Sonorama Ribera has just announced that tickets to attend the festival from 7 to 10 August are sold out. You will now only have the opportunity to buy tickets for the day. Another success for the unique event in Aranda de Duero, at an event in which the organisation has rewarded national and Latin values over international ones. This was explained at the press conference in which the line-up was revealed.
As many of you may have noticed, Sonorama has been characterized in recent years by expanding its bet towards surprising names, not so common in festivals of this type. Without giving up on independent or alternative values, the organization was a pioneer in betting on Amaral, it had the audacity to invite Raphael (and get us an interview with the artist about it), Dúo Dinámico or Nacho Cano. These are the 10 artists that will make Sonorama 2024 a different event, without neglecting Los Planetas, La Casa Azul, La Bien Querida, Valeria Castro and a long etcetera that we will delve into another day.
Luz Casal
The first time I interviewed Luz Casal and told her that I had an alternative music media outlet, she told me that she was the one who was “alternative”. Since she put on her leather jacket and released her first rock songs in the early 80s, until recently when we have seen her collaborate with Viva Suecia, Depedro or Ricky Falkner, including her collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar, she has never stopped being true to herself. The great lady of song had to pass through Sonorama sooner or later.
OBK
The electronic music group OBK, now made up of only Jordi Sánchez after the departure of Miguel Ángel Arjona, is still active. It has been almost a decade since there was a new studio album, but we do know that there have been concerts and the parade of hits ensures karaoke in Aranda. They usually play ‘Tú sigue así’, ‘Dicen’, ‘De qué me sirve llorar’, ‘Falsa moral’, ‘La princesa de mis sueños’, ‘Lucifer’, ‘El cielo no entiende’ and ‘Historias de amor’. In short, everything. Living history of Spanish pop.
Burning 50th Anniversary Tour
Not a report on the Movida can go without mentioning Burning and ‘Qué hace una chica como tú’. Last year, some Burning concerts were announced celebrating their 50 years in this, and specifically recreating their historic concert from 1991. The idea came up at La Riviera in March, being recorded on video and audio, and now Burning will also take this anniversary to Sonorama Ribera.
Coke Mesh
The leader of Los Ronaldos has not been satisfied with nostalgia, but has enriched his discourse over the years. And as an example, that beautiful LGBT+ anthem that is ‘I can’t live without you’, aka “There’s no way”. Or also albums as interesting as ‘¿Revolución?’. The last one, dating from 2023, was ‘Aunque estemos muertos’.
Rozalen
Rozalén, one of the most popular authors in Spain in recent years, is presenting a new album. It is called ‘El abrazo’, it was released this spring and collaborations such as those with Kase.O and Carlos Vives are a good example of her broad vision. Among the old hits that cannot be missed are ‘La puerta violeta’ or ‘Girasoles’.
Julia’s Smile
Because nostalgia for the 2000s could not be limited to names like La Oreja de Van Gogh and El Canto del Loco (I’m referring to Dani Martín’s 8 WiZinks), La Sonrisa de Julia are also guests at Sonorama. They usually perform songs from their debut, ‘Caminos Diferencias’ (2004), and also from their latest work, ‘Maratón’ (2018), with special attention to ‘Bipolar’ (2008).
Men G
Hombres G, one of the most successful groups of the 80s, with an unusual reputation as a boy band at the time, and sometimes with even more unusual jangle-pop rhythms, will also compete for the largest arsenal of “greatest hits”. ‘Venezia’, ‘Voy a pasármelo bien’, ‘Te quiero’, ‘Marta tiene un marcapasos’ and ‘Devuélveme a mi chica’ are usually fixed in their setlist.
Partners in crime
Sonorama Ribera’s commitment to the 80s will be consolidated with Cómplices. ‘Serás mi cómplice’ was a small hit as part of their 1988 debut, ‘Manzanas’, but things got out of hand when their big hit ‘Es por ti’ came out in 1990. Those were the days of their third album, ‘La danza de la ciudad’. After certain ups and downs in the professional and artistic couple formed by Teo Cardalda and María Monsonís, this same year 2024 they have released a new album called ‘Terra’.
Tribute to Antonio Vega
This spring marks the 15th anniversary of the death of Antonio Vega, one of the most influential composers in the history of Spanish pop. For this reason, some of his musicians and friends are undertaking a tribute tour, some of which can be found on Instagram. The organisation is certainly working to ensure that some of the artists who will be in Aranda perform their tribute song to Antonio Vega.
Born and Waor
Because you can’t just live off the nostalgia of the 80s, 90s and 2000s, another name that Sonorama is betting on is the duo Natos y Waor. Formed in Madrid in 2010 when they were between 19 and 22 years old, they have accumulated several hits through the saga ‘Hijos de la ruina’ or ‘Cicatrices’, which included several collaborations with Recycled J, or ‘Caminaré’ with Maka.
