SEVILLE’S 2006 BIENAL DE FLAMENCO. ‘GITANAS’

The quid of the ovation

Silvia Calado. Seville, October 14th, 2006

‘Gitanas’. Baile: La Farruca, Pilar la Faraona, Angelita Vargas, Carmelilla Montoya, Saray de los Reyes. Guitar: Román Vicenti, José Acedo, El Perla. Cante: Juana la del Revuelo, Mara Rey, María Vizárraga, Encarnita Anillo. Directing and choreography: Farruquito, La Farruca. Stage design: Richard Harrison. Original idea: Eva Rico. Seville’s 14th Bienal de Flamenco 2006. Teatro Lope de Vega. Seville, October 14th, 2006. 9 p.m.

And Hurricane ‘Gitanas’ came storming in. With such a long list of temperamental artists and such a constant release of high energy, the Teatro Lope de Vega couldn’t help but surrender to this flamenco show. Two continuous hours of pure adrenaline inevitably led to a thunderous ovation. The intensity curve is in fact a straight line which doesn’t move away from ten from the first minute to the last. There are no risks in this show which acts like a winning horse. A charging entrance with the introduction of the entire group of artists por seguiriyas. A catalogue of finishes, fluttering of frills, pinches of solos, one, another, two, three, all. And once the introductions have been made and a univocal climate created, the string of solos begins. The first one is by the very young Saray de los Reyes por alegrías. The one hundred percent ‘farruco’ trademark, made with all the clan’s tics and applaudable footwork. The three cantaoras - Mara Rey, María Vizárraga and Encarna Anillo – also display their formula: cante on the verge of shouting, in turns or in unison, nearly always standing next to the one dancing for a more direct effect. Without any stops in between, the next solo: Angelita Vargas por tientos. Terrific baile, wisely thorough in time and space, savoring itself. She sizes things up and attacks, like a feline. And coming out to meet the tangos sung by Juana la del Revuelo is Pilar la Faraona. A duel of hips.

'Gitanas' (Photo: Luis Castilla. Bienal de flamenco de Sevilla)

Ovation, fade out and Carmelilla Montoya up on stage before a mirror. She marks the beat on the chest of drawers, the cantaoras urge her on and she comes out to dance. Her dancing is light, as if a centimeter off the floor, feminine and kind, made for the audience and made from the musicians. And lyrics by Lole appear amidst the vocal tempest. “The moon dreams of being a bailaora, and a white dress with a train is being made for her”. The bulería is on a platter. Pilar la Faraona can be made out in a supposed dressing room while at the ‘singing café’, Juana la del Revuelo is already singing. Settled, measured-out cante with presence and immense art to be uttered and performed. “Where’s my fatty?” And out comes Farruco’s daughter with her father’s bearing and a basket at her hip. Her entire robust body gives off art, details of feeling, bits of that flamenco which needs nothing but inspiration and charm.

And from the spree to mourning. La Farruca does her hair in the backroom, while a soleá is marked for her by Cádiz-born Anillo, which Juana will continue on stage. Rosario Montoya unhurriedly absorbs the cante now dictated to her by all the cantaoras wrapped up in shawls and in a closed circle around her. Distinction, moderation, beauty. Calm in the vocal maelstrom facing the sensational finishes in silence. Her black hair hanging loose, somewhat majestic and fierce. And if there weren’t enough reasons for applause, coming in at the end is the boy Carpeta – who has just turned nine – to dance another full soleá which is scary... because of its old flavor, also with a boy cantaor. Of course, an ovation. It finishes the way it started. All the ‘gypsies’ bursting out to the afandangado sound of the rondeña and applauses and further applauses. And since there’s an ovation to the beat, the mother has it also taken advantage of by Farruquito, who’s at a hard moment in view of his upcoming imprisonment. May the show go on.

And tomorrow... Diana Navarro, Domingo González and Merche Esmeralda (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)     ‘Closing gala’. Teatro de la Maestranza, 8:30 p.m. After thirty-two days of flamenco, Seville’s Bienal de Flamenco puts the icing on the cake of its fourteenth edition with a gala dedicated to Sevillian baile. Directed by contemporary choreographer Ramón Oller, the gala is going to have two different parts starring Merche Esmeralda and Manuela Carrasco, respectively. The first, which is going to include the special collaboration of singer Diana Navarro and bailaor Manolo Marín, will have “the purity of lines, simplicity” at the core. The second will be “more racial” and will consist of Manuela Carrasco’s usual repertoire - seguiriya, taranto y soleá – with the participation of artists such as Potito, Enrique el Extremeño and Pedro Sierra. Further information - Interview with Merche Esmeralda, bailaora (March, 2006) - Interview with Manuela Carrasco, bailaora (July, 2002)

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