The ensemble Cantica is composed of musicians specialized in the study, recovery, and dissemination of historical music and instruments, particularly from the period spanning the 11th to the 16th centuries. They have been collaborating for over a decade, engaging in an extensive concert activity throughout Spain and Europe, with medieval music performances that blend theater, narration, and a rich timbral diversity in their interpretations. They have participated in festivals such as Pórtico do Paraíso, FeMÀS, Maremusicum, Festival Sefardí, Noites d’Encanto, IKFEM, Les Heures Musicales, Festival Caprichos Musicales, Festival Tres Culturas, Noches en los Jardines del Real Alcázar, and the Bucharest Early Music Festival, achieving great success both with audiences and critics.
Cantica undertakes several musical projects focusing on Andalusian and Sephardic music, the music of troubadours and medieval knights, as well as educational projects on medieval music for children. The ensemble has released five discographic works: El Doncel del Mar, melodías medievales desde Estambul a Costa da Morte (2014), Música para Princesas, Dragones y Caballeros, música medieval para niños (2015), Al Ándalus, música y poesía andalusí (2017), Sephardica (2019), and La Pequeña Juglaresa (2020). They are currently working on the recording of the album Sephardica.
Emilio Villalba, the founder of the ensemble, was born in Seville in 1976. Emilio Villalba is an artist with multiple talents and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Nearly every aspect of the cultural products he presents is crafted by him: in addition to his musical activity, he is a talented designer, and all his album covers and posters bear his signature. He also creates graphic and musical content for a variety of applications, video games, and children’s books.
As he recounts, he began his musical journey at the age of four with a small toy piano. Since then, he has been captivated by this “virus,” and today he is passionate about historical instruments and historically informed performances. He can play an impressive collection of over 40 instruments (made in collaboration with various luthiers), especially string instruments, including the Arabic oud, Turkish saz, Celtic harp, hurdy-gurdy, viola da gamba, psaltery, rabel, and many more.
For over nine years, he has collaborated with Sara Marina, with whom he is dedicated to discovering old music, presenting it to a wide audience, and educating the public about historical genres, forms, and instruments. Together, they have produced three discographic releases: Al Andalus, El doncel del mar, and Música para princesas, dragones y caballeros. The latter is dedicated to children, combining the restoration of medieval and Renaissance musical traditions with colorful storytelling and efforts to educate young audiences about old instruments and musical forms.
