Zaragoza marks the end of one of the summer’s most dynamic music cycles with three names that perfectly summarize the spirit of Carretera y Manta, a proposal from the Rock & Blues Café sponsored by Ambar. After 14 concerts featuring sounds of garage, soul, Americana, blues, and various forms of pure rock, this week the curtain will fall with three free performances that promise to close August on a high note.
Lovesick Duo: vintage country comes from Bologna
On Wednesday, August 27, the stage will feature Lovesick Duo, an Italian group that seems to have come straight out of a time capsule. Country, rockabilly, and western swing from the 1940s and 50s are revived with impeccable sound and instrumental fidelity. With vintage guitars and double basses, this Bologna-based trio pays tribute to the golden era of American country without falling into caricature.
Their album All Over Again (2021) demonstrates that they do not live solely on revival: there is composition, reinterpretation, and a live energy that allows them to perform over 120 shows a year. Nominations for international awards, soundtracks, and iconic venues like Casa Sanremo endorse their proposal.
Sergi Estella: the handcrafted blues showman
On Saturday, August 30, it will be the turn of Sergi Estella, the indefinable Catalan “one-man-band” who turns everyday objects into impossible instruments. Electric brooms, guitars made from beer cans, and plenty of technical ingenuity are at the service of a raw, fun live show full of personality.
His mix of blues, folk, and rock connects with the audience not only through sound but also through charisma. Estella is pure homemade spectacle: a proposal that seems improvised but is executed with a precision and commitment that leaves a lasting impression.
Rosalie Cunningham: British psychedelia at its best
On Sunday, August 31, Rosalie Cunningham will take the stage to close the cycle in style. The British artist, who already conquered Zaragoza last November with several sold-out shows, presents her new album To Shoot Another Day, which confirms what many suspected: we are facing one of the most original voices in the European psych-pop scene.
After her time with the band Purson, Cunningham has unleashed a sonic universe where Queen, Bowie, the Beatles, T.Rex, and a touch of elegant theatricality intersect. Her appearances on the covers of specialized magazines and the reception of her latest work in every city she visits predict a live show that will be anything but predictable.
A cycle that is already a brand of the city
Carretera y Manta thus concludes its second edition with a lineup that bets on quality without falling into the predictable. Free, well-curated, and with international aspirations, it consolidates as a key piece of the musical summer in Zaragoza. Three nights, three styles, one common goal: to celebrate live music with authenticity and without artifice.
