VI FESTIVAL DE JEREZ. RANCAPINO

Confessions

Silvia Calado Olivo. Jerez, 28th February 2002

Credits. Rancapino: voice. Fernando Moreno:guitar. Venue: Palacio de Villavicencio.
Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz province), 28th February2002.7pm.

Rancapino and Fernando Moreno (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The great windows at one corner of the Alcázar of Jerez have been left ajar as twilight is about to fall. The Palacio de Villavicencio tries to guard within its walls the echoes of the naked 'cante' of the great Flamenco singer Rancapino, to be heard only by a select few listeners. Huddled together under the crystal tears. He walks down the aisle from behind, like a bride to the altar, and there, under four blazing spotlights he promises sophisticated cante, with the guitar of Fernando Moreno as a witness. "¡Ole, el que arranca bien!" (Olé for the man who starts on the right foot!), says Moreno from Chiclana, who's already struck up a soleá. A deep, booming voice, rasping... the guitar awaits it and answers it carefully, as if not wishing to cause offence. The singing is in a whisper, it draws out a soft note... sssssshhhhhh. And the tirititrannn of the guitar. A joyful noise. And tiritiritiritrannn! He dives for the low notes, a pause: "Válgame Dios, tío Rufino" (May God help me, uncle Rufino). Rancapino shouts encouragement at the strings, and starts to mark time. The intimacy of his voice makes your hair stand on end. Cautious tangos. Cante roasted over a slow-turning spit. "Sentaíto en la escalera" (Sitting on the steps)... and the tempo is suddenly raised to a livelier pace. The fire from the spotlights provokes confessions... and sweat. And then the fandangos start, with a jolt that brings a smile to the guitarist's face. And since we're in the place where "seguiriyas are sung better than any other", here we go. His voice dives deep, rummages, goes still deeper, with left hand on heart and with the right firing from within. And since we're in Jerez, some bulerías to close. And for the privileged few, a sense of satisfaction... that on the other side of the walls the sun has shrunk from view.