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
PICK OF THE WEEK: Monday, 14th – Sunday, 20th January, 2019
MUSIC
Monday, 14th January at 22h at Hotel Màgic, La Massana. (Free). Vibrand Concert in Clau de Soul. On Mondays the week starts with the best vibrations, with live music and with the songs you like to sing!
We are waiting for you to enjoy a concert that is born of soul and goes through different styles such as funky, bag, jazz, reggae trip hop …, from the successes of current and evergreen performers such as Jamiroquai, Sting, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, Joss Stone, Adele and Tom Jobim, Toquinho,
among others.
Friday, 18th January at 20.30h at The Village Tapas and Wine, Soldeu. (Free) Concert of the band Shuffle Express. A traditional and contemporary blues night in different styles (swing, rock, shuffle, calypso …) versions of artists such as BB King, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Joe Bonamassa, Susan Tedeschi and Jr. Watson, among others, with some compositions of the band. Musicians: Pablo Villar (vocals and guitar); Virginia Yañez (keyboard and vocals); Marc Milian (bass and sound); Dante Falótico (percussion).
Friday, 18th January at 22h at Hard Rock Cafe, Andorra la Vella. Live Music with Sin Noticias de Alicia. A live concert of Sabadell’s pop-rock band.
Friday, 18th January at 23h at the cafè teatre La Fada Ignorant, Andorra la Vella. Concerts at La Fada: Oscárboles returns. And at 13h at La Puça bookshop, Historic Centre, Andorra la Vella. Vermouth Musical.
Saturday, 19th January at 21.30h at the National Auditorium, Ordino. (Full ticket: 8 €; with restricted view: – i.e. from the balconies or behind the stage 5 €; Carnet jove: 15% discount with advanced booking from Illa Carlemany).
National Auditorium 2019 Season: Els Pali – Mi plano privado. (My Private Plane) The Andorran fusion band, Els Pali, presents their first studio album, Mi plano privado , in the National Auditorium. An eclectic album with ten songs that are born from the voice and guitar of Miguel Palacios, and that fuses flamenco and rumba with pop, funk,
reggae and rock. My private plane is a particular way of seeing, living and understanding the world that surrounds us from a personal and intimate perspective.
Songs that are born from inside, from everything that goes to our interior and that flows like an explosion of colours and musical stamps, with poetic verses and an intense and torn voice that
is difficult to forget. On this special occasion, the original trio formed by Miguel Palacios, David Amat and Toni Fernàndez will be accompanied by musicians and artists from the country, including the dancer Valeria Aguilar, and students from the Superior School of the Barcelona Music Workshop. We can also enjoy an advance performance of new songs that are on their way to being recorded and that will be part of the band’s future discography. Els Pali promise a vibrant concert with some surprise …
Musicians: Miguel Palacios (vocals and guitar);
Toni Fernàndez (electric guitar and bass);
David Amat (alto saxophone and flute);
Jesús Real (tenor sax);
Kike Pérez (percussion);
Sabela Simon (vocals);
Manolito (Spanish guitar);
Manel Maynlich (double bass);
Genís Riera (percussion);
Valeria Aguilar (dancing).
Saturday, 19th January at 23h at the cafè teatre La Fada Ignorant, Andorra la Vella. Concerts at La Fada: with the band Depop celebrating La Fada’s 11th anniversary.
Sunday, 20th January at 12h in the parish church, Ordino. (10€ from +376 87 81 73). Ordino Clàssic:
Dessemblances (Differences). Young emerging artists Carolina Bartumeu (cello) and Silvia Nogales (guitar)
DANCE
Saturday, 19th January at 23h at the Prat del Roure, Escaldes-Engordany. (7€. Free to members) An Evening of ballroom dancing organized by the Balland Association, with live music with the group Paris La Nuit. The activity is open to everyone.
FESTIVALS OF ENCANTS & ESCUDELLA OF SANT ANTONI
(See more information in last week’s Cultural Events and at the bottom of this one.)
LA MASSANA: Thursday, 17th January (the official day of the parish’s patron saint, Sant Antoni,) starting at 11h. Mass at the little Chapel of Sant Antoni de la Grella just below the road up to the Sant Antoni Tunnel. (There will be big lines of cars parked at the side of the road.)
12h Encants charity auction of meats and cakes in the Plaça de les Fontetes followed at 13h (Free) by the Escudella of Sant Antoni, a magnificent stew cooked in giant cauldrons over wood fires as described in last week’s update. Don’t forget to either bring a bowl and spoon or else buy this year’s attractive commemorative soup bowl available on
site. Followed by the participation of the folkdance group Esbart Dansaire Valls del Nord.
ESCALDES-ENGORDANY. Wednesday, 17th January at 13h in the Plaça dels Dos Valires, Escaldes-Engordany. (10€). Celebration of the Sant Antoni Escudella stew organised by the Associació dels Amics del Pont dels Escalls. An act that brings together hundreds of citizens to taste this dish typical of Andorra and Catalunya.
PAS DE LA CASA: Sunday, 20th January at 13h in the Plaça de l’Església. (8€) Escudella stew of Sant Antoni.
CINEMA
Monday 14th – Thursday, 18th January at 20h at Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Encordany. Le Grand Bain (a comedy in French). Directed by Gilles Lellouche. Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Guillaume Canet, Benoît Poelvoorde. The Story: It is in the corridors of their municipal swimming pool that Bertrand, Marcus, Simon, Laurent, Thierry and the others train under the authority of Delphine, former queen of the pool. Together, they feel free and helpful.
They will put all their energy into a discipline previously owned by women (synchronized swimming). So, yes it’s a weird idea, but this challenge will allow them to find meaning in their lives…
Thursday, 17th January at 20.15h at Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Encordany. Mlle de Joncquières (In French) Directed by Emmanuel Mouret. Starring: Cécile de France, Edouard Baer, Alice Isaaz. Fooled by a notorious libertine, a widow plans her revenge. Based on a book by Diderot, it is a well played costume drama.
Thursday, 17th January at 21h at the National Auditorium, Ordino (Free). First screening of the Film and Mountain Cycle 2019: A Land Shaped by Women. (In English) It is the first film directed by Anne-Flore Marxer. It records the journey into Iceland by two female world champion freeride snowboarders. (They’re the ones that throw themselves off mountain ridges with breath-taking skill and courage…).
Anne-Flore Marxer and Aline Bock explore the island by van, in the middle of winter, across wonderful landscapes and sometimes beneath boreal auroras in order to practice their favourite outdoor sport: splitboarding. A split board is a snowboard that can be split in two and, with ‘skins’ stuck to the bottom, convert into ‘cross-country’ skis for
climbing up hill before being re-attached for the fun ride down. They also go surfing in Iceland’s freezing cold waters! The project is to discover and to dive into the Icelandic female mindset by immersing themselves in a new genre of adventures. This trip, a true odyssey, reflects on the current feminine condition and its social problems. Do
take a look at this clip.
CHILDREN
Thursday, 17th January, at 18h in the Public Library of Pas de la Casa (Free. An activity for children). Escudella a la Biblioteca (Stew at the library). A Culinary workshop. We will teach children how to prepare a good escudella and explain the origin of the Andorran tradition of preparing this popular meal in all the parishes. We will give
them the recipe and show them the ingredients that are used to make it. The event includes an Andorran sausage tasting. The activity is the lead up to the popular Sant Antoni escudella that will be held on the 20th January, in the Plaça de l’Església del Pas de la Casa.
Culturally yours,
Clare.
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Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
