Inaugural Mediterranean Roots Festival to Be Held in Valencia, Spain, October 29-30

The Berklee Mediterranean Music Institute (MMI) and Berklee’s Valencia, Spain, campus join forces to create the the first Mediterranean Roots Festival (Festival Raíces del Mediterráneo), a two-day event celebrating the musical heritage of the Mediterranean area, its influences, and fusions.

Under the musical direction of Javier Limón and Matthew Nicholl, the festival will feature several Mediterranean music styles, with a variety of renowned performers in these musical traditions and unusual combinations with other genres. The concerts will take place on October 29 and 30, at the Theatre Sala Martin i Soler in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain.

Bringing Awareness to Gender Equality

For the first concert on October 29, the Mediterranean Roots Festival will join the HeForShe campaign, a worldwide solidarity movement that seeks to engage men and boys as advocates and agents of change in favor of gender equality. The campaign is sponsored by UN Women, a United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Through the power of music, the MMI will further this cause through the concert: a commitment to bringing consciousness and awareness to gender equality as not only a women’s issue, but also a human rights issue that needs to be addressed at all levels; to empowering women; and to acting against any form of discrimination or violence.

The concert will feature Mexican singer and United Nations spokeswoman Magos Herrera, the Berklee Mediterranean Ensemble, and Valencian alto saxophonist Perico Sambeat for a night of Mediterranean jazz. HeForShe representatives will also be in attendance.

Honoring a Flamenco Legend

On October 30, the festival will offer a tribute concert honoring the late Paco de Lucía, one of the world’s greatest guitarists, whose musical legacy has influenced generations of musicians all over the world. The concert will feature flute and saxophone player Jorge Pardo, one of flamenco's most innovative instrumentalists and a longtime member of de Lucía's Sextet, and composer and vocalist Pepe de Lucía, a living legend in the flamenco world. Along with his brother, Paco de Lucía, he is considered to be one of the greatest flamenco musicians of all time. Accompanying the band will be flamenco singer Genara Cortés, flamenco guitarist Antonio Sanchez, and percussionist José Manuel Ruíz Motos “Bandolero.” A group of students will also join the stage to perform with Pardo.

This concert is made possible with the collaboration of Universal Music Spain, El País, and Casa Limón with the Paco de Lucía Tribute album, Entre20Aguas.

This concert will mark the finale in a series of MMI events commemorating de Lucía and his musical legacy throughout the year. On April 8, the MMI spring concert at the Berklee Performance Center will feature guest artist Antonio Serrano.