While it rains in Jerez, "the gray air ripples": on the third day, it’s Lorca again. On this occasion came the vision of Antonio Gades, one who lured many into the world of flamenco thanks to his alliance with Carlos Saura. The intense drama acted out by Gades and Hoyos adds a supplement to such an austere and convincing environment, with the versatility of the Elvira Andrés Company - different from the work of  Maya who opened up the festival. An ending with impact. And a wedding photo. In black and white.

Elvira Andrés

A guitar in the darkness, a mother, a son who is getting ready for the wedding.  A cradle and a lullaby (singing for Marisol!) in the resounding iconography of  ‘Blood weddings.' More guitar from Emilio de Diego, author of the music, except the song 'Ay mi sombrero!' by Pepe Blanco, happily united in the coral where the wedding starts, and with a wink-stops for the photo. Alfredo Mañas and Francisco Nieva created a fluid, well placed stage design that they prepared for Gades. After the rumba (owing to Las Grecas) the drama begins; the shuffled air, the glimmer of the knives. A dense moment, a duel slow motion camera; as dense as the silence on the paper where the flamenco score is written.  The clapping doubles up for the death. And during the applause, the picture is framed on the retina of the imaginary photographer.  

Beforehand Elvira Andrés presents two choreographies -in which she does not appear, while in ‘Weddings’ she plays the bride.  Experimental moments come through in the music with electronic echoes through a dozen varying scenes, and a dozen dancers combined.  Highlights: piano and heels, men and women in black and white with castanets and the urgent need to express themselves to the music (that of De Diego and Víctor Martín), sometimes gloomy, with body language and rattle snakes. Women: six- prelude to the five that will bring La Yerbabuena-, repetitive and punctilious, as if someone was interpreting a copla. The dances of the new age done Spanish style. The metaphorical Flamenco has the function of creating new realities. 

Duquende

'Veladas de Palacio' started off the series of 'Flamenquerías.' Duquende, phlegmatic, chain from the pocket to the vest. With the delicate footwork the playing of Jerez based Juan Diego takes apart some of 'Samaruco,' interspersed with three rounds of fandangos. The two bulerías from the album, a taranta and blasting cartagenera, tangos and modern alegrías ("On the moon in the heavens the astronauts..."), a new branch of soleá de Alcalá ," and these difficult and beautiful seguiriyas in the style of Morente. All this is what the singer from Sabadell brought to Jerez, less angry than usual, with his tattoo of Camaron. "Now you don’t sing to me anymore, locust..." And Tomatito shouted out among the public: "Ole, Duque..."

 Luis Clemente
Translated by Jessica Lorber