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ENTERTAINMENT

What’s on in Sweden: May 9 – 15

What's on this week in Sweden: English-language theatre in Stockholm, world famous DJ in Gothenburg, fair trade in Malmö.

Published: 8 May 2008 16:53 CEST

STOCKHOLM

Flogging Molly

Since their debut in 1997, Flogging Molly have released four albums and sold a million records in the US alone. The Irish-American band are back in Sweden this weekend as part of their European tour.

Age: 13 (noise level limit regulations)

Location: Restaurang Tyrol, Lilla Allmänna grand 2.

Time: Friday, May 9th, 5.30pm

Phone: 08- 670 76 65

Tickets: Ticnet

Clare Strand

British artist Clare Strand has based her current exhibition on her childhood experiences. Her photographs are both thought-provoking and beautiful. There are two new series in this exhibition called “The Betterment Room – Devices for Measuring Achievement” and “Unseen Agents.”

Location: Fotografinshus, Smålandsgatan 7

Time: Friday, May 9th, 12pm-4pm

Phone: 08- 611 69 69

Tickets: www.fotografinshus.se

Urban Dance

For one week, Dansens Hus is focused on urban dance style. There will be dance battles, performances and films choreographed by dancers from around the world.

Price: 200 kronor

Location: Dansens Hus, Barnhusgatan 12-14.

Time: Friday, May 9th, 7pm

…and continuing

Phone: 08- 508 990 90

More information and tickets: [email protected]

International Theatre Festical

The International Theatre Festival comes to Stockholm for the first time since it’s foundation over 30 years ago. Amateur theatre companies from around Europe will compete in English for Best Production, Best Actor and Best Actress tiles.

Location: Dieselverkstaden, Marcusplatsen 17, Sickla.

Times: May 9th-12th 7.30pm

Phone: 08- 718 82 90

More information: www.dieselverkstaden.se

Southern Rock Night

A music festival celebrating Southern American rock and presenting both Swedish and international artists including Flatman (DE) and Voodoo Beans (SE).

Price: 100 kronor

Location: Tantogården, Ringvägen 24.

Times: Saturday, May 10th, 6pm-1am

Phone: 08- 720 12 30

More information: www.tantogarden.nu

GOTHENBURG

Hed Kandi

The world famous DJ Hed Kandi comes for the first time to Gothenburg. Other DJ’s will be flown in from London in order to create the perfect Hed Kandi atmosphere.

Age: 18

Price: 200 kronor (160 kronor on Ticnet)

Location: Trädgår’n.

Time: Friday, May 9th, 11pm-4am

Tickets: Ticnet

Grymt

A rock and pop musical comedy by Rikard Bergqvist. It tells the story of a gifted and charming arrogant young man who is in a car accident on graduation day and ends up lying in a coma. He wakes up 10 years later and finds himself in a world that is completely different than the one he knew. The pain has even changed him into an empathetic, loving person who lacks all competitiveness.

Location: Göteborgsoperan

Times: Wednesday, May 7th – May 31st

More information: www.opera.se

Spring Concert

No other season has had as much music written about it than Spring. Through songs, jazz and folk music, this concert celebrates the soft winds and young love of Spring.

Price: 120 kronor

Location: Artisten, Konserthallen

Time: Tuesday, May 13th, 7pm

Tickets: www.hsm.gu.se

MALMÖ

World Fair Trade Day

Pure Fashion Revisited! Lectures, exhibitions, music and much more. A fashion show arranged by The Red Cross, Humanitetens Hus and the City of Malmö.

Location: Humanitetens Hus, Drottningtorget 8.

Times: Saturday, May 10th, 11am-4pm

Phone: 040- 32 65 40

More information: [email protected]

Northern Romance

A musical interpretation of the beautiful white nights in St Petersburg. Conducted by Vassily Sinaisky, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra performs pieces by Stenhammer, Sibelius and Alven. Hosted by Lennart Stenkvist.

Price: 200 kronor

Location: Malmö SymfoniOrkester, Konserthuset, Föreningsgatan.

Time: Saturday, May 10th, 3pm

Phone: 040- 630 45 00

Tickets: 040- 34 35 00 or [email protected]

Skåne Film Days

A film festival celebrating films from Skåne. It presents newly produced films only from directors or producers from Skåne.

Location: Biograf Spegeln/Film i Skåne, Stortorget 27.

Times: Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th

Phone: 040- 30 91 60

MUSIC

Meet the Spanish rapper bringing flamenco and bossa nova into hip-hop

Spanish rapper C. Tangana was taking a big risk when he started mixing old-fashioned influences like flamenco and bossa nova into his hip-hop -- but it's this eclectic sound that has turned him into a phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic.

Published: 23 May 2021 08:38 CEST
Meet the Spanish rapper bringing flamenco and bossa nova into hip-hop
Spanish rapper Anton Alvarez known as 'C. Tangana' poses in Madrid on April 29, 2021. Photo: Javier Soriano/AFP

The 30-year-old has emerged as one of the world’s biggest Spanish-language stars since his third album “El Madrileno” — the Madrilenian — came out in February. That ranks him alongside his superstar ex-girlfriend Rosalia, the Grammy-winning Catalan singer with whom he has co-written several hits.

C. Tangana, whose real name is Anton Alvarez Alfaro, has come a long way since a decade ago when he became known as a voice of disillusioned Spanish youth in the wake of the financial crisis.These days his rap is infused with everything from reggaeton and rumba to deeply traditional styles from Spain and Latin America, with a voice often digitised by autotune.

“It’s incredible that just when my music is at its most popular is exactly when I’m doing something a bit more complex, more experimental and less
trendy,” he told AFP in an interview.

And he is unashamed to be appealing to a wider audience than previously: his dream is now to make music “that a young person can enjoy in a club or someone older can enjoy at home while cooking”.

‘People are tired’

The rapper, who sports a severe semi-shaved haircut and a pencil moustache, has worked with Spanish flamenco greats including Nino De Elche, Antonio Carmona, Kiko Veneno, La Hungara and the Gipsy Kings.

In April he brought some of them together for a performance on NPR’s popular “Tiny Desk Concert” series, which has already drawn nearly six million
views on YouTube.

Shifting away from trap, one of rap’s most popular sub-genres, and venturing into a more traditional repertoire was a dangerous move — especially for someone with a young fanbase to whom rumba, bossa nova and bolero sound old-fashioned.

“I think people are tired. They’ve had enough of the predominant aesthetic values that have previously defined pop and urban music,” he said.

Parts of his latest album were recorded in Latin America with Cuban guitarist Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, Uruguayan
singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler, Mexican folk artist Ed Maverick and Brazil’s Toquinho, one of the bossa nova greats.

“What struck me most everywhere I went was the sense of tradition and the way people experienced the most popular music, and I don’t mean pop,” he said.

A new direction

C. Tangana started out in 2006 rapping under the name Crema. When the global economic crisis swept Spain a few years later, hard-hitting trap was
the perfect way to voice the angst of his generation. But after more than a decade of rapping, things changed.

“When I was heading for my 30s, I hit this crisis, I was a bit fed up with what I was doing… and decided to give voice to all these influences that I
never dared express as a rapper,” he said.

The shift began in 2018 with “Un veneno” (“A poison”) which came out a year after his big hit “Mala mujer” (“Bad woman”).

And there was a return to the sounds of his childhood when he used to listen to Spanish folk songs at home, raised by a mother who worked in
education and a journalist father who liked to play the guitar. The Latin American influences came later.

“It started when I was a teenager with reggaeton and with bachata which were played in the first clubs I went to, which were mostly Latin,” he said.

Studying philosophy at the time, he wrote his first raps between stints working in call centres or fast-food restaurants.

As to what comes next, he doesn’t know. But one thing he hopes to do is collaborate with Natalia Lafourcade, a Mexican singer who dabbles in folk, rock and pop — another jack of all musical trades.

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