2006 CAJA MADRID FLAMENCO FESTIVAL. ANTONIO EL PIPA

Tablao El Pipa

Silvia Calado. Madrid, February 3rd, 2006

‘De tablao’. Antonio el Pipa: baile, direction, choreography. Angelita Vargas, Mariana Cornejo, Juana la del Pipa: guest artists. María José Franco: lead bailaora. Luis Moneo: cante. 14th Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival. Teatro Albéniz. Madrid, February 3rd, 2006.
8:30 p.m.

Juana la del Pipa and Angelita Vargas (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The approach of the new show by the Antonio el Pipa Company couldn't be simpler: taking a tablao to the theater. The group, the attraction, the guests … and even the ‘typical Spanish’ decoration. Everything that's been happening at these reinvented singing cafés since the '50s has a place in this show. Antonio el Pipa relies on the usual members of his company, plus veteran guest artists who are going to change. If at the premiere at Málaga en Flamenco he had La Cañeta de Málaga, in the show at the Caja Madrid Festival he invited bailaora Angelita Vargas and cantaora Mariana Cornejo. All together, they performed an easy-going show, aided at all times by the involvement of the crowd.

The show starts off with a still photo, Café del Burrero style. The tablao opens its doors. Introductory bulerías with a boy included … one touch per head. A glimpse is already caught of the work's qualities: choppy rhythm, colorful, dynamism. The first serious baile is that of María José Franco through seguiriyas, sung standing by Luis Moneo. She lacks guts, but is brimming over with posture, curve, beautiful arm movement. Immediately afterwards, El Pipa bursts in through alegrías. Maximum flirtation. He likes himself and is liked. Upscale, classic baile… always at the edge of the stage, as close as possible to the applause.

María José Franco (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Mariana Cornejo and bailaoras (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Tonight's main event is the pair consisting of Angelita Vargas and Juana la del Pipa. Energy in torrents. Two baile and cante titans, face to face through soleá. They offered a relic of classic and deep-roots flamenco art. As a counterpoint, a choral soleá through bulerías in which Antonio el Pipa lets himself get wrapped up by the batas de cola of the company's four bailaoras. Simplicity in the choreography of this piece, flooded by the color of the female wardrobe, made with embroidered shawls for their bodies and frilled skirts sprinkled with polka dots. Climax in the ‘rivalry’ within the main couple dancing with just the marked rhythm. Baile with feeling, roneo, of the here and now. Second event: Mariana Cornejo. She nearly rapped some fun tanguillos, adorned by bailaoras dressed in mini-skirt suits, like the ones in fashion several decades ago. The Cádiz-born artist continued through alegrías, going on perhaps too long through variety song style bulerías.

The group gathers up again completely. Antonio el Pipa expresses himself soberly through soleá. The intimacy, the lack of paraphernalia is more convincing. He's showered with olés. He opens the piece up to all his guests, who he enjoys dancing with. The tablao closes its doors. Déjà vu of the old photograph going yellow with the passing of time. Antonio el Pipa triumphs once more in Madrid, with that baile of his the experts attribute to “jondo angels”. Next stops: London, New York, Paris… and Jerez.

Antonio el Pipa and Cristian Reyes (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)