No dream is the same as another

Silvia Calado. Madrid, February 2nd, 2006

Enrique Morente: cante. Niño Josele: guitar. Bandolero: percussion. 14th Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival. Teatro Albéniz, February 2nd, 2006. 8:30 p.m.

	Enrique Morente (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Announced in the program was the live show of ‘Morente sueña La Alhambra’ (‘Morente Dreams La Alhambra’), but dreams are never the same... and less so, those of Enrique Morente. The Granada-born cantaor, flanked by Niño Josele on guitar and Bandolero on percussions, gave away to the Madrid crowd just one of his possible concerts. He had a cozy night, a relaxed attitude which let him take risks and make a commitment, at all times within the classicism of cante... except for ‘La aurora de Nueva York’. He is criticized so much for his attachment to free styles, and he firmly laid his stakes on styles to compás. He performed everything with risk, without leaving an ounce of himself inside.

Bulerías to compás. The three of them standing. Just the clapping is behind his cante. Smoothly, the instrumentalists take up their seats. Enrique Morente takes a look at poetry. He reconverts Manuel Machado's poem ‘Ausencia’ into a soleá through bulerías. It sounds broad, great, powerful. A single moan is shocking; there's nothing to compare it to. And the Almería-born artist's sonanta has matured, has taken shape and attacks firmly. There's the sensation that each phase is an online creation... and he confirms it by sketching out the same verse a thousand different ways. Coming slowly afterwards were the cantiñas by the gentleman who drew the rose and the Málaga women in Cristo del Desengaño. Freedom to fly. Time for alegrías. He does them mature, unhurriedly, letting the air go by between phases. From his personal “taratatrán” to the “titirimundis”.

Niño Josele (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Solemnity. El Ronco del Albaicín is going to sing through soleá and through seguiriyas. Coarse realism. The audience can't hold back their emotions. Impressive indeed is his wailing, his fullness, his peculiar way of guiding his voice, of turning up the phases and breaking into brutal ayeo. Returning is the calm, the sensuality, the sweetness. The tientos start off with a shaking fit, like Chano Lobato did the previous night. The music of the sonanta and the percussion becomes ethereal, subtle, with swing. What shall we do? Niño Josele proposes something from ‘Omega’. What do you know? ‘La aurora de Nueva York’. Phew! Brace yourselves; here come the strong emotions. Enrique Morente rises and dawns on the other side of the ocean.

The performance now goes into overtime. Huelva fandangos with a final chorus taken from a track from ‘Lorca’. “That's it; we'll sing more another day”. Of course, the enthused crowd rose to their feet and called for an encore. The maestro responded through bulerías, returning towards Jerez. “Tambale-tambaleándome” (“Stag-staggering me”). A smash hit. Enrique Morente dreamt once more.

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