Xàbia premieres ‘Arenal Blues’ a new music festival for 2023
Graham Foster and Los Fabulosos Blueshakers form part of the acts selected by the new cultural association Xàblues
Tuesday 15th November 2022 · Mike Smith
Source: Ajuntament de Xàbia
A new music festival will debut in 2023 as Xàbia’s cultural calendar expands to offer styles for all tastes. In March, the first edition of ‘Arenal Blues’ will be held on the Paseo del Tenista David Ferrer, right next to the Arenal beach, and which will headline the guitarist Graham Foster and Valencian band ‘Los Fabulosos Blueshakers’.
The councillor responsible for Culture, Quico Moragues, was on hand to launch the new festival in the company Guillermo Cardono and José Melero from a new association called ‘Xàblues’ which has been formed to promote the blues genre in the Marina Alta, giving prominence to the “zero kilometre” musicians on the region.
The Arenal Blues festival will be taking place over the weekend on Friday 17th March to Sunday 19th March – the San José holiday weekend – and will be headlined by guitarist Graham Foster, a musician who was discovered by Elton John and who has played the likes of Etta James and bands as iconic bands as Oasis and M-Clan, and who now lives in the area.
He will be joined by “Los Fabulosos Blueshakers”, a Valencian group with a very fun repertoire that moves between Chicago blues and rhythm and blues and the line-up will be completed by three other bands linked to the Marina Alta, ‘Georgie & The Fire Lights’ (made up of teachers from the SiFaSol academy in Benissa), the ‘Altea Blues Quartet’ led by guitarist German Elul and which features harmonica player Danny Boy, and, ‘Tamy & The Sweet Band’, a young band from Dénia and Xàbia that ranges from funk and soul to rock and blues.
There will be a small preview concert on Saturday 10th December at 12 noon which will consist of a jam session with ‘Altea Blues’, taking place in the area close to the Las Olas ice cream parlour on the Paseo del Tenista David Ferrer.
As for the festival concerts, they will take place outside the Octopus Bar on the afternoon of Friday 17th March, outside the La Fontana restaurant late night on Saturday 18th March, and at the southern end of the promenade at noon on Sunday 19th March.
Original Article: Xàbia estrena el “Arenal Blues”, un nuevo festival que se celebrará en el paseo David Ferrer durante el puente de Sant Josep
