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BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA 2008
JOSÉ DE LA TOMASA & GABRIEL PIES PLOMO
A cantaor becomes full-fledged
S. C. Seville, September 18th, 2008
'De la misma sangre'. José de la Tomasa, Gabriel Pies Plomo: cante. Antonio Carrión, Antonio Moya: guitar. Luis Peña, Javier Heredia: clapping. 15th Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla. Teatro Lope de Vega. Seville, September 18th, 2008. 9 p.m.
"Grabi! Come here, my love!". That's how natural the ceremony was. Following a cante-prologue por malagueñas, José de la Tomasa gave his son a shout. Gabriel, who takes the stage name Pies Plomo (Lead Feet) after his grandfather, came out obediently to become full-fledged on the bare stage of the Teatro Lope de Vega. And the thing is that the lights didn't even need to be changed, nor the cyclorama used, nor the group extended beyond Antonio Moya on guitar and a couple of clappers when it was necessary. It was all cante.
Gabriel Pies Plomo. Photo Bienal de Sevilla © Luis Castilla
The young cantaor, overcome by nerves and excitement, tried to handle the "responsibility" weighing heavily on his shoulders with a recital not very brilliant, but brimming over with support from the crowd. Farruca, aires de levante, cantiñas and toná-liviana were his credentials. And to seek some backing, he resorted to the 'trick' of the self-referential lyrics, praise to his lineage which the audience couldn't resist.
"To celebrate the success my Grabi has had, I'm going to sing a little bit por soleá". And then his father sang. Pies Plomo's son. Manuel Torre's great nephew. He played with increasing and decreasing his echo por tarantos. He made a stop in Triana por tientos-tangos. He drew olés from the crowd with a couple of fandangos. And to seal his performance, always side by side with Antonio Carrión on toque, he made it clear what "my family's national anthem" is. A superb cante por seguiriyas whose essentialness and depth should be aspired to by the débuting cantaor. Let's hope he knows how to value and take advantage of the chance which others are denied for not having a flamenco surname.
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And tomorrow…
· 'Carmen' , Sara Baras
Teatro de la Maestranza, 8:30 p.m.
· 'Baldomero Romero Ressendi. La voz del color' , Manolo Sanlúcar
Teatro Lope de Vega, 9 p.m.
Manolo Sanlúcar
(Photo Daniel Muñoz) |
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Before anything else, the first thing Manolo Sanlúcar did at the press conference presenting his concert 'Baldomero Romero Ressendi. La voz del color' was to give thanks. "Seville will never be able to express itself better to me" than by attending in masses the tribute which Bienal de Flamenco 2008 paid to him on September 10th. Now it's his turn to be the creator once again, which is why he was thus 'awarded'. He premieres a musical show at the Lope de Vega inspired by the painting of Romero Ressendi. As the guitarist explained, "I want to recall the character of that painter who loved Andalusia and its musical culture in a very special way". He didn't deny identifying with the tragic part of his painting, but elaborated: "I have the image of being a tough, serious man, but what nobody knows is that laughing is my favorite thing in the world. I wouldn't swap a night of fun, of partying, for a Beethoven concert, or Chacón, or anyone". And he remarked that dramatic art was also a part of the Andalusian, as he summarized with some seguiriyas lyrics. "Ressendi was an artist above all else, even above himself, and his work reflects artists' tortuous situation", he stated. Something which he took to his terrain upon saying that "I've been debating with myself, since some of the paintings reflected my present reality". Even so, he continued to uphold reason over heart, since he judged that "we flamencos aren't the only ones who have feelings; they also have them in jazz and in classical music". And he therefore vindicates that "the musician be sought in flamenco". He had nothing but congratulations from his own -among them, Carmen Grilo and percussionist Agustín Diassera. Especially from guitarist David Carmona, who he considers "my heir" without mincing his words. In synthesis, Manolo Sanlúcar announces that "tomorrow a very established man will be shown proud of his tradition, and a man who keeps on seeking the avant-garde. I'm half rooster, half pigeon", he admitted to the media. And by the way, the concert is completed with an exhibit by the Sevillian painter at Seville's Alcázar, in which paintings can be seen which inspired the musician from Sanlúcar such as 'La danza de los pavos' and 'El papa negro'.
· 'Personalidad' , Angelita Vargas, El Chozas, Antonio Reyes...
Hotel Triana, 11 p.m.
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