DIEGO CARRASCO. ‘EL MAGO’.
SEVILLE'S 13th BIENAL DE FLAMENCO 2004

The art of illusionism

Silvia Calado. Seville, September 24th, 2004
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

‘El Mago’ (‘The Magician’). Diego Carrasco: cante. Diego del Morao: guitar. Fernando de la Morena Jr.: guitar. Ignacio Cintado: bass. Luis Carrasco: percussion. Juan Grande: drums. Ané Carrasco: percussion. Ana María González, Rosario Loreto, Maloko, Manuel Angulo, Enrique García, Luis Manteca: choruses and clapping. Stage direction: Belén Candil. Central Theater. Seville, September 24th, 2004. 9 p.m. Seville's 13th Bienal de Flamenco 2004.

Diego Carrasco

Magic. “The feigned art of producing effects contrary to natural law by means of uncommon operations” (Larousse Dictionary).

And magic is what Diego Carrasco does. Getting a theater on its feet without even singing an entire song, abandoning the band nearly half of the time, defying the critics as soon as he had come up on stage... is that or is that not an effect contrary to natural law? The magician makes a real art out of mischief in order to offer a concert which might not receive the title of this festival's best, but would get that of the most amusing one. Accompanied by a toy band - of which only the metal section, guitarist Diego del Morao and the female chorus were saved -, the Jerez-born cantaor, guitarist, composer... and even comic displayed all his genius, using the repertoire from his latest album ‘Mi ADN flamenco’ ('My Flamenco DNA') and some other things. Nearly almost whatever sprung up, which the program at hand had already made known: “The order of this program is subject to the artist's inspiration”. And he even asked himself: “Who knows what's going to happen here? We're going to have fun”.

Although the live show was essentially the group's usual one, stage director Belén Candil had made an effort to wrap it up nicely. The magician would come out wearing his top hat and would do... what magicians do: magic tricks. He turned a handkerchief into a magic wand, he pulled a bouquet of flowers out of his hat, he appeared, he disappeared. And he turned everything into laughter, sparks and adornment for a concert which would take on a garage rock tone on more than one occasion. ‘José Monje Cruz’, ‘Libertad’, ‘Do, re, mi’, the sevillanas ‘La Traji’, ‘Química’... and a ‘Hello Dolly’ which he left in the hands of Fernando de la Morena Jr. and, well, whoever wanted to approach the microphone. Diego Carrasco perfectly performed his triple role as the show's conductor; as liaison between the stage and the crowd, since he has no rival as a communicator; and of course, as cantaor-singer. And the thing is that he is unique in that personal way of half singing, half talking, fragmenting cante into bits so small that at times it is no more than rough syllables. A magician's magic. Abracadabra.

‘Mujeres’ (‘Women’). And flamenco seeks the dawn. The Hotel Triana, after welcoming the cante of Huelva, that of the peñas, that of Cádiz..., offered a flamenco art bill starring women last night. Malagueñas, peteneras, tangos, tarantas, alegrías, soleares, bulerías... Cante took on all its shapes in a collective performance with a serious tone in which cantaoras Ana Real, Rocío Díaz, Lola Valderrama, Mariana Cornejo and Elu de Jerez took part. The finishing touch of the night was provided by María del Mar Moreno, accompanied by the reliable cantaor trio consisting of Antonio Malena, Luis Moneo and Luis de Pacote, plus the guitars of Domingo Rubichi and Santiago Moreno. The Jerez-born bailaora came out in a fighting spirit to dance through soleá, listening to cante and letting it be heard. Coming from the native land they come from, the grand finale through bulerías was a must... even though the clock had struck three in the morning.

María del Mar Moreno and Luis Moneo

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