MUSIC, FERIAS & CRAFTS
by Dory Shakiba

Music
Music is one of the most interesting Andalucian cultural manifestations. It requires a long time to get to know the different kinds of Cante (typical Andalusian way of singing) in depth, but the traveller can initiate himself in this art by attending Flamenco festivals and contests, which are held at the popular celebrations in many places on the Costa del Sol.
By way of orientation, there are cantes without a guitar; cantes accompanied by string instruments and cantes por alegrias, i.e. for dancing. The saeta is probably the easiest for the non-Spanish to listen to, by attending the Holy Week processions one can listen to this dramatic variety. Especially outstanding among the cantes with a guitar are la petenera, las soleares, la seguiriya, la rondeña and las serranas. The most common dances are the sevillanas, the fandangos, the rumba and the malagueña. The Muslim heritage is evident in all of them.
Apart from that the Province of Malaga has the Verdiales, a kind of fandango performed by groups where the melodyis played by a violin.

The Feria
In the most important coastal cities and towns and their surroundings, such as Malaga, Granada, Antequera, Ronda, Algeciras and La Linea, bullfights are organised at the time of the fair, i.e. traditionally during the patron saint celebrations. They tend to attract the best bullfighters of the moment. In addition, bullfights and mock bullfights or capeas take place in Marbella, Torremolinos and other places. It is even possible to attend a bullfighting school.

Crafts
In tourist centres on the coast there are shops selling hand made objects typical of Andalucia and also of other Spanish regions. However, those who love rare items will have to travel inland to discover a product that is still full of life and preserves its most genuine features.
Esparto grass, plaited strands of the same and palmetto are mainly used in the villages of Granada Alpujarra, in Ronda, Antequera, Velez-Malaga and Ojen (Malaga). Wrought iron is still produced in Ronda with the traditional techniques and designs. Leather, on the other hand is worked by hand in Ubrique (Cadiz), and the modest tin objects, mainly lanterns and lamps, come from Velez-Malaga.
Embroidery is easily found in Mijas, but also in Velez Malaga, where items for liturgical use are still produced with silk reliefs.
The Grazalema blankets are still of the kind that warmed the legendary bandits of the Ronda Mountains.
Pottery and ceramics, finally, are perhaps the Andalusian crafts most firmly rooted in Moorish traditions. The chinaware produced in Granada with almost invariable fruit decoration in the coat of arms of the city as well as the less known pots and pans from Coin (Malaga) are always a purchase of quality.

REACH FOR THE STARS
In Aid of Cudeca - Raise the Roof Campaign 2001

Club Miraflores was once again asked to host the very popular 'Reach for the Stars' final competition in support of Cudeca's Raise the Roof Campaign 2001.

Vicente and his team of staff worked extremely hard on the day setting all the terraces for the dinner guests, 250 in total together with 200 joining us for drinks. The whole effect looked spectacular.

Then who would have thought that on a warm August evening the rain would start. The first shower was at around
5 o'clock, and the waiters had to clear all the tables and replace everything. Our guests started to arrive and settle down to begin their meal, when there came another downpour. So once again the waiters had another change over to do, and worked splendidly.

Our spirits were not dampened and everybody settled down to enjoy a fantastic evening of live entertainment.

Each contestant performed two songs and the standard was very high. One of the contestants was Steve Ord who works at Miraflores and he delighted the crowd with his Elvis Presley impersonation.

During the evening we held an auction of various donated items and a grand raffle took place.

The party carried on under dry skies until the early hours, and once again another unforgettable successful evening here at Miraflores.

The amount raised on the evening
3 million pesetas. WELL DONE !!!!!!

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