The most electronic edition of SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia has brought together in Formentera, from October 4 to 6, 2manydjs, Baiuca, Roosevelt Kabeaushé, among other artists who have been part of a secret poster that was revealed exclusively to 350 people, who They were able to enjoy the fusion of music, nature, gastronomy and positive impact on the paradisiacal Balearic island: “Music is the protagonist but it is not the only thing that this festival offers,” its director, Víctor Mantiñán, details to the media.
“When we started to design all this, we were clear that we wanted to go one step further. We started to think about what we were passionate about and how we could transfer it to a festival. Obviously there is the music, which is the protagonist, but not It’s the only thing,” emphasizes Mantiñan, who acknowledges that he didn’t “see himself depending on having to pay someone for people to buy tickets.” “It seemed to me that it was entering a loop that was only going to generate costs, disappointments and things that we did not want to associate with normal festivals,” he says.
For this reason, he insists on the importance of giving “more prominence” to the place where this meeting is held, which, as in previous editions – and there are now eight, since 2017 – returned to Formentera and, as in past years, managed ‘sold out’, this time in just two hours.
“The first year was the only one in which we did not sell everything, but from then on, we have always sold. Without a good product, you are not going anywhere,” argues Mantiñán, detailing the gears of an event that brings together a diversity of factors: “It is the music part, the gastronomic part, the Formentera part, the positive impact part and the beer part.” “This way we designed something that made sense,” he emphasizes.
It all started on Friday, October 4, starting at 8:30 p.m., with the concerts in the square of the Sant Ferran church where attendees of the event and residents of the island – the concerts were free until capacity was reached, an option that , as Mantiñán explains, is because “you can’t get to know Formentera without having interacted with its people”– they were able to enjoy the performance of the German performer, composer and producer Marius Lauber, known artistically as Roosevelt, who swept the scene with a capable vintage sound. to look to the future.
Standard bearer of synthpop and retro electronica performed with class, the German arrived in Formentera after a world tour that has toured the United States, Latin America and various European cities and was the prelude to the magic that was experienced with Baiuca, a musical phenomenon that came from Galicia that fuses the traditional music of its land with avant-garde electronics. On stage they played old songs and the most recent ‘Barullo’, released on September 27, giving rise to a hypnotic live show that explains why they have become a cultural and musical phenomenon since their inception.
THE ROLE OF SUSTAINABILITY
This year’s festival motto was ‘Chapter Zero: Roots’ and precisely that was the focus of the beginning of the day on Saturday, discovering the island through three routes: through the Pilar de la Mola Lighthouse, the Camí de sa Pujada and the Cas Majoral estate, each of them accompanied by acoustic music in unique natural settings with the singer-songwriter Violeta Veinte, the Basque singer Tulsa or the Mallorcan singer Júlia Colom, respectively.
During these routes, the public was able to see first-hand that the festival’s commitment to the island remains alive, betting on sustainable tourism and the protection of local ecosystems. Maximum contributor to the ‘Save Posidonia’ project that tries to protect the oceanic posidonia, and carried out in collaboration with the Formentera Island Council, SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia is also the only festival in the world that achieves TRUE Platinum certification as Zero Waste or Residuo Cero by the GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.). In addition, it is zero emissions from 2021.
After a well-deserved rest, the next event brought together attendees at 6:00 p.m. at the Gecko Hotel & Beach Club, with a session by DJ Caste that enlivened the ‘Beer Culture’ workshop organized by the Galician brand. It was the starting point for a musical marathon that began at 7:30 p.m. with Nubiyan Twist, followed by the Brazilian DJ Flow da Lou and the Kenyan Kabeaushé, who filled the venue with delirious pop full of rawness and rave energy.
During the evening, the music was accompanied by the gastronomic creations of chef Vicky Sevilla, the youngest to achieve a Michelin Star (2021). Without any experience in cooking, at the age of 17, Sevilla arrived in Formentera to visit a friend but ended up staying on the island.
“IT’S WORTH A TRY”
“That’s where it all started a little bit. I got hooked on the job and that’s where the germ was planted,” he says in statements to Europa Press. “I returned to Formentera, I worked in Castellón, I returned to Formentera and then I decided to study and work and study in Valencia,” he added. It was in Sagunto (Valencia) where he opened his restaurant, Arrels. “The star helped many people get to know us,” he adds.
In any case, he sends a message of encouragement to all those young people who want to dedicate themselves to this profession because, in his opinion, “it is worth trying, it is also very hard, we are not going to cheat.” “It is a sacrificial world where you will have to work on the weekend or when all the people have a work party, but it is a very nice profession that has immediate feedback,” he defends.
Regarding the role of women in the kitchen, Sevilla denies being a “flag bearer” in this regard — “I’m not a flag bearer even in my house,” she ironically — and remembers that women “have always been in the kitchen and we still are.” in the kitchen.” “In haute cuisine I think it has not yet been given visibility but everything is a matter of time. Women before had to stay, in quotes, at home, because we had to have a family or a higher weight, and the high Gastronomy requires many hours but now family models are changing,” says the chef, who opts for ham as a “dish that never fails” in an informal meal.
“WE ARE NONCONFORMISTS”
It was 10:30 p.m. when the highlight of Saturday’s day arrived: the Belgians 2ManyDJs or what is the same, the talented brothers David and Stephen Dewaele who have become a benchmark mixing diverse genres, ranging from progressive rock to electronics. A luxury that the public was able to enjoy just a few meters away, far from the crowds that usually arise.
Sunday, the last day of the festival, featured concerts by Rocío Luna, DJ Sonido Tupinamba, the Portuguese Branko and the Ugandan Faizal Mostrizx, which ended at the South Formentera Beach Restaurant & Lounge, with a fully dedicated audience. . “We are nonconformists and we have a pretty tough time,” Mantiñán jokes about it. For this reason, there was a desire for more but we will have to wait until 2025, for a new edition of SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia.