SEVILLE'S 2006 BIENAL DE FLAMENCO. FOSFORITO / MILAGROS MENGÍBAR

Skilled nostalgia

Silvia Calado. Seville, September 26th, 2006
Translation: Joseph Kopec

Fosforito: cante. Manuel Silveria, Antonio Soto: guitars / Milagros Mengíbar, Luisa Palicio: baile. Manolo Sevilla, Emilio Cabello: cante. Rafael Rodríguez, Pedro Sánchez: guitar. Seville's 14th Bienal de Flamenco 2006. Teatro Lope de Vega. Seville, September 26th, 2006. 9 p.m.

	Fosforito (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Nostalgia has another night in the spotlight. The second phase of the program kicked off with a twin bill of maestros shared by the cantaor of cantaores Fosforito and by Sevillian bailaora Milagros Mengíbar. Because of the just tribute, the cantaor once again betrayed his intention to retire, offering a performance more suffered than enjoyed. Of course, the audience sprinkled the entire performance with olés and ovations, awarding more the figure he used to be and the superhuman effort he carried out, than the cantaor he is today. Nevertheless, the qualities could be made out which have made him deserving of the Llave de Oro del Cante (Cante's Golden Key Award): “Formal austerity”, “encyclopedism”, “intensity”, “innovation”, it says in the printed program.

Beauty is ageless, old people say. And its virtues started to show through tonight at the Bienal in the solemn soleá apolá and in the petenera, with strong, respired toque by Antonio Soto. His head held high. His hand beating out the rhythm upon a little wooden table, like a cane holding him up. And expressiveness as his weapon. Then with magnificent accompanying guitar by Manuel Silveria, who is sorely missed on stages and at the recording studios, he performed the cantiñas. The first olé goes to the falseta from such delicious guitar. The second one and the ovation go to the cantaor and his overdone effort. Matilde Coral can be heard from the crowd saying: “You're really good, Antonio, kid!” He sketched out the taranto at the beginning through the guitar, but he fought with it as it went on, making these illustrative lyrics heard: “Because I can't go on, my strength is failing me, I'm not even going to be able to finish this taranto”. But he finished it amidst shouts of applause. And he even was bold enough to ask for the nut on three for the two-guitar bulerías. Then someone said sarcastically, referring to El Lebrijano's words quoted a few days ago by the local press: “And they said he was mute”. And the thing is that the audience is comprehensive, grateful and enthusiastic to the core. And Fosforito was great, really great for cante flamenco.

Milagros Mengíbar (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Milagros Mengíbar and her student Luisa Palicio starred in the second part. And they came out to uphold their way of understanding the Sevillian School of Andalusian Dancing, which is what its keeper Matilde Coral wants it to be called. Cunning, eternalized baile. Overperformed, showcase-style baile. Air, all air. The baile done by Milagros Mengíbar ignores time and land. It just wants to be allowed to fly or sketch out the air. This baile of infinite arm movements, repeated, frozen poses, hips and stage drama, is the one the Sevillian bailaora takes to its ultimate consequences. Compared to today's baile, it's almost a museum piece. That's why for many it's a real delight there's still someone who revives the canon again and again. And not just the maestra, but also the pupil. Luisa Palicio sets aside all possible anxiety natural for her age, to duplicate the formal paradigm, on this occasion, por soleares and a makeup-color bata de cola. The mentor had two moments of glory, cheered on minute after minute by the audience. The first one, in a short black and red dress, strutting the zambra caracolera ‘La Salvaora’, with cantaor Manolo Sevilla on stage and a lot of drama. The second one, in a starched white bata de cola, por cantiñas. Feminine, spicy, spurred on by the members of the group, experienced in tablao stages. High arm movement around her face. Full restraint in the motion. “Long live the magic!” She holds all the keys to make her audience happy, who cheer her on as she withdraws with jota-style steps. Baile from Seville for Seville. Baroque, ornamental Seville. Seville engrossed in its cosmetic beauty.

Bienal 2006 inauguration at the Casino (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)     Seville's 2006 Bienal de Flamenco sells out eighty percent of its tickets. The Sevillian festival has weighed things up after ten days of the program. Nearly forty shows have hung up the "sold out" sign, which means 81.25 percent of the total. But it must be taken into account that in this edition the Teatro de la Maestranza, the venue with the largest seating capacity in the city, is missing. For the time being, there are only tickets left for eight shows, among them that of Diego el Cigala& Salif Keita at the Auditorio, the concerts by Son de la Frontera and José Antonio Rodríguez, and the closing gala, among others. According to a survey conducted by the organization with a sample of 240 people, about thirty percent of the crowd are locals, while the remaining seventy percent are outsiders. Standing out is the flow of visitors from Japan, France, and to a lesser degree, the United States. The balance also highlights the inauguration of five exhibits, among them, those of photographs by Gilles Larrain and Carlos Saura, as well as the ‘off-bienal’ activities which have included presentations of books such as ‘El color del baile flamenco’ by Paco Sánchez and albums such as Argentina's.

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