Mario Reyes brings up gypsy music at the Bahrain International Music Festival

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Back in 1987, when the Gipsy Kings made headlines with their self-titled third album, featuring the hits ‘Bamboleo’ and ‘Djobi Djoba’, people called them gods on guitars.

Their sound, called flamenco rumba, went on to light up dance floors with the craze continuing to flare up like wildfire.

Immersing Bahrain yesterday in that charming Spanish flamenco was one of the Reyes brothers, Mario Reyes.

The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) is celebrating the annual Bahrain International Music Festival under the slogan ‘Dilmun: Land of Density’ from October 22 to 31.  The 29th edition of this festival combines the artistry of creative minds from all around the globe, showcasing different musical styles, genres, folk arts and more. 

When Mario’s magical fingers speeded up and down the strings, it unleashed the captivating beauty of the music for which the band is always known.

He presented the most famous gypsy songs “Bamboleo”, “Bim Bim Maria”, “Folari”, “Alegria”, “Paella Mai”, “Djobi Djoba” and others.

The performance at the Qal’at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort) car park, amid Covid-19 situation, was enjoyed by a lucky few staying within the bounds of their parked cars.

However, many thousands enjoyed the same from the comfort of their homes through the Authority’s “CultureBah” YouTube channel.

Performance of Mohammed bin Faris Band is the next in line. The traditional folklore style performance will happen on Tuesday at Bahrain Fort Site Museum. Entry is free.

Music fans will have to watch the festival’s musical shows, to start at 8pm, from their cars, and listen to them from their radios (FM 98.4). A maximum of four people will be allowed in one car. They will also be required to stay in their cars, respect distancing between cars, and wear masks should they speak to the organisers. The concerts will also be broadcast live on two radio waves (98.4 FM) and (95 FM) and on BACA’s YouTube channel. They will also be recorded and broadcast later on Bahrain TV.

The festival features a variety of events, including musical evenings and concerts from countries around the world, in addition to specialised workshops hosted by the Flexible Theatre at the Bahrain National Theatre between October 25 and 28.

Café Lilou is participating in this year’s edition, by offering a special and exclusive menus that include a variety of delicious food and drinks that are compatible with the diversity of the festival, and are inspired by those cultures and musical styles.

The Kingdom of Bahrain offers the perfect environment to nurture both the social and cultural movements in Bahrain, with a range of activities and multi-cultural events prepared on the regional and international scale. BACA seeks to provide a unique experience for music fans in Bahrain, while giving top priority to the safety of everyone through commitment to the precautionary measures enforced by the kingdom to combat the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).