Canela Party: "The party is for everyone"

When a festival puts the focus on the audience with a carefully curated selection of alternative music—not a cookie-cutter lineup—and adds confetti and a costume party, what could possibly go wrong? Even more so when the festival puts the focus on the audience, moving away from segregation, from "VIPs," and those "Golden" or "Premium" stories. At Canela, everyone is equal . But above all, what reigns is the good vibes; you can feel them in the air.

The music takes center stage. El Canela delves into richness and variety. You can also enjoy the brilliance of Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba , bursting with their kinkily rock (that Andalusian rock), or the black metal of Belgian band Amenra , perhaps the wildest offering of this edition.

Four days and 36 concerts offer a lot. Although British band Maruja ultimately dropped out at the last minute, the Manchester band was eagerly awaited. The DJ stage at times offered a more urban, electronic, festive, and clubbing side, in contrast to the Fistro and Jarl stages. I was told that in 2025 there were fewer people than in 2024, but the essence hasn't been lost.

Wednesday served as a small appetizer for the "pitote" (a huge crowd), with five concerts and free admission for those under 18 —there were inflatable mattresses for the kids. Malaga's Serpiente Orión opened with a rousing rock vibe. Madrid's La Milagrosa livened things up with a fusion of life stories and dream pop overtones. Musically, a great show was Belgian band Maria Iskariot singing in flamenco. The post-rock of black palm trees took us on a journey with visual landscapes in black and white, and Kokoshca's pop sounded ideal now that they've brought in Javi Betacam on keyboards, exploring " La juventud " (Youth) with a healthy dose of vitamin C, as with "La fuerza" (Force).

Thursday was the most aggressive day, with performances by the Lambrini Girls , Ecca Vandal, and Bob Vylan. The Lambrini Girls displayed a "Free Palestine" banner on the stage screen, delivering speeches against genocide and in support of the freedom of all peoples. There were pogos and madness with two hits, "Love" and "Cuntology 101." Ecca Vandal 's explosive live voice captivated us with rock and a lot of rap flow. A formula also inspired by Bob Vylan , a guy who commands the stage with singular charisma. Madrid's Biznaga has it all; I don't think it was their best show, but they sounded powerful with their punk-inspired proclamations about how our cities and public spaces have been stolen from us. Along the same lines is "Ciudad de polvo" (2024) by Basque band Sal del Coche , former members of Vulk, with a highly original, experimental and transversal rock approach that was vibrant live. The band Aiko brought fun and pop energy. And Madrid's Somos la Herencia closed the night with post-punk and darkwave, the dark haze of Torremolinos. And we weren't missing the British band Maruja.

On Friday, we were blown away by the festival's concert for this writer. The New York trio Blonde Redhead (named after a song by the no-wave band DNA) delivered a stunning, arty rock concert with many facets. They played their latest album, "Sitting Down for Dinner" (2023), a massive, transitional album where Kazu Makino's vocals shine alongside twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace . The drumming was impressive. And the intensity and final guitar riffs of "23," one of their greatest songs and one of their greatest albums (dating back to 2007), were truly exquisite. Bar Italia's performance fell short of my expectations, but it was no small feat. Belgian band Amenra were resounding with their intensities-shifting black metal, perhaps the wildest band of this year's edition. The jangle pop of Canadian band Ducks Ltd. was a pleasant surprise, and another of the day's concerts, based on sparkling melodies and a journey (with landscape views from a train) to the essence of indie pop. The Basques Tatxers didn't convince me live with their performance, which draws on the classic sound of radical Basque rock and a staunch defense of the Basque language; they lacked a greater connection with the audience. A whim of the festival was bringing back Maple, the hardcore sound of the BCore label, or the Americans The Get Up Kids , in the vein of 90s power pop. Axolotes Mexicanos have improved a lot live and sounded fresh. And I really liked Depresión Sonora ; it was a radiant whirlwind of darkness, and they've announced a new album for the fall.

Saturday was the big day, with lots of color and total revelry thanks to the costume party. The crowd put a lot of effort into their unique costumes. Examples included a giant octopus and a 90s radar (complete with civil guard, bushes to hide the radar, and the light used to capture the image). Musically, DIIV, a band with intense noise, riffs, and classic melodies like the one they showcase in "Doused," excelled; Los Angeles natives Frankie and the Witch Fingers were also captivating with their energetic and eclectic punk rock; Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba dressed up as a soccer team inspired by the cartoon series Oliver and Benji. MJ Lenderman , who signed one of the 2024 albums, was very good, but I was missing something; perhaps it's that I'm not overly enthusiastic about his vocal timbre. Those who swept the board for their festive side, each in their own genre, were Fat Dog, Parquesvr (in their case, a degenerate style, full of colorful local color), and Les Savy Fav. I missed Tropical Fuck Storm and also some bands like shego, Bum Motion Club, and el diablo de Shangái, because I haven't yet mastered the gift of ubiquity, but I'm told they also brought a lot of color to the festival. Grande Amore was the best possible culmination to Canela with their electropunk, with Nuno dressed up in S&M belts, and reinforced by the guitar of their producer Jacobo Naya between "Pelea" and "Ontes foi moi malo." Canela Party is a cool musical festival , very fun and with an excellent atmosphere, where camaraderie and joking reign supreme. It's a winning horse. A whirlwind in Torremolinos. Maybe it's even too many days and too many bands. But what a total mess . Long live Canela.