The third edition will take place from September 25 to 27 at the traditional sa Senieta house in Sant Francesc, with all concerts free to attend.
The Formentera Sona festival returns this week for its third edition, bringing together three evenings of flamenco, classical music, jazz and Mediterranean sounds.
The festival will take place on September 25, 26 and 27 at 8pm, in the courtyard of the traditional sa Senieta house in Sant Francesc, with free admission to all concerts, according to the Consell de Formentera.
Following the positive reception of its first two editions, the festival returns with the aim of establishing itself further on Formentera’s cultural calendar while offering a programme at the end of September aimed at both residents and visitors to the island.
The programme opens on Friday, September 25, with Memòria Flamenca, a performance of guitar, singing and dance that continues the legacy of master Juan Morilla, one of the leading figures in flamenco in Ibiza and Formentera and a pioneer in promoting the art form across the Pitiusas.
The production brings together artists from different generations, with the aim of preserving the essence of traditional flamenco while introducing it to new audiences.
The performance will explore some of the genre’s most representative palos through guitar, singing and dance, with particular emphasis on the passing of the tradition to a new generation and the transmission of this musical heritage.
Under the artistic direction of Roxana Mouriño and stage direction by Teresa Rojas, Memòria Flamenca will feature Mouriño on flamenco guitar; Mati González on vocals; Teresa Rojas on palmas; and dancers Penélope Tafur, Vanesa Cortés Pérez, Alma Escandell García, Giulia Parada Ripoll and Eva Ricarte Ramón.
Music and humour with love at the centre
The second evening takes place on Saturday, September 26, also at 8pm, with Sax & Love, a recital featuring saxophonist Pere Prieto and pianist Juan F. Ballesteros.
The performance combines music and spoken word to explore love from an elegant, humorous and ironic perspective.
The spoken sections provide a narrative thread through themes including seduction, vanity, cheekiness, romance, the night and the forbidden.
During the concert, Prieto will play four different saxophones, showcasing the different registers and expressive possibilities of the instrument family in dialogue with Ballesteros’ piano.
The repertoire will combine classical and chamber music with jazz, pop and dance music.
A journey through the music of the Mediterranean
The festival will conclude its third edition on Sunday, September 27, from 8pm, with Hispanistán, a Granada-based ensemble that draws on Mediterranean musical roots to create its own contemporary sound.
The group revisits and reinterprets traditional melodies from the Balkans, Sephardic, Turkish, Spanish, Greek and Italian traditions, among others, blending them with original compositions, improvisation, jazz and other contemporary musical languages.
Hispanistán features Joaquín Sánchez on clarinets and other wind instruments; Alfredo Sarno on drums and percussion; and José María Pedraza ‘Petaca’ on piano.
The three musicians bring together influences from jazz, flamenco, folk and world music, creating a repertoire that connects traditional Mediterranean sounds with contemporary approaches.
Three nights of live music in Sant Francesc
With these three performances, Formentera Sona maintains one of the festival’s defining characteristics since its creation: bringing different artistic proposals together over three days and making live music accessible to a wide range of audiences.
The festival is directed by Úrsula Pomar, a flautist and teacher at the Formentera Municipal School of Music and Dance, and Elvira Ramón, a pianist and music teacher.
Both have extensive careers linked to performance, teaching and the promotion of musical and cultural projects in the Pitiusas.
Ramón is also the creator and director of the Santa Eulària des Riu Chamber Music Festival and the Música Jove Festival.
For visitors looking for cultural events and live music in Formentera in late September, Formentera Sona will bring three different musical perspectives to Sant Francesc, from traditional flamenco and jazz to the diverse sounds of the Mediterranean.
