The Antequera Blues Festival rejuvenates as it reaches its 35th edition

Everything is set for the blues to color the 16th-century facade of Santa María at the 'Antequera Blues Festival,' continuing a tradition that spans 35 editions. But this year is particularly special: it won't be the friends at Cambayá Record organizing it, as Antonio Blanco and Antonio Navarro retired last year. They have passed the baton to MLMA Storm, a local production company where Ángel Peralta takes on the challenge: "For us, this is a great opportunity."

Thus, this Friday 25 and Saturday 26 of July, starting at 10:30 PM, blues music will fill the Plaza de los Escribanos. "We are a group of four friends who have been organizing events for many years. Each time we made them a bit more professional. And in the end, between the excitement and seeing that we were not bad at this, we decided to join forces and energy."

They understand the responsibility: "We have a lot of respect, we know it has many years of trajectory, many years of very well-done work and we have a very high standard to try to reach." They still dream about the day they were given the opportunity. "It was a super boost." Moreover, Ángel knew the people from Cambayá. "That they saw us as the right fit to continue their legacy was already something very big." But they needed one last call. "When we met with councilor José Medina Galeote it was total joy in the office."

After officially becoming the organizers, the first thing they did was "meet with Antonio Blanco and Antonio Navarro." They acknowledge that "it was impossible to develop this event without at least having their advice, their words." They took the opportunity to "show them a little bit of the idea we had and they were also delighted to have sat with us and helped us and supported us." After the meetings, the moment of truth arrived, how to organize this event: "I am very grateful to have attended so many years, because in the end I think we have a Blues Festival that has always exuded a very special magic."

The 2025 lineup

The festival will continue to maintain the same structure it has had in recent years. "We will start with 'Chino Swingslide', who is probably the most mature musician on the entire lineup." He represents the blues scene in Barcelona with over 20 years of career. Born in Argentina, "he mixes tango, Latin folklore, and flamenco."

Friday will close with 'Anne and The Blues Diggers' from Mallorca. "They bring a more blues rock proposal, a bit more funky, something more danceable, which is something we have tried to do on both blues nights, always starting a bit with more classic blues, with rhythms closer to jazz, to rhythm and blues, and then a second performance a bit more lively."

The second night "we start with 'María Carbonell Blues Mood', who are the winners of the Best Emerging National Blues Band award. "María Carbonell has a powerful voice that carries you, sort of teleports you back to the 40s or 50s of American black music." And closing will be 'José Insaciable', a musician from Madrid "who has been doing rock and roll and classic rock and roll for 30 years, singing in Spanish, with all that influence of country, of blues." These are the four concerts planned for the new edition of the 'Antequera Blues Festival' that starts a new chapter."