Maranya Festival 2019
I have sent the last number of months co-organising the first edition of Maranya Festival – an eco-festival on the last weekend of May in the Northern part of Spain’s diverse and giving landscape.
In keeping with the festival’s slogan, we really did hope it would be an ecological experience to learn, have fun and connect, and looking back on the weekend, we feel that we achieved exactly that. The crowd was a proper conglomerate of people, with plenty of urban-dwellers flocking in from the likes of Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid and Valencia mixing with the locals from the nearby villages. The hundred or so attendees gave and attended workshops under the warm Matarraña sun in the beautiful Mayjal Bioescuela. These ranged from insightful discussions such as “Feminism For Our Boys”, to Beatrice’s “Interactive Concert of Medicinal Songs” successfully getting everyone on their feet and marching round a geodesic dome.
The setting of the sun saw everyone retreat from the Bioescuela back down to the campsite, and allowed for the night activities to commence. Maranya’s musical line-up was largely electronic. The majority of the artists had made their way to Fuentespalda (which I was informed by a local rocks a 180-strong population during the springtime) from the cosmopolitan Barcelona, with artists such as Zonzo and No-Me regularly hosting events in well-known clubs and bars such as Razzmatazz and Metric Market.
A lot of talent was present at the Maranya dance floor. Both nights saw CDJs and turntables getting an outing, with vinyl-only sets making a much-welcomed appearance. If my memory serves me well, Saturday night continued well beyond 4:00am, with the power couple No-Me closing the stage with a smooth live electronic performance. However, it was a different live double act that took the title of musical performance of the weekend in my eyes. The French duo Odiwan Freenobi, sampling live sounds throughout the set (including their own hand claps), worked their sequencers and other pieces of electronic equipment far too alien to me to start naming, to musical perfection. Then, just as I managed to sneak away from behind the bar and make it to the vibing yet attentive dance floor to fully experience the performance, they called a Malagueña to stage. Anyone who suggests that a voice is not a “proper instrument” would have from then on no doubt accepted defeat and changed their perceptions for good as her southern accent pierced through the electronic beats in a collaboration that just worked.
Managing a festival is a bit like being at your own house party. Fun was abundant, but so was the sense of responsibility. I learnt a lot about the logistics behind festivals, and managed to note down a new artist or two who I will definitely be following up. And, who knows, Charles and I may be bracing the stage next year to show off our musical tastes. Maranya Festival – an ecological experience to learn, have fun and connect, all while enjoying some sincere electronic music, delivered by some sincere people.
