Unicaja Banco wants to show its support to flamenco by collaborating, as main sponsor, in the development of the Milnoff festival which, in its first edition, will gather in Granada more than 30 top level national artists. For that purpose, the bank has signed an agreement under which it commits to promote this event.
Initially scheduled to be held in June, the organization has decided to postpone the festival due to the state of alarm caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The new date will be determined soon and will be published in all the festival’s official channels.
Around 60% of the festival programme, promoted by Pepe Luis Carmona ‘Habichuela’ and Santiago Benavides, will be free and will take place in the main squares and art and social centres of Granada.
Milnoff intends to provide Granada with a top level cultural event joining all the flamenco disciplines: cante (singing), baile (dance), guitar and other artistic expressions. The goal is to maintain the city as a reference in the flamenco new trends and culture, both at a national and international level.
Unicaja Banco wants to contribute to promote culture in general and flamenco -Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity- in particular, as well as to increase the visibility of the city of Granada.
Día Morente
Some of the artists that will participate in this event are the three Morente siblings, Curro Albaicín, Farruquito, Juan Andrés Maya, Eva Yerbabuena, Tomatito or Pepe Luis Carmona 'Habichuela'. One of the activities sponsored by Unicaja Banco is the so called ‘Día Morente’ (Morente Day).
The goal of the two promoters of this festival, inspired by the First Contest of Cante Jondo (Flamenco Singing) that artists such as Lorca, Zuloaga or Falla promoted in the Patio de los Aljibes in 1922, is to connect society to flamenco and to show it in all its expressions for flamenco to be a reference in the international artistic universe.
Milnoff Programme
With regard to the programme, the cantaor Pepe Luis Carmona 'Habichuela' will premiere, exclusively for Milnoff, a show where his cante will be accompanied by the Ciudad de Granada Orchestra and by the Granada Chamber Choir, as well as by his usual music band.
Curro Albaicín will feature as guest artist. The show, created an directed by Pepe Luis Carmona 'Habichuela' is called 'Imparadisum', as a tribute to his father Luis Habichuela.
The musical section of the festival will take place in three main scenarios, which will offer alternatives for all kind of audiences and throughout the day. The Bib-Rambla and Pasiega squares and the Paseo de los Tristes will gather 15 artists, most of them from Granada, which will cover all the flamenco disciplines: toque (musicians), cante (singing) and baile (dance).
Additionally, the festival includes talks and a flamenco film-forum. The festival will end with a tribute to the flamenco dance zambra from El Sacromonte, with which Milnoff joins the request leaded by Granada for it to be recognized as Heritage of Humanity.
Unicaja Banco is committed to Granada and to the promotion of the sectors driving the cultural, economic and employment development of the province. In this sense, the bank is also the official sponsor of the sky and mountain resort of Sierra Nevada, and of events such as the mountain race Ultra Sierra Nevada.
