GERARDO NÚÑEZ. ‘ANDANDO EL TIEMPO’.
SEVILLE'S 13th BIENAL DE FLAMENCO 2004

Gerardo Núñez's exploit

Silvia Calado. Seville, September 17th, 2004

Andando el tiempo’ (‘Time Going By’). Gerardo Núñez: guitar. Central Theater. Seville, September 17th, 2004. 9 p.m. Seville's 13th Bienal de Flamenco 2004.

Gerardo Nuñez
Photo: Daniel Muñoz

For a guitarist to play the guitar is not news, but for him to play it entirely alone for over an hour and a half at a full theater and in the setting of Seville's Bienal de Flamenco is not just a pioneer initiative, but rather a real feat. Neither chamber orchestras, nor sextets, not even the trio with contrabass and box drum. Gerardo Núñez, alone with his guitar. And it is not a matter of exhibitionism. This is the way the Jerez-born musician has of raising his voice with a vindication: “I'm fighting to conquer other stages for guitar, for it to take up the place it deserves. And the same as a pianist is put up there where there's a grand piano, there's a place for guitarists to be received with their instrument”.

When Gerardo Núñez uttered those words, he had already been playing for over an hour; and the crowd, which nearly filled up the Central Theater, had been enjoying themselves wildly for over an hour. “You have us drooling here!”, said a fan from his seat. And it was true. If the music flowing with such sensitivity, such brain and such fluency from the orange Esteso was fascinating, almost more fascinating was the attitude of the crowd - in which colleagues appeared such as Mario Maya and Dorantes -, highly respectful, understanding, grateful, pleased... The truth is that at this festival everything is applauded, but the intensity and unanimity of the applauses Gerardo's guitar received tonight were truly special. The instrumentalist's sincerity deserved it. There was nothing up his sleeve; just the naked soul of an artist.

As if for him to feel somewhat sheltered, six mirrors were placed on guard behind him in a semi-circle, so that the crowd could only see him reflected in one of them. The guitarist was under a circle of light, seated on a rush-bottomed chair. That was the entire scenography. He had a faithful ally in technology, with faithful and natural amplification of the guitar; rare in these times. Preceded by a warm applause, he set out on his exploit with ‘Yerma’, the first of those sonorous journeys, which have textures, volumes, states of mind... and all the freedom in the world. The soleá through bulerías was another dive to the bottom of that universe belonging to Gerardo Núñez, containing all the history of the flamenco genre, plus entire universal experience, both of which are fully absorbed. What beauty. What feeling. And how surprising to see that the repertoire still has the same greatness with and without accompaniment (without taking merit away from the work of Pablo Martín and Cepillo, of course). The stroll through time goes on via ‘Trafalgar’. The melody cajoles, hums, catches. The essence of flamenco music is displayed from all prisms; from above, from below, from within... And the wicked technique of a brave trapeze artist shakes the audience.

To the residents in this city - and not just to Sevillians - he dedicated ‘Sevilla’, a bright composition, which looks upon the river, the white of the bullring, the winding streets. Coming to contrast with this music's crystal clearness was the bulería, with more old-fashioned, harder, perhaps even more rock flourishes and style. He controlled himself once again through soleá, walking towards the farruca he composed a couple of years ago for the show ‘Galvánicas’ by Israel Galván. The deconstructed music, the playful abstraction, the brilliance of the thought-out sound. The bailaor comes to mind, abstract and stratospheric... like this music which amuses so much. And the thing is that Gerardo makes his listeners smile, laugh and even cry. Following this ovation is when he spoke, when he finished getting all of us up on his ship to confirm with it that “flamenco guitar, in concert, in its most essential form and devoid of all accompanying elements can be an attractive, interesting concert worthy of taking up the place it deserves in the programs of all musical events”. And there was still a lot of music to be heard. He bedeviled his technique at will, floated, glided... and decided to finish through bulerías, bulerías which, back from Santiago or from La Plazuela, go out of orbit. The ovation was so heart-felt, so terrific, that he had no choice but to do an encore. He played, as he said, something rare for guitarists: a pasodoble. And he dedicated it to his mother, who was there to see him. A jewel of rhythm and cadence, sensitive to the utmost. There were still a few steps to be taken... and he did so nearly synthesizing all forms of his guitar, giving himself up entirely. The crowd again burst out in applause, but he could no longer be asked for more. The battle was won... one more battle. Flamenco guitar keeps moving ahead in its struggle to conquer its place.

Gerardo Nuñez

Photo: Daniel Muñoz

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