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SEVILLE'S 2006 BIENAL DE FLAMENCO. JOSÉ VALENCIA/ FUENSANTA
LA MONETA
Boiling
over
Silvia Calado. Seville, September 29th,
2006
Translation: Joseph Kopec
First part. José Valencia:
cante. Miguel Iglesias, Salvador Gutiérrez: guitar.
Carlos Grilo, Luis Cantarote, Manuel Valencia: clapping. Second
part. Fuensanta la Moneta: baile. Enrique
el Extremeño, Miguel Lavi: cante. Eugenio Iglesias,
Miguel Iglesias: guitar. Seville's 14th Bienal de Flamenco
2006. Teatro Alameda. Seville, September 29th, 2006. 9 p.m.
José
Valencia came knowing that La Alameda's historical flamenco
vestige was going to light the way for him. With irrepressible
energy, the cantaor tackled the challenge of finally standing
firm face to face with the audience of Seville's Bienal de
Flamenco, one of the many festivals where he has grown as
an accompanying cantaor since the time when he used to be
called Joselito de Lebrija. And this was his night... or at
least, half of it. Though the one he was sharing the bill
with was a bailaora he knows very well, Granada-born Fuensanta
la Moneta, since up to now he's been one of the voices that
has guided her movements on stage.
José Valencia and Carlos
Grilo (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
And the Lebrija-born cantaor came out with
the strength characteristic of this theater's stage, which
even though it has something provisional about it, sometimes
manages the precise flavor to enjoy flamenco. He revved up
his engine por malagueñas, moderate, testing, until
opening his heart in the abandolao. The cantaor went on por
soleá, a cante he mastered and knew how to guide in
order to consciously introduce the audience into the essence
of this style. Though he needed time to do so, he sought it
out and found it, handing himself over entirely while squeezing
in his hands the white handkerchief which kept him on the
ground. The guitar by Miguel Iglesias made way for that of
Salvador Gutiérrez, both of them well-known in accompaniment
and in making this profession something more than just a craft.
The cante doesn't all fit in José Valencia's jacket.
He tightens his tie around the cantiñas. And the cante
erupts, but in a controlled eruption. So much so that he toys
with the toque, which grazes the cantes, which slows them
down, which nearly turns them into old jokes. He transmits
all the drama of love's trials to the seguiriya. And what
is tucked into this style of pathos is all brought out in
the final bulerías. Urged on by clapping two-thirds
Jerez, one-third Lebrija, and with two guitars, he reviews
the cantaor wealth of his native land of Lebrija when it's
time for fiesta. Finally, a bit of unplugged. And the thing
is that this cantaor with a tenor's qualities already comes
self-amplified.
Fuensanta la Moneta
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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Having the same vocal tessiture is Enrique
el Extremeño, the cantaor who came to shape up the
baile of Fuensanta
la Moneta. For her presentation in Seville, she changed
the repertoire she usually does solo and decided on alegrías
in a bata de cola, farruca and seguiriyas. And that proved
that she's a bailaora for the future. Moreover, except for
the unnecessary length of the last number, she was able to
present a simple, balanced small-scale show with fluency and
rhythm which are not always achieved. She kicked things off
por alegrías, with a choreography she's made her own
based on the model by Matilde
Coral. And very much her own. Nothing less than courage,
and certain doses of violence, are transmitted by this very
young artist to a school which delights in just the contrary;
in the peaceful and the aerial. The train of the bata, nearly
like
Pastora Galván did in ‘La Francesa’,
shouldn't dominate, since if it's jostled, it also knows how
to obey. Note her hands, her head, how she arches her back,
her eyes, her feet... It isn't easy to dance with everything
and keep the picture beautiful; by the way, in white and orange.
Nor does she ever lose sight of the musicians, with whom she
maintains a fluent dialogue, nor the audience, who she constantly
defies. Following a brief two-guitar prologue, the two Iglesias,
she comes back wearing a short outfit with trousers to dance
the farruca. The other Moneta, sober, concentrated. With the
‘script’ by Javier
Latorre – and the thing is she was considerate enough
to say at the press conference who had put together her bailes
-, she danced extremely neatly from the waist down... and
with her eyes. How clean her footwork is was revealed, footwork
with every nuance and every sound: tip, stance, heel, dragging...
The piece, so well tied down to the guitars, brought the audience
to a thunderous standing ovation. The clapping drifts towards
soleá and there, under the spotlight, Enrique
el Extremeño comes out to recall Antonio Mairena.
But the bailaora comes out wearing burning red and re-routes
the scene to seguiriyas. She just needs the clappers –
this trio, an absolute star at this Bienal -, to introduce
the baile in a triangular formation. To land. And without
losing sight of the ground, she reels off a baile with roomy
rests, tremendous flurries of strength and a lot of appeal.
Long live young blood... and youths with blood.
Hotel Triana, ‘Los
Juncales’
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Los Juncales
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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Triana had a perfect night scheduled.
With the evening dew coming off the river, the
crowd jam-packed the courtyard of the Hotel Triana.
The buffet ambience sparkled more than any previous
night. And the thing is that the group of artists
gathered called for it. Though they decided not
to go so much with the flow of improvisation as
they promised and basically offered a serious
jondo performance. The night was opened by the
well-rounded guitar of Moraíto
Chico, with a basic of flamenco music: ‘Rocayisa’.
The integrity of his touch por bulerías
smoothed the way for Tomasito,
who entertained with his ‘Torrotrón’,
invoking Camarón and the naughtiest elves.
The refreshing flash turned into deep feeling
when Diego
Carrasco recited ‘Nuevo día’
to introduce Manuel
Molina. Wearing a white suit and with a loose
guitar, he was touching even with all the imperfection
of his art. Poet, troubadour, prophet. And Triana,
his Triana. Expiring right nearby is ‘El
Cachorro’, the Triana Christ to whom Diego
Carrasco sang, warming up his guitar. And that
saeta of his linked up with the bulerías
of the lettuce, a popular song recorded by Lorca,
and which the Jerez-born artist now tunes up accompanied
by Diego del Morao and the compás of Barrio
de Santiago. Following a potpourri of his songs,
Moraíto joins in so that, between all of
them, they dedicate ‘Alahea’ “to
the greatest, to the soleá, to Fernanda”.
Coming in with the “black-light glass”
is Javier
Barón to offer the crowd – filled
with artists tonight – terrific baile por
alegrías, with fine-tuned art and technique.
Diego sings for him, Manuel recites for him, Tomasito
added the wit. And the crowd enjoyed it... though
they were left hungry for more partying. Triana
must know how to manage to keep on going until
dawn.
Further information
- 2006
Festival de Nîmes. ‘Los Juncales’.
Review and photos
Online store
- CD:
Diego Carrasco. Inquilino del mundo
- CD:
Tomasito. Cositas de la realidad
- CD:
Moraíto. Morao, Morao
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And tomorrow...
Esperanza
Fernández, ‘Cuatro guitarras
y una voz’. Teatro Lope de Vega, 9 p.m.
The Sevillian cantaora, used to getting involved
in diverse musical experiences, faces the challenge
of singing pieces by Turina, Albéniz and
Falla for the classical guitar of María
Esther Guzmán. In the second half of the
show she'll challenge three guitars to dialogue
with her cante: those of José Antonio Rodríguez,
Miguel Ángel Cortés and Paco Fernández.
José Manuel León/
Andrés Peña. Teatro Alameda, 10
p.m. On this occasion, the twin-bill
evenings at the Teatro Alameda have José
Manuel León and Andrés
Peña sharing the lineup. The Algeciras-born
guitarist will present his first album, ‘Sirimusa’,
in Seville. The Jerez-born bailaor offers a shortened
version of his show ‘A fuego lento’
which he recently premiered at the Dusseldorf
Festival.
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Diego el Cigala
and Salif Keita
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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Diego
el Cigala & Salif Keita. Auditorio de
la Cartuja, 11:30 p.m. Seville's Bienal
de Flamenco is going to host one of the most interesting
encounters with world music which flamenco could
ever experience. Though it was originally scheduled
for them to merely share the bill, for African
music to be simply a guest of this flamenco festival,
as soon as Diego el Cigala and Salif Keita met
each other, they decided to unite their voices
and their musical traditions. Diego el Cigala
will do the live show of his latest album, ‘Picasso
en mis ojos’. And Salif Keita will do
his concert, ‘M’Bemba’. But
there'll be something more. At the press conference,
both coincided in remarking that they mutually
fell in love with each other's voice. Salif Keita,
a self-confessed fan of Camarón de la Isla,
elaborated that “his flamenco voice is impressive,
even if I don't understand the lyrics, I can feel
the lyrics”. To which El Cigala responded
that “without understanding what he was
singing when I listened to his album again and
again, my hair stood on end”. About Keita's
voice, he commented that “it's really personal,
he has some warbles which come in swiftly, he
has intimacy singing, freshness and agility, the
maestro knows well what's done”. Stemming
from this mutual admiration will be a collaboration
which, according to the cantaor, is going to be
subject “to the elves which are flying through
the air in Seville; we'll go with the flow of
inspiration”. Though, as he demonstrated
at the end of the encounter with the media at
the Casino, the Madrilenian cantaor had come with
clear ideas. He's already been studying the music
by the artist from Mali and right away he told
him which song seemed ideal to share. The two
of them were there humming the copla, invoking
inspiration...
Further information
- Interview
with Diego el Cigala, cantaor
- Listening
guide. Flamenco & world music
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magazine@flamenco-world.com
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