CHANO LOBATO, ‘YO SOY DEL 27’.
FLAMENCO AT SEVILLE’S TEATRO DE LA MAESTRANZA. PREMIERE
Chano, “Gaditan” of
’27
Carlos Sánchez. Seville, March 27th, 2007
‘Yo soy del 27’. Cante:
Chano Lobato. Baile: Rocío Molina.
Guitar: Los Habichuelas. Chano Lobato’s group: Juan
Carmona ‘Habichuela’ and Juan Carmona ‘Habichuela
Jr.’, on toque; Juan Carmona Jr., on percussion.
Rocío Molina’s group: Paco Cruz and Juan
Requena, on toque; Antonio Campos and José Valencia,
on cante; Guadalupe Torres and Popi, on clapping; Sergio
Martínez, on percussion. Script and artistic director:
José Luis Ortiz Nuevo. Flamenco at the Teatro de
la Maestranza. Seville, March 27th, 2007. 9 p.m.
Chano Lobato on 'Yo soy del
27' (Photo Antonio Cid)
The Teatro La Maestranza once again opened
its doors to flamenco and was an irrefutable witness to
a sincere, touching tribute to the figure of Cádiz-born
cantaor Juan Ramírez Sarabia, whose stage name
is Chano
Lobato. Belonging to that plentiful generation of
artists of ’27. Scriptwriter and artistic director
José Luis Ortiz Nuevo paid homage to an artist
who has spent over half a century up on stages. At the
age of nearly eighty, the artist from Tacita de Plata
is still on the job with that grace and that lineage which
characterize him. And the thing is that the fact of getting
up on the stage of any theater breathes life into him.
On this specific day, the Cádiz-born
cantaor was accompanied by the guitar family of Los
Habichuela and by the baile of the future by Málaga-born
Rocío
Molina. Youth and experience intertwine in a show
which delighted a devoted crowd that packed the huge Sevillian
venue.
“Mathematician, comic, lyric poet,
scientist, swift… and Gaditan. Exact, precise, magnificent,
marvelous, sensational, chromatic, pleasant… and
funny”. These are some of the words which Ortiz
Nuevo started off the night with. A real array of terms
he used to put the figure of the Cádiz-born artist
into context. “Jondo, moaning… and always
alive on the left side of compás”. Beautiful
words which marked the profile of the unstoppable artist
from La Bahía. To the beat of the recitation by
the Archidona-born poet, Rocío Molina sketches
out different movements and positions. Meanwhile, Chano
and ‘Los Habichuela’ are seated to the left
of the stage, mere spectators who watch what’s happening
up on stage with interest.
Chano Lobato with Juan Habichuela
and José Luis Ortiz Nuevo on 'Yo soy del 27'
(Photo Antonio Cid)
Ortiz Nuevo scrutinizes a splendid spectrogram
about the history and career of the tributee. Names, places
and moments inseparable from the existence of the millenary
cantaor. The poet and cantaor melt in an embrace. Both
of them find themselves in a small improvised tavern together
with the Habichuela clan. Chano kicks things off with
some “unhurried” tangos. The way he likes
them. Some little lyrics to then win over the audience
with a thousand and one tales. Such as that of “Curro
de Utrera y su perro” or that of “Cohete”.
The crowd enjoyed that so natural, spontaneous idiosyncrasy.
Now, a little bit more por soleá. Next, he tells
us the story of “Reina de España con el Gitanillo
de Cai”. What great art! Just like what he tells
about Ignacio Ezpeleta and his famous “Tirititrán”.
That start of the alegrías which according to Chano,
“the flamencologists called little toys or reminiscences
of caracoles. But in truth, it came out of a drinking
spree by Ezpeleta”. He used this to sing a little
por alegrías so that Rocío Molina could
do her vueltesita.
The young Málaga-born bailaora
delved into the terrain of the soleá under the
prism of the timbre of José
Valencia and Antonio Campos. A sieve of jondura to
offer a mosaic of details and thoughts about the dancing.
Once again, Cádiz’s Favorite
Son is in the limelight. Now with a bit por malagueñas,
“because at the theater, everything that’s
written down has to be done”. Since what the Cádiz-born
maestro really wanted was a little fiesta. That came later,
but first it was time for the story of “pulpo Jacinto”.
The star of the night called on La Maestranza for a fiesta
por tanguillos; it was time to bid farewell. The entire
theater stood up to offer heartfelt applause to one of
those genuine artists who is an endangered species. Chano,
“Gaditan” of ’27.
