Brian Ferry and Gilberto Gil will be performing alongside Raymond, Love of Lesbian and Luz Casal. The theatre group Comediants will present 'Persephone' and children can enjoy the popular Geronimo Stilton. With a budget of 950,000 euros, the opening show features Carlos Santos and CaboSanRoque with 'Maquinofòbia pianolera', lending more importance to the classical music section.

The 49th edition of the Porta Ferrada Festival is a "preamble to the fiftieth and is as competitive a program as always. Hopefully, it is the gateway to an edition that will reach a much larger audience this year", said Festival director Albert Mallol. Mallol insists on the idea of a "competitive, international, national and local program”, as in previous editions, combining music, theatre and dance.

The international music scene includes Lloyd Cole, Mavis Saplo, Gilberto Gil, Brian Ferry, Return to Forever, Pegasus, Cindy Lauper and Ludovico Einaudi. Gospel Night with the American Spiritual and the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra is another star attraction.

Love of Lesbian will attract a younger audience than usual at this event, thanks to an exclusive concert after their recently successful tour. Carlos Casas, local pianist and composer, is a surprise inclusion. Catalan singer-songwriter Raimon will be presenting his latest album 'Rellotge d’emocions' (The clock of emotions) and Luz Casal will offer a concert after having recently returned to the stage, following a concert at the Liceo in Barcelona.

As for theatre, Porta Ferrada offers two important performances. On the one hand the company Comediants present their latest show: 'Persephone, Varietés mortals' while on the other, Geronimo Stilton will make an appearance in Sant Feliu de Guixols to capture the family audience. As for dance, the festival this year includes the Antonio Gades ballet troupe and its version of Lope de Vega’s classic, 'Fuenteovejuná'.

Classics festival

Outside of the main program, the Porta Ferrada Festival is also offering an alternative showcase called the 'classical space'. Rather than offering classical music itself, the festival is presenting its own take on the concept 'classical', through the combine works of various contemporary artists.

Seven showcases are being held at the Auditorium Theatre (one of them at the Church-Monastery), rounded off with a local orchestra performance known as a 'cobla'. This event has been held for 18 years and will continue its legacy on this year’s program.

The opening show, 'Maquinofòbia Pianolera', by CaboSanRoque with Carlos Santos, is a co-production between the Porta Ferrada Festival and the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic (MMVV)’, another well-known local music festival. The Luis Gonzalez Sextet with 'NYC Suite', the Brossa String Quartet with 'Tocatina', the Trio Arriaga, Guitar Quartet and the Miguel Llobet Kandinsky trio are also on the line-up.

Sustained budgetary adjustment

The Deputy Mayor of Sant Feliu de Guixols, Miguel Lobato, said “this year there won’t be a budget cut, it will be maintained at around 950,000 euros”. The financial costs of the Festival are borne by municipal contributions (27%), private sponsorship (12%) and public payments, (25%) all of which should be added to the amount invested by the Festival itself.

All said and done, the festival is making an effort to prepare the next edition and is searching to relocate. The 50th anniversary of the Festival requires "organizational restructuring" and program details are still unknown.