Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Embassy present a week of music and dance at CCP

MANILA, Philippines - Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) present back-to-back cultural offerings at the CCP from June 11 to 15 titled “Sonidos de España: Spanish Festival at the CCP.” Lovers of music and dance will be treated to live acts all the way from Spain starting off with “The Unending Passion of the Zarzuela” on June 11 and “De Dolores” (a flamenco show) on June 14 and 15. All shows will be held at 8 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater.                                                           

“The Unending Passion of the Zarzuela” (June 11) is a collection of zarzuela pieces to be performed by Spanish tenor Enrique Viana and pianist Daniel Oyarzábal alongside a running commentary and several anecdotes on this lyrical genre stemming from the 19th and 20th century. This recital will run the audience through the zarzuela composed of seven romantic arias and several fantasias on the piano featuring some of its most celebrated pieces interpreted by two of Spain’s most celebrated musicians of today.

Enrique Viana (Madrid, Spain) is a tenor who has completed his studies in some of the most distinguished musical conservatories in Barcelona, Milan, Siena, Rome and Paris. He specializes in bel canto repertory as well as in French operatic arias. Viana will be accompanied by Spanish pianist Daniel Oyarzábal (Vitoria, Spain) who is an accomplished musician trained at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna.

This will not be the first time that Viana is performing in Manila and he believes that there is something special about the zarzuela that Filipinos, in particular, will come to appreciate. Viana explains, “Between our two countries, there are many ties that link us especially in the area of culture. The two times that I have been to the Philippines to perform, I took the chance to look for recordings of Filipino singers of the 20th century and observed that there exists a common love for melody between Spanish and Filipino music then. The zarzuela has a lot of melodies and turns, and rhythm that have a distinct manner of making its way to the heart, much as I have found it to be in the case of Filipino music.”

Following a successful one-night performance at the RCBC Plaza last November, flamenco dancer Eduardo Guerrero will be back in the Philippines again to perform his very first solo creation entitled “De Dolores.” He is accompanied by guitarist Javier Ibañez and singer Manuel Soto. His first-ever solo creation is dedicated to his grandmother, who serves as an inspiration to this Cadiz-born dancer. “Among my first memories of flamenco, I cannot forget the palos which got me started dancing… And even more inevitable is to remember the person who raised me, who introduced me to this art, who gave me my first boots to dance, who came with me wherever I performed, the person who trusted in me…”

Tickets to “De Dolores” are P600 each. For ticket inquiries and reservations, call the CCP ticket office at 832-1125 loc. 1409 or 832-3704. Entrance to “The Unending Passion of the Zarzuela” is free with prior reservation. For ticket inquiries and reservations, call the CCP ticket office at 832-1125 loc. 1601 or Instituto Cervantes at 526-1482 loc. 115.  

“Sonidos de España: Spanish Festival at the CCP” is organized by the Instituto Cervantes and the Embassy of Spain in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Bench.