CARTAGENA (MURCIA), 19 (EUROPA PRESS)
The 30th edition of the La Mar de Músicas festival, dedicated to South Korea, is here. The event organized by the Cartagena City Council kicked off this Friday with over 40 concerts, starting with Leenalchi, the Korean band known for blending tradition and modernity. Following them was one of the most important voices in African music, Salif Keita.
A full Paco Martín auditorium at Parque Torres welcomed Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade, the Latin artist with the most Grammy awards. The concert was attended by the mayor, Noelia Arroyo, accompanied by the Regional Culture Councillor, Carmen Conesa, and other members of the Corporation, as reported by municipal sources in a press release.
After Lafourcade, it was Queralt Lahoz’s turn, one of the most promising singers in the national music scene. The first night closed with Jambinai, the Korean group that blends the country’s traditional music with post-rock and metal. All information about the event is available at ‘www.lamardemusicas.cartagena.es’.
NATALIA LAFOURCADE
«When we talk about talent and passion in Latin American music, Natalia Lafourcade’s name shines brightly,» according to the event organizers, pointing out that «she is the Latin artist with the most Grammy awards, with four Anglo awards and 18 in the Latin edition.»
«She is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in Spanish music,» explained Eugenio González, the director of the La Mar de Músicas festival. With an «impressive» career, she merges genres and emotions that speak directly to the soul. The audience, who filled the Parque Torres auditorium, «connected with the artist from the first song.»
«She was in the La Mar de Músicas 2007 lineup when she was taking her first steps, and we were doing a Special Mexico,» according to the organizers. Unfortunately, she couldn’t attend. Since then, the festival has had a pending date with her. In 2025, she opened the festival at the Paco Martín auditorium, with sold-out tickets, where she presented her new album ‘Cancionera,’ bridging the intimate and the universal.
SALIF KEITA
«When we talk about legends of African music, Salif Keïta is one of its most prominent figures,» according to the same sources, explaining that this Malian singer and composer «has been a key figure in spreading African sounds worldwide.»
And the best part is that at 75 years old, known as the «Golden Voice of Africa,» he is a true icon of Manding music. The artist returns to Cartagena after receiving the La Mar de Músicas award in 2019. The concert took place at the patio of the former CIM, at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT).
His career has been marked not only by his «incredible musical talent» but also by his advocacy for the integration of albino individuals. In 2025, Salif is back with a new album titled ‘So Kono,’ which means «inside the chamber, inside the room» in Manding, an acoustic album where the artist returns to his roots and shares intimate moments with his guitar.
QUERALT LAHOZ
Queralt Lahoz, on the other hand, is one of the artists with a strong present and future in the national music scene. Showcasing one of the most groundbreaking and attractive proposals of the moment, she also extends her growing fame beyond our borders. It was her third time performing at La Mar de Músicas, and she did so by engaging with the festival audience, who couldn’t stop dancing to her music.
In her music, influenced by Latin, roots, and urban sounds, genres like soul, hip-hop, or dancehall «gracefully and naturally converse over an aura of coplas and boleros that emerge spontaneously from her flamenco origins and personal landscapes,» according to the Festival.
The artist draws on the genealogy of the hardworking women in her life and her suburban childhood to create a floral bridge between the past, present, and future that gives her music an unmistakable character.
Lastly, Korean music will be present at the La Mar de Músicas festival from the first day. The Town Hall square welcomed Leenalchi, the South Korean group that has achieved a surprising combination: they take traditional Korean pansori music (a traditional Korean lyrical song in which a story is told and all characters are presented through the singer’s voice) and fuse it with funk, pop, and electronic sounds. The result is a style that is «fresh, catchy, and totally addictive.»
The first night of the festival concluded at the Arab Castle with Jambinai, who mesmerized everyone with their fusion of traditional Korean instruments and music, post-rock, and metal.
The band, consisting of three friends who met at the Korea National University of Arts, decided to merge their paths by creating addictive and fascinating music. A post-rock band that didn’t stick to the traditional guitar-drums-bass structure and introduced instruments from Korean folk music like the haegum, piri, and geomungo.
Detailed programming for the La Mar de Músicas festival, including concerts, literary activities of La Mar de Letras, or workshops at the Ramón Alonso Luzzy Cultural Center, can be found on the website ‘www.lamardemusicas.com’.
