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... to the stage
Giving classes is a constant challenge for Manolete: it requires concentration,
a good deal of patience, working almost in slow-motion, building a rapport with
students... But in spite of this, "as I'm still part of the scene, what I
like best is to get up on stage." And when Manolete gets up on stage, he
displays his identity card: la farruca. The bailaor's interpretation of
the style, originally from Galicia and first brought to the stage by Faíco,
dates back to his participation in the show 'Macama Jonda'. The1983 production
depicts "a marriage between an Andalusian man and an Arab woman, two cultures
uniting", and features artists such as cantaor Enrique Morente singing
alongside Manolete. He recalls that "while we were rehearsing, guitarist
Paco Cortés started practicing with some farruca studies and I started
dancing to it... and the truth is that in two hours the style had been crystallized."
Back in the early eighties "it was very daring". So much so that when
he presented the show at Seville's Biennial Festival, "I talked to the press
to tell them I was going to dance a farruca, that I didn't know how it
was going to turn out, but I was willing to take the risk. And it received scandalous
write-ups." Since then, it's been like a trademark of my dance." Manolete
considers that "it was too modern back then, but it still hasn't gone out
of style... and I like to keep it faithful to the essence of the original style."
Manolete
And the timelessness acts as a stimulant: "It seems that young guys still
see me as modern, they come along when I'm giving classes. That urges you on to
do new stuff, because the young kids have a lot of talent and a good technique.
And that makes you feel you have the right to do new stuff. It really lifts me
up."
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"A bailaor shouldn't stick just to flamenco, because other
styles of music can give you the nuances that flamenco doesn't give you. Almost
invariably, on every album, you can find four or five things that grab you, that
inspire you with creativity"
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And the result is evolution. So how do you make flamenco dance evolve? Manolete
believes "that you can open up new avenues without vulgarizing, but to do
that you have to be clear that you don't want to lose sight of the flamenco".
Without contradicting the theory of blurring frontiers, flamenco boasts infinite
wealth on which to build: "For example, everyone does a seguiriya in a different
way, there aren't any steps you have to copy from anybody else, it has a great
richness. Sure, you have to work with the music, if not it's worthless. And there's
also a great richness to be found in the music..." Flamenco. In Manolete's
eyes, "if you don't have a good cantaor or a decent guitarist, there's no
point in going on stage. There's no point in me going on stage, at least. I need
to work with the best artists I see. I've worked with leading figures of cante:
El Moro, who was already a legendary singer, el Indio Gitano, Ramón el
Portugués, Guadiana when he was just a kid, El Cigala when he was just
a kid... And people said to me 'What are you doing taking that boy with you, he's
only just starting out?' No, no, but I see he's got talent." And he hasn't
gone far wrong.
For Manolete, flamenco music shares the limelight with lots of other genres.
"First and foremost I have a flamenco collection, made up of everything that
comes out. And then, well, I like all kinds of music - Indian, classical, I've
got some Beethoven, Mozart... and not just music. A bailaor shouldn't stick just
to flamenco, because other styles of music can give you the nuances that flamenco
doesn't give you. Almost invariably, on every album, you can find four or five
things that grab you, that inspire you with creativity."
revista@flamenco-world.com
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