PICK OF THE WEEK: Andorra (Pyrenees)
Main places:
Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, San Julia de Loria, La Massana, Ordino, Encamp, Canillo, Pas de la Casa
MUSIC
Saturday, 8th May at 20.30h and Sunday, 9th May at 18h at the Auditori Claror del Centre Cultural i de Congressos Lauredià, Sant Julià de Lòria. Gonzalo Roig’s zarzuela (Spanish operetta with songs and dialogue) Cecília Valdés. (Very few tickets left: but on sale from the auditorium or http://www.santjulia.ad/entrades . Price: 32€ normal or 27€ for those with Carnet Jove, Targeta Magna, aged under 18 or a friend of the Andorra Lírica Association. Duration 1h.45. No intermission.) The Story takes place in colonial Cuba in 1830. The young Creole, Cecília Valdés, is unaware of being the illegitimate daughter of the rich Spaniard Cándido de Gamboa. Leonardo is a recognized son of Candido and does not know of the existence of his half-sister Cecilia. The young people fall in love, become lovers and have a daughter.
Social pressures and family, however, put an end to this love and Leonardo leaves Cecília to marry the sophisticated Isabel Llincheta. The mulatto, José Dolores Pimienta, loves Cecília, but it is an unrequited love. Cecília asks her friend Pimienta to kill Isabel, who decides to stab Leonardo to death. Behind cheerful music, with Cuban rhythms and a great expressive beauty, with arias and ensembles such as the “sortida de Cecilia”, the “gran duo de Cecília i Leonardo”, “popopo” and other star moments, lies hidden a tragic story within the universe of the free whites, blacks and mulattoes of colonial Havana.
Thanks to the Ibero-American Summit the production includes the tenor, Andrés Sánchez from the Teatre Líric Nacional de Cuba, the Mexican stage director, Federico Figueroa and the Spanish bass baritone Néstor Pindando.
MUSICAL NOTES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May at 20h at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Meritxell, Canillo. (15€. Mandatory reservation at the La Llacuna Cultural Centre or by telephone at 830 060 and 323 674.) Jubilate Deo by Dan Forrest, sung by Els Petits Cantors from the Principality of Andorra & Chamber Choir Valls d’Andorra directed by Catherine Metayer with pianist Nicolas Licciardi. This exciting work, by the gifted composer Dan Forrest, is a seven-movement setting of Psalm 100. Inserted within the work are interjections of the text “Shout to the Lord, all ye lands!” in eight different languages including Chinese. Impressive. Watch this video by the Rivertree Singers.
Sunday, 16th May at 12h at the Andorra National Auditorium, Ordino. (Admission: €10 Ticket sales from 3rd May 3 at: www.onca.ad ) 28th Season Fundació ONCA 2021: SPRING
CONCERT: Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt on air
Participants: National Classical Orchestra of Andorra, Young National Chamber Orchestra of Andorra, director: Jordi Coll. Young National Company of Andorra: Elena Martin, Jana Sánchez and Laia Tarifa, actor: Oriol Guillem, dramaturgy and stage direction: Juanma Casero,
DANCE
Saturday, 8th May at 21.30h at the Sala de festes del Complex Esportiu i Sociocultural d’Encamp, Encamp. (12€. Tickets on sale from La Valireta, Encamp and at www.comuencamp.ad. For more information you can email [email protected]) The National Theatre Cycle with Caixa o faixa by Líquid Dansa. The stage, a box, an unknown content, many characters. Inside a box you can store shoes, jewellery, books, toys, photographs, memories … But a box can also be full of joys, hopes, envies, desires, doubts, laughter … If the box could talk, how many stories it could tell.
Choreography: Cia. Liquid Dance
Production: Cia. Liquid Dance
Dancers / performers: Verónica Pérez, Aina Pérez, Xavi Pérez, Dan Sampaio, Mònica Vega, Cristina Manyosas, Pauline Da Costa, Olga Da Cunha and Anna Frases
CINEMA
Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th May at 19.30h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Minamata directed by Andrew Levitas. Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Johnny Depp. The Story, based on true events: War photographer W. Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp who also produced the film) travels back to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of mercury poisoning in coastal communities. Minamata disease, is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning.
CHILDREN
CIRCUS: + NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday, 9th May ay 12h and 18h at the Party room of the Sports and Sociocultural Complex of Encamp, Encamp. (Tickets 9.50€ https://entradas.circoelite.com/janto/ for those over 3.) The Adventure of Romeo’, by the Elite Circus. The adventure of Romeo is the latest show by the circus company Emotiva Producciones, and is in Andorra until 30th May. A total of 19 functions, concentrated on weekends, in the afternoon and noon to give options to all types of public. The contemporary circus show based on the story of Romeo, a boy who aspires to be a great artist, consists of different artistic numbers that combine acrobatics, humour, imagination, excellent choreography and specially designed costumes for the occasion, which together with the scenery, music and lighting will surprise the viewer with its powerful staging.
The Story: ‘Romeo’s adventure: a story of emotions’ The protagonist of this unforgettable story is called Romeo. Born into a family of renowned artists, he has a dream: he would like to become a famous international showman so as not to disappoint his ancestors. He is surrounded by extraordinary people who will help him make his dream come true by demonstrating all his artistic skills, but his desperate desire to succeed will make him forget authentic values such as love and friendship, and he will find all the glory he so desperately sought after, but with an empty heart from not being able to share it with anyone who loves him.
Planned sessions:
May 9 at 12 noon and 18h
May 14 at 19:30h
May 15 at 16h and 19:30h
May 16 at 12h and 18h
May 21 at 19:30h
May 24 at 19:30h
May 28 at 19:30h
May 29 at 16h and 19:30h
May 30 at 12h and 16h
Saturday 8th at 11.15h,12.30h, 15.30h 16.45h & 18h and Sunday 9th May at 11.15h & 12.30h at the Thyssen Museum, Escaldes-Engordany. (Reservations at [email protected] or Tel: 800 800) This weekend is dedicated to a very special family activity: Art Made Jewellery in collaboration with Shiori Joyas. Families will be part of a fantastic story of a child, Miquel, who visits the exhibition Talents with a designation of origin and is inspired by one of the works to make a different kind of gift. In the workshop, everyone will be able to create a handmade necklace with different threads and coloured stones.
EXHIBITIONS:
Until Saturday, 22nd May at the Escaldes-Engordany Art Center, Escaldes-Engordany. Free. Pandores 20.21 Classical mythology attributes to Pandora the liberation from all the evils of the world by opening the box containing them. When he closed the container, the only thing left inside was hope. Despite the catastrophe, we must thank Pandora and her curiosity that hope is the last feeling we have left. Several artists in the country have uncovered the pandemic box to reflect on isolation, fear …, but also on the positive aspects that this exceptional situation is revealing to us. ‘Pandores 20.21’ is an exhibition that exhibits the works of: Mònica Armengol, Lluïsa Casas, Mayte Estévez (Vitriòlics), Carol Garrido, Sílvia Guillem, Maite Luque, Daniela Martins, Carme Massana, Antònia Miralles, Natàlia Montané, Fiona Morrison, Emma Regada and Yolanda Sanmarcos.
Activities around the exhibition:
• Saturday, 8th May 8 from 17 – 19h. Workshop with Yolanda Blanco. (From 14 years. Limited places, reservations on tel: 802 255 or [email protected]) Expressive collage: create and think in times of pandemic.
Until Tuesday, 25th May: Getaways at Art at the Set Caleria, Escaldes-Engordany.
Until Saturday, 19th June in the Espai Caldes, Escaldes-Engordany. (Free) Circus Papers: the Ramon Karoli ‘Collection.
An exhibition that pays homage to the world of circus by reviewing its history from posters, engravings, programmes, books, photographs and artists’ tools from the various circus disciplines: acrobatics, tightrope walking, trapeze, clowns and juggling. A collection that brings us closer to the evolution of the circus based on dissemination and advertising material: a broad overview of the arts of the ring. The show is the result of hours of work and effort to find exceptional pieces, small treasures that bear witness to the magic of the circus and capture the legacy of lives full of excitement and enthusiasm for the circus.Welcome to the biggest show in the world!
Until Sunday, 20th June at Encamp Communal Library, Encamp (Free) Bibliographic exhibition in the library of rare and curious books about Andorra.
Until Friday, 28th May at the Reig Factory Museum, Sant Julià de Lòria. (Free entrance) The school of the gardens of Juberri: projects of a workshop with Joan Fontcuberta. On the occasion of the exhibition ‘Kintsugi’ (recently closed), Joan Fontcuberta gave a workshop to thirteen specialists from various cultural fields of the country. Like a painter of the late nineteenth century, Fontcuberta spurred these creators to practice the art à plein air, to walk around and take advantage of the visual potential of one of the most unique of all Andorra’s offerings: the sculpture Gardens of Juberri.
Given the kitsch nature of the place, in which original works of art are combined with other pieces without any economic or artistic value, the proposal was an invitation crossed by the postmodern concept of hyperreality, which questions the credulity of the viewer and warns of the ability of images to supplant reality. As a result of this workshop, a complementary exhibition has been organized to present the projects created by the participants. Thirteen works that build a multifaceted game around truth and falsehood.
Participants:
Montserrat Altimiras
Eve Ariza
Ari B. Miró
Joana Baygual
Samantha Bosque
Laura Gàlvez
Helena Guàrdia
Esther Jover
Miquel Mercè
Emma Regada
Julien Rochedreux
Àlex Tena
Quim Torred
Until Wednesday, 30th June at the Comic Museum, Les Fontetes, La Massana. Exhibition: CINEMATECA by Edmond. The exhibition shows originals of the strips of great cinema titles under the comic filter of the cartoonist, Edmond, known in the cartoon world by his character Jan Europa. Museum opening hours: Tuesdays from 15h – 19h. Wednesdays from 10h – 14h. Thursdays and Fridays from 15h – 19h. Saturdays from 10h – 14h and from 15h – 19h.
Until Friday, 31st December at the MW Museum of Electricity, Encamp. (Registration: at + 376 739 111 or [email protected] )
Draw me ecology created by the association, Cartooning For Peace. The exhibition aims to open our eyes to the state of our planet and the consequences of our activity on areas such as biodiversity, health, pollution, etc.
The aim is to get the visitors to the exhibition involved and to convince them that ecology is drawn by each and every one of us.
With enriching content and an informal and direct tone, you will be able to discover cartoonists’ press drawings from all over the world.
Language: The original version is in French and there are comprehensive translations in Spanish and Catalan.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30h – 13.30h and from 15h – 18h. Sunday from 10h – 14h.
Until Sunday, 9th January, 2022 at the Thyssen Museum, Escaldes-Engordany. (For more information, go to Tel .: +376 800 800 https://museucarmenthyssenandorra.ad) Talents with denomination of origin: from Rigalt to Puigdengolas. The exhibition features a selection of paintings by Catalan artists that the Crèdit Andorrà art collection has been forging since 1989. Casas, Urgell, Mir and Meifrè are some of the protagonists of the show.
The exhibition is complemented by some works from the Carmen Thyssen collection shared by the author. Among the selected paintings, we will learn about the work of artists specializing in different types of landscape and portraiture, and other versatile people who reflect their expertise on canvas. The exhibition takes a look at the work of Catalan artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, painters whose development coincided or who created their own school. The selection of exhibited works aims to show the similarities and the divergences between Catalan painters of this period, both the most unique styles but also the affinities in their work. Thanks to the contribution of the Crèdit Andorrà art collection, the Carmen Thyssen Andorra Museum opens its doors to a new exhibition that collects paintings by the great Catalan masters that are part of the Andorran collection.
CONFERENCES
Geographies – The Silk Road.
From Wednesday 5th – Saturday, 15th May at The Era of Ordino. Geographies – The Silk Road. (Free: but registration is mandatory: Tel. 787 136 or [email protected]) Geographies is a project that presents cultures, countries, territories and spaces of knowledge through conferences and practical workshops, art exhibitions and free film screenings. This year Geographies shows the cultural and commercial legacy of the Silk Road.
Programme: all events are in Catalan and at 19h unless otherwise stated.
• Wednesday, 5th May – Conference
“The Silk Road. Economics and Politics”
• Thursday, 6th May – Conference
” Silk Road and Route of Ideas. Art, Culture and Thought from Rome to Shanghai ”
• Friday, 7th May – Conference
“Dialogue between India and China on the Silk Road”
• Saturday, 8th May – Conference
“Traveling in Women in Central Asia. What had not yet been explained. An approach to the knowledge of Central Asia from European travelers. ”
• Monday, 10th May at 20h – Workshop
“The carpet loom”
• Tuesday, 11th May – Conference
“The Taklamakan Desert and Foreign Explorers. The race to discover the hidden secrets of Central Asia. ”
• Wednesday, 12th May – Conference and screening
“Tibet: among yak herders and snow leopards.”
• Thursday, 13th May Audiovisual and talk
“From Georgia to Nepal by bike: a Silk Road on two wheels.”
• Friday, 14th May – Documentary screening
“The Desert of Forbidden Art”
• Saturday, 15th May at 11h – Workshop
” A taste of Iranian cuisine
Tuesday, 11th May at 18h at the Portal de la Vall, Andorra la Vella. (5€.) Talk on medicinal plants and their uses.
OTHER
Until Friday, 7th May at 20h for delivery of entries in the Encamp Bookmark Competition at the
Encamp Communal Library and Pas de la Casa Communal Library, Encamp. All people from the age of 5 who are residents of the parish of Encamp can take part. The categories are as follows:
* Benjamin: aged from 5 to 6
* Juvenile: aged from 7 to 10
* Children: aged from 11 to 14
* Youth: aged from 15 to 17
* Adults: aged from 18
Each participant can only submit one bookmark of their own original design from a free-themed bookmark competition. The dimensions must be 20 cm x 5 cm. Participants are free to choose the material for the bookmark. The design must include your name, surname, age, category and telephone number. If the material with which the bookmark is made does not allow the above data to be written in it, they can be placed in an envelope along with the bookmark. The awards ceremony will be on Wednesday, 12th May at 18h at the Encamp Communal Library. And on Thursday, 13th May at 18h at the Pas de la Casa Communal Library.
Prizes: The winners of each category will have their bookmark printed and receive a prize of books.
ORDINO CATTLE FAIR and Cultural Events.
(Advanced reservations needed for all shows: Phone 878 173.)
From Friday 7th to Sunday 9th May, from 10h –– 20h in the Tanada car park, Ordino. Ordino is reinstating their traditional Cattle Fair on the second weekend in May. There will be a National competition and auction of Andorran brown bulls plus a parish cattle competition with eight sections. In parallel, there will be a market of agricultural products and cultural activities, organized in collaboration with the Parc de les Tres Nacions.
• Saturday 8th and Sunday, 9th May from 10h to 20h in the Jardins de la Casa Pairal, Carrer dels Coms, and La Buna room. Craft and agri-food products market
• Friday 7th and Saturday, 8th May from 10h – 20h and on Sunday 9th from 10h – 18h at the Casa Rossell. Exhibition Tools from the past: the past that becomes present.
• On Saturday 8th May at 10.30h in the Cattle enclosure in Tanada car park, Ordino. Demonstration of sheep shearing (Duration 3 hours)
• Until 15th May in Ordino old town: Traveling exhibition The flora of the Pyrenees.
• Saturday 8th May at 18h in the Jardins (gardens) of Casa Rossell: Folk music concert with Duet Daura
• Saturday 8th and Sunday, 9th May at 12h at Prat de Call a performance by the folkdance group l’Esbart Valls del Nord.
• Saturday 8th May at 17h at the Prat de Call, a concert with the Accordionists of the Pyrenees (Alt Urgell)
• Saturday 8th May at 20h in the Plaça Major, concert with Els Pali.
• Sunday, 9th May at 17h at the Pati Casa Rossell. A Concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Höte – Cie Jean-Paul Raffit Promenades & Variations.
Saturday, 8th May at 11h in the Casa d’Areny-Plandolit Museum, Ordino. (5€. Limited places. Reservations [email protected] Tel: +376 836 908 or Advance ticket sales at: Casa-Areny-Plandolit Museum [Friday, Saturday and Sunday], Casa de la Vall, Espai Columba.) Workshop: Three colours of Andorra. The company Botànica in collaboration with the Area of Museums and Monuments present a workshop on the production of natural dyes. We will learn how to extract colours from the same plant to dye organic fabrics. We will work with three plants we have in our environment – tobacco, onion and chamomile – and discuss the benefits of this practice for the preservation of the environment.
Saturday, 8th May at 10h at the Portal de la Vall, Andorra la Vella. (5€ Reservations ring 823 000) Basketry workshop led by Júlia de “Maitiris” in which we will learn how to make a wicker basket. A workshop for all audiences (children over 10 years).
Culturally yours,
Clare.
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Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
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Look here for the whole blog “Cultural events in Andorra with Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
