Double Performance with Leonor Leal, Antonio Moreno, Juan Giménez and David Lagos & Alfredo Lagos

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Image courtesy of Grec Festival de Barcelona.

A unique flamenco dancer and two leading figures of contemporary toque and cante come together on the first night of the flamenco festival in Nou Barris.

The opening day of Desvarío in Nou Barris includes two concerts, although it could be argued that it’s actually a single concert in two parts, since the five performers involved take part in both. The theme explored is conceptually Lorca-inspired and stems from the project Martinicos, organized by the CCCB as part of 2025 Grec, as part of Didi-Huberman’s In the Troubled Air, exhibition. The program draws on the idea of duende that García Lorca referred to in the lecture he gave in Buenos Aires in 1933. Leonor Leal approaches it through the body, while David Lagos works with it by engaging with the work of poets from Lorca’s times, including Rafael Alberti and Miguel Hernández.

However, this is a living, evolving piece, meaning that the version presented at Desvarío, it will not be the same as the version seen at the CCCB, nor will it be the same when it is performed again in the future. In this case, the title of the piece refers to a poem that Lorca includes in that same 1933 lecture, exploring with duende’s fascination with death:

Si tú eres mi linda amiga / ¿por qué no me miras?, di / Ojos con que te miraba / a la sombra se los di… [If you are my dear friend / why don’t you look at me, tell me? / The eyes I used to look at you / I gave them to the shadows…]

Leonor Leal was born in Jerez de la Frontera. She trained in classical ballet and Spanish dance before finding flamenco to be the ideal vehicle for developing her talent, and has been part of major flamenco companies. In 2008 she premiered her first solo work, Leoleolé, and, after encountering contemporary dance, began a career that has led her to create choreographies such as Nocturno (2018), En talleres (2019), and Loxa. Estampas y bailes a partir de los experimentos radiofónicos de Juan de Loxa (2020).

Antonio Moreno is an eclectic musician who brings together flamenco tradition with an academic background and contemporary music experimentation. He performs at major festivals worldwide with artists such as Israel Galván, Fernando Terremoto, Leonor Leal, Juan José Amador, Rocío Márquez, Tomás de Perrate, David Lagos and Rafael de Utrera, among others. He is currently touring with the flamenco dancer Leonor Leal in the piece En Talleres, and, as part of a trio with guitarist Alfredo Lagos, in Nocturno. He and Juan Giménez make up Proyecto Lorca. Giménez is a performer, creator and improviser working with saxophone, traditional wind instruments and electronics.

Brothers David and Alfredo Lagos will be joining Leal and Proyecto Lorca. Alfredo is a clear exponent of a generation of flamenco guitarists who have achieved a rich synthesis between classical playing and the new harmonic developments of the guitar over the past thirty years. His brother, David Lagos, is what is known as an “encyclopaedic cantaor,” meaning he masters a wide range of styles and ways of singing. 

Sounds of the City: Summer Music Festivals

What are your plans for summer? If you’re staying in the city, you won’t be alone. Barcelona is becoming a go-to destination for festival lovers, given Catalunya’s covetable combination of culture, great weather and an increasingly diverse concert circuit. So if you’re looking to expand your horizons while staying put this season, check out our article Sounds of the City: Summer Music Festivals for a summary of the summer music events taking place in Barcelona, from big-name gatherings to boutique takeovers.

For more music events check our online events calendar.