SIXTH FESTIVAL DE JEREZ. MANUELA CARRASCO / MACANITA

Presence. Absence

Silvia Calado Olivo. Jerez, March 11th, 2002-03-12

FIRST PART. Manuela Carrasco: dance. Manuel Soler, Bobote and Joselito Romero: dance and palmas. Enrique El Extremeño, Pepe Pura: cante. Joaquín Amador, Miguel Iglesias: guitar. Samara Amador, Pipi Carrasco: choruses. SECOND PART. La Macanita: cante. Manuel Parrilla: gutar. Chícharo, Bo: palmas and jaleos. Teatro Villamarta, Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), March 11th, 2002. 9:00 p.m..

Manuela Carrasco with Bobote and Manuel Soler (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
Manuela Carrasco (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The photocopy of a medical report posted on the entrance door received the big crowd (locals for the most part) that showed up for the closing of the Sixth Festival de Jerez. Paquera had been admitted to the hospital that same afternoon and, as happened in the last Fiesta de la Bulería, her performance was cancelled. They say that Tomasa Guerrero La Macanita was in the theater as just another spectator, and that upon learning of her aunt's indisposition, offered to stand in.

Not until the second part did the singer appear on stage, as Manuela Carrasco was the featured artist for the first half of the evening. The curtain rose and the gathering of artists in full juerga came on strong, por bulerías. Seven people marking the compás, and in the middle of the circle, there she was, the gypsy queen, Manuela Carrasco. Wait a second señora, until the singers stand up and bring you to center stage. And there she raises her arms, slowly, radiating majesty and, for only brief moments, letting loose her fury, from head to toe. The audience cheers, the dancer from Seville becomes uncoiffed. Almost as in a trance she drifts off stage right. As she exits the group focuses its energy on alegrias to momentarily showcase Joselito Romero, a jumping-jack who did not manage to maintain the level that Manuel had established. For that purpose, fortunately, there was Manuel Soler and Bobote who, with wisdom and repose the former, graceful and teasing the latter, introduced the soleá with bulerías where now she finally came out with her regal, powerful profile. Without moving from the spot, she moves her ruffles caressing the air, making up for any hint of clumsiness in the preparation. Likewise, she multiplies the length of each minute...and that is when Soler and Bobote put hands and feet to work, carrying her on high. The compás turns into bulerías once again. The trio of compás lifts her and surrounds her and by turns each does a little dance to finish off. And now the lady. And off they go, with their fiesta, Soler tightlipped, Bobote with his pirouettes, and with her majestic carriage, Manuela.

Tomasa Guerrero dared to pick up the gauntlet: substitute for La Paquera. And that meant making the locals happy, people who had just bought their tickets the same day of the closing of the festival. Wishing a quick recovery for her aunt and making it clear that she was just as happy as unhappy to be up on the stage of the Villamarta, Macanita launched into soleá to get her throat going. By her side, Parrilla...acerbic, precise. Behind her, Bo, Chícharo and Gregorio. And now tangos, roused by the special Parrilla-esque compás. Now in full inspiration she goes up and lets it rip. Now seguiriyas. Repose and restraint. Now bulerías, Jerez flavor flowing...standing, a cuplé, a little dance. Singing/dancing, whispering, uplifting. Now the palmeros. 'Tomaquetoma'. Who cares about the feedback and those mike screeches you sang through. Now Parrilla, his bulerías dance. And the reprise of course, the single from your new record which you were anxious to sing. "And if I go off tune, please forgive me" Forgiven Tomasa...you had after all come to occupy a seat in the audience.

Macanita with Parrilla de Jerez (Photo:Daniel Muñoz)

Parrilla dancing (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)