Madrid’s vibrant music scene is full of gems and untold stories. Despite winter taking hold, there are many upcoming gigs with emerging artists and performers. For each of these, there is an untold story waiting to be showcased. Santiago Vokram is a local performing artist who wields a violin to serenade his audiences. I have had the good fortune to witness him in action and interview him about his life and creative journey.

My first impression of him was that his attire and unique sense of style reflected that he is a person who breathes in creative energy. He can take the sound to areas I didn’t think violins were capable. 

So without further ado, here’s his story and upcoming dates so you, too, can experience his music.

Santiago Vokram’s musical story and style

Hailing from Mexico City, Santiago began his career as a musician there in Rock-Celtic fusion band La Agonia de Leonara at 13. He devoted himself fully to practicing the violin, and growing as a performer, citing it as an escape from the empty spaces of life. He would go on to study music at Mexico’s elite Escuela Nacional de Musica. 

Santi reminisced on how in his youth he was inspired by the Spanish band Mago de Oz and when he learned that the group had split, he relocated to Madrid to join José Andrëa & Uróoboros, the next project of original Mago de Oz members.

Santi remained modest when describing his ascension to dreaming of meeting his heroes and then having the opportunity to create alongside them in his newly adopted country. He became deeply embedded in Madrid’s thriving creative scene and began performing alongside other revered local artists such as Ataca Paca, and on the international circuit with renowned Gypsy musician Robby Lakatos. 

Where he is now

Santi’s current band, which reflects his personal expression, is La Sonrisa de Cibeles. This trio seeks to create something unprecedented as a cross-over fusion of world-classical and pop music. Its members are Santi on Violin, Benja Bravo on Double Bass and Germán Nuñez on Guitar. Their goal is to help a younger audience expand their perception of “classical” music and to disrupt the local music scene by introducing sounds with less precedent.

Santi’s style as a performer ranges from classical to unconventional. The violin is an essential part of traditional mariachi groups and can be weaved into classical jazz, rock, folk and other improvisational contexts. In addition to his solo-acts and collaboration with other artists, Santi performs at upscale events and in luxury hotels seeking to provide a stylized ambiance. Notably, Netflix has utilized Santiago as a creative asset in the mariachi ensemble featured in Narcos Mexico.

Our connection

What Santiago and I share is that both of us have collaborated on creative projects with the versatile public relations strategist, programmer, event planner, and art instructor Vesta Rounsaville. Vesta manages Santi’s social media presence and coordinates his routine concerts in Madrid’s venues. With her help, he has managed to expand his circle of collaborators to Madrid’s international community of musicians, comedians, and actors. Additionally, his concerts have raised funds for Madrid for Refugees, a prominent volunteer group.

Santi confided in me that as his visibility increased, he became exposed to uglier elements of the music scene noting that “adoration can become insanity or envy.” He went on to say that “If you have a vision, you need to improve it little by little.”

Despite a lack of a conventional road map to follow, coupled with at times a lack of financial security, Santi never wavered in his pursuits despite sometimes deeply missing his parents in Mexico, or his loved ones whenever he’d tour for prolonged periods.

Upcoming shows

You can be captivated by Santiago’s stage personality and violin prowess at Teatro-Bar Hipócritas (La Latina) this Saturday the 23rd at 22:00 where La Sonrisa de Cibeles will enchant their audience.

You can also catch them at Microteatro Por Dinero‘s mini-concert festival Microsound in December (Malasaña/Gran Vía). Tickets for the concert in Teatro-Bar Hipócritas can be purchased via Entradium.

Contact

If you would like for Santiago Vokram to perform at an event, or to utilize his work for branded content, contact Vesta Rounsaville.

If you know of any other Madrid-based artists that you’d like to showcase on Naked Madrid, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to submit a post.

It’s that time of year again. The air is turning chilly, the leaves are starting to change, and the millennial obsession with all things autumn is taking over social media. But here in Madrid, there’s a whole different reason to be excited. With October comes Tapapiés, the annual festival that inundates the streets of the Lavapiés neighborhood with delicious food, cheap drinks, and live music.

For 11 days at the end of October (this year’s 7th edition lasts from October 19—29), dozens of restaurants and bars in Lavapiés offer a very special deal. Each one develops their own signature tapa, and offers it to the public for just €1.50. For an extra euro, you can also get a botellín (a 250 ml bottle of beer) to wash it down. The event is sponsored by Barcelona’s Estrella Damm, and at most places you can choose between a regular beer or Damm Lemon (beer and lemon soda).

A bar advertises its participation in Tapapiés with the festival’s official poster.

Lavapiés is known for its incredible cultural diversity, with large immigrant populations from all over Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Central Asia. As a result, it’s full of international eateries offering everything from Senegalese thieboudienne to Syrian sweets. A good number of these establishments participate in Tapapiés, which means that in one night you can practically eat your way around the world, just by exploring the neighborhood’s sloping streets.

The delicious “Crepioca” tapa from Saboor Tapioca

In other words, this festival is every adventurous foodie’s dream come true. There are various strategies for tackling the overwhelming amount of options (122 tapas in total) and chaotic crowds. You can simply wander around, dropping into whatever bars you come across and trying your luck. Each one usually advertises a photograph of their tapa with a huge poster out front, so you’ll know more or less what to expect. Don’t forget to stop by Mercado de San Fernando and Mercado Antón Martín, where several vendors also participate.

A tray of tapas at Toscanaccio Italian bakery: marinated eggplant, walnuts, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato pesto on spelt bread

If you’re (A) a picky/allergy-prone eater or (B) determined to try as many different tapas as possible, you might want to consider a more organized strategy. Ask for a brochure at any of the participating places—you’ll get a pocket-sized booklet that contains a list of every single tapa being offered, as well as a color photograph and a detailed ingredients list for each. They’re all plotted on a numbered map, so you can plan out your ideal route. Be warned, though: it’s hard to stick to a set plan when there are so many tempting options around every corner.

Dishing out the special tapa at Maloka Bar Brasileiro: yuca in a coconut milk sauce with peanut pesto

My advice? Grab a group of friends who aren’t afraid to elbow their way through some crowds and try as many new things as possible. This is not an activity for those who would rather settle in at a cozy restaurant for a relaxed dinner.

Expect to eat standing up while balancing a beer in one hand a a tapa in the other, and shouting at each other just to be heard. It’s messy, it’s crazy, it’s loud—and it’s totally worth it.  The frenetic and colorful spirit of the neighborhood is never more alive than on a night of Tapapiés.

“Carrillada melosa” from Maldito Querer: braised beef cheeks in a sauce of caramelized onion, garlic, herbs, and Pedro Ximénez reduction

To complete the experience, it’s essential to attend one of the various outdoor performances by local musicians, dancers, and entertainers that take place throughout the event. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons and evenings, you can catch live music and shows at nine different designated spots (a full schedule is included in the brochure). There’s also the simultaneous Chollopiés festival, which spotlights the neighborhood’s local businesses by offering special discounts on certain products.

Maybe you live in Lavapiés and want to get to know your barrio better. Maybe you’ve never been and want to see what all the hype is about. Or maybe you’re just hungry, thirsty, and low on cash. Whatever the case, Tapapiés is bound to become one of your favorite events in Madrid. If you go into it with the right mindset, a healthy appetite, and a handful of coins, I guarantee that come next October, there’ll only be one thing on your mind. Who needs pumpkin spice lattes, anyway?

Info

• Facebook
• Website
• Instagram

Check out our roundup of Tapapiés’ offerings last year!

Always wanted to learn how to dance bachata but didn’t want to pay high costs for private lessons? Well, look no further!

For new dancers, the first question often asked is “Do I need to bring a partner?”  You do not need to bring a partner but you can if you’d like! The classes tend to begin with the basics, which everyone dances individually.  Then, when you do partner up, the pairs rotate so often that by the end of the class you’ll have danced with nearly everyone, you might even remember a few names or have made a new friend by the end of the lesson. On this particular Wednesday, the classes were: modern bachata, Dominican bachata and lastly, sensual bachata.

  

Info

• Address: Calle Ferraz 38
• Metro: Argüelles / Ventura Rodriguez / Plaza España
• Facebook

Other classes at The Host:

Facebook pages and groups on Madrid’s salsa and bachata scene:

1. Salsa Madrid (page)
2. Salsa Madrid  (group)

Here are some more salsa places to check out:

Azucar:

Tropical House:

Cats:

El Son:

La Negra Tomasa:

You may also like: Where to get fit in Madrid

Come enjoy rock’n’roll music Thursday evening at Club Maravillas and check out Of Moths and Stars‘ acoustic gig. Expect it to be raw and uncut – this time with a full support of a rock’n’roll band, so this is sure to be electric.

5€ or 9€ entry with 2 drinks.

Listen to their latest demos here.

Check out Ajo Fernández’ photography exhibit while having dinner at Nanai Restaurante (in Malasaña) during the whole month of March. Let yourself be enchanted by these amazing pictures of incredible landscapes.

When:

Mondays – 07:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Tuesdays to Fridays – 06:00 p.m. – 02:00 a.m.

Saturdays and holidays – 02:00 p.m. – 02:00 a.m.

Sundays – 05:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Attention all foodies!! Madrid Fusión is bringing us the 13th International Gastronomy Summit! (In Spanish, XIII Cumbre de la Gastronomía). This entails three days of workshops, activities, contests, conferences, tastings and so much more. It is not a cheap event, but totally worth it if you are a food profesional or simply adore the world of gastronomy.

Here’s the program. You’ll see that you have different options: Madrid Fusión is holding events in the morning and Saborea España in the afternoon. The price depends on which program you choose and if you want to go for 2 or 3 days.

For tickets go here

El Plaza Jazz Club is a cozy bar located in the center of Madrid (near metro Plaza de España) where you can have a drink as you listen to live jazz, latin and swing music. So check out their free jam session this Sunday night!

Check out J&J’s Friday night pub quiz where you can play in teams of 4 and win a cash prize.  J&J is a bookstore/coffee shop where you can find thousands of English-language books downstairs. Up at the bar, you can get craft beer, wine, coffee, bagels and other things to munch on.

You can also enjoy their other events such as the Intercambio Night on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays where you can improve your favorite language while having a good time meeting new people.

Also check out our series on Madrid’s Best Cafe-bookshops

To help us all deal with this crazy heat wave, Impact Hub Madrid, an innovation center near Atocha, is holding its last Mercado de la buena vida (the good life market) of the season, on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-10pm, with free entrance. For this “refreshing” edition, the market will be holding a water fight for the little ones, beer tastings for the older ones, and much more. Here’s more info on the event. 

Thanks to a whirlwind of stand-up comedy shows, improv groups and international festivals, you can enjoy live comedy in English in Madrid every week! This year alone, the city hosted an international comedy competition and received a visit from the world-famous stand-up comedian, Eddie Izzard, himself.

So, how do I find out about shows and get up on stage?

You can check out our calendar for upcoming events, but first, get to know the city’s three main English-language comedy groups:

1. Ace Comedy Factory was founded by Joshua Saxon (from London) and Rusty Birdwell (from Tennessee) last March with monthly open mic comedy showdowns at Triskel Tavern in Malasaña. They’ve also launched an event called “Comedy Super Team, Go!” which Josh calls the “best of”, as they perform their most polished sets and feature comedians such as Archie Bezos and Kirk Bonacci.

Rusty on stage at Comedy Super Team, Go! at Ancora

2. Freshly Comedy prides itself on being Madrid’s first English-language comedy group. It has two different shows: “Freshly Squeezed” (45 min stand-up/45 min improv) and “Freshly Baked” (90 min pure improv). At all of these events, expect lots of drinks, jokes and games, plus audience participation…

Freshly Comedy — doing what could only be improv — at Beer Station

3. MAD Improv is an English improv group that meets every Saturday afternoon. The first three weekends of the month are free, while the last is a 4-hour masterclass given by Benjamin Nathan-Serio, costing €25. Anyone can join; you don’t have to be a native speaker or have any previous experience. In fact, one Spanish woman joined because she had to do public speaking in English at work. (check out their meetup group)

improv workshops in English near Puerta de Toledo on Saturdays from 4:30-7:30pm

Inside scoop on Madrid’s English-language comedy scene

To give you a roadmap, I sat down with Josh and Rusty, the guys who founded Ace Comedy Factory and collaborate with Freshly Comedy. Rusty is one of the leaders of MAD improv and Josh organized this year’s Festival Internacional de la Comedia (FIC), which featured an outstanding line-up including Reginald D. Hunter, one of the UK’s best known comedians whose 200-seat show sold out. The festival also included the Funniest FICer competition, Spain’s premiere English-language comedy competition held in Madrid and Barcelona, plus a free inaugural event in Retiro — The Big Comedy Picnic — in which eighty people set up picnics on the grass.

seen at The Big Comedy Picnic in Retiro

First impressions

When I first met Rusty, I asked him how he got his name. His answer: “Well, my parents just couldn’t decide. My father wanted to call me Chainsaw and my mother, Butterfly!” It turned out this was an “elevated truth”, a tactic both Rusty and Josh use in their sets.

doing improv I assume…

Oh, and Josh likes to be called Batman if possible. He likes bats.

the batman of comedy indeed

Sitting down with Rusty and Batman for coffee at La Ciudad Invisible felt like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their free-style warm-up; the shenanigans that go on when they hang out together often lead them to come up with their best lines.

What’s the crowd like?

They get a lot of regulars and people from all over the world. One of the regular comedy-goers, Amy Flippant, from the UK, said: “I remember thinking it was cool to see so many nationalities and accents [on stage] in one event. There were Brits, Americanas, Canadians, and Spaniards, so it’s very welcoming.” She also witnessed all sorts of comedy, from loud and slapstick to very very surreal (especially at the picnic), and lots of first-time performers, too.

Why do you think Madrid has such a widely popular comedy scene in English?

Both Josh and Rusty agreed that the amount of stuff going on is quite unexpected. It shows the city’s welcoming nature as well as the power of Madrid’s expat community to start new things. Unlike cities like New York and London, there’s little competition for English comedy in Madrid; it’s a niche market here. What started out with a few English-language comedy nights a month has since turned into an action-packed micro-culture of stand-up and improv groups that are at it all year long. Not to mention the many English-language theater groups. That’s a whole other story…

How did you get into comedy?

Both are pretty new to comedy. For Josh, who has a background in Journalism, it was always on his bucket list. On a whim, he participated in the FICer Competition last year and has been hooked ever since. Rusty calls Josh “super multi-talented,” as he’s not only a comedian and host, but also handles the web, organization and PR for many events. Rusty grew up doing theater and improv, and some film acting, although he stopped when he went into writing. While living in Madrid, he got the urge to get back into it and began organizing Ace Comedy Factory with Josh last February.

Do you get nervous?

“Yeah, of course,” said Josh. He’s had a few tense moments on stage, but it’s part of the game. “I compare it to getting punched in the face. Once it’s happened, you can stand up for yourself.” Rusty followed with a quote he had recently heard: “The master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.”

Their advice for anyone who wants to start something new in Madrid

“Go for it!”

Images from Ace Comedy Factory, MAD Improv, Freshly Comedy and Madrid International Comedy Festival