Nature Calling

As summer kicks off, we are eagerly planning the cultural season’s opening in September. I'm happy to share details about the upcoming CAN REON Festival, now in its second edition. We’ve made a significant move: the festival will now span over two days instead of one, offering a double dose of everything you love. it all happens on the Can REON grounds in the hills of Tiana (10 km from Barcelona) with its vineyards and wild landscape with stunning views on the Mediterranean. Late September the weather will still be nice, the ideal temperature for an open-air festival in a very intimate setting as we are limited to a maximum of 300 people in this natural environment. 

This year, we delve deeper into the fusion of tradition and digital innovation. In our fast-paced digital world, it's fascinating to explore how we can blend new technologies with age-old traditions to reflect the times we live in. Our festival will showcase traditional themes intertwined with cutting-edge digital works, where art, food, play, and performance come together in nature. 

Here a glimpse on a program full of contrasts:  

Debuting on our festival is IO (Organic Intelligence), a new band, brought together by Catalan percussionist Aleix Tobias, who is known from working with Marco Mezquida and Momi Maiga. Members of this group come from Spain, Senegal and Mexico. They will bring several music genres together: Flamengo, jazz, the traditional music of the Iberian Peninsula, West Africa and Latin America.

Powerhouse Clara Peya is another headliner.  She is considered one of the most important pianists of Catalunya. Clara Peya is celebrating imperfection as a tool for change. Her new work revolves around the violence she thinks  is implicit in the concept of perfection.

Perhaps the most unexpected fusion between tradition and digital innovation will be presented by Barcelona based Gregotechno.  Marc Vilajuana, Alejandro Narès and Xavier Arqué promise a “festive transcendence”, created by the repetition of Gregorian chanting, the cyclical pulses of electronic music and visuals of the dynamic structures of the microcosmos.

The festival will also feature the electronic music duo B1N0 (pronounce Bino) which combines all kinds of instruments with the sounds produced by different everyday objects and we will have Chapman stick performer Jero Castellà.

But it’s not just about the music. The festival will also feature dance, food, art and other unique experiences, such as the a silent meal in the woods and tasting our first harvested wine. All these experiences which are still work in progress,  I'll share in my next newsletter.

If you’re interested, tickets are available here. Stay tuned for more updates, or visit our website www.canreon.com for an early look. Tip: Combine our festival with a visit to Manifesta Barcelona. 

Image: Image: Maurice Scheltens and Bertjan Pot