More or less, or not at all flamenco

Silvia Calado Olivo. Madrid, June 3rd, 2002

Chirigota group 'Las niñas'. María Lizárraga, voice and Martín Chico, guitar, with 'Los retoños de las 3,000 viviendas'. Tabletom. Colegio de Médicos. Madrid, June 3rd, 2002, 9:00 p.m.

	Chirigota Las Niñas (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
	Martín Chico (Photo:Daniel Muñoz)
	Tabletom (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Antonio Benamargo announced at the evening's conference: "Pay no attention to the purists, this is also flamenco". And he was talking about 'Romance a Córdoba' recorded by Pepe Marchena. Was everything flamenco that we saw and heard in the great hall of the Colegio de Médicos in its opening session of the third edition of Flamenco Pa' Tos? The first thing was what it was: a 'chirigota de Cádiz' [traditional carnival group]. And yes... tanguillos are very flamenco, the girls were very talented, then there was the verse to Joaquín Cortés, the tribute to Los Chichos, lots of sailors' humor about ragtag gypsy girls and tiriti tran tran tran... But in the end, a chirigota all the same. And mind you, those present didn't hold back the laughter.

As far as the second thing was concerned, there was no room for doubt. María Lizárraga and Martín Chico backed up two youngsters from Seville's marginal neighborhood, the Tres Mil Viviendas. Two young girls from the talent pool, standing up, took on tangos and bulerías, alternating solos and duos, their voices really cooking, the rules down pat and their little embellishing dance bits and verses about grown-up suffering. When they disappeared off-stage, the singer and guitarist were left on their own. She came on like a herd of buffalo with alegrías, recouping strength only as the cante unfolded. He, broken in by a thousand and one nights at La Cabonería, ably led the way. The son of Juana la del Revuelo was in his glory and enjoying his falsetas every bit as much as those who were listening from the other side of the footlights... because these were uncommon, because they had a sort of rock feeling, because they were fresh. Lizárraga, Farruquito's regular singer, managed to calm her lacerating bulerías with a wink to Lole Montoya, Remedios Amaya and the guitarist's mother... while the young girls kept compás up front.

And that was the end of the flamenco. Tabletom came on stage late, exhaling a portion of the '7,000 kilos', and like the first two, drinking beer (of the sponsor's brand). If the group from Málaga ever had anything flamenco about them, there's not a trace left. And if they were once a fundamental influence in Andalusian rock music, it's now just a footnote in their curriculum vitae, because no longer do the saxophones, flutes, bass, electric guitar and drums send out any sort of vibes except late-night rock. Supposedly it's part of the group's idiosyncrasy that not one word could be understood of the bearded leader Roberto González (which was a shame because, he's the best thing Tabletom has got). This, despite the fact that not only the Málaga fans who had come to the capital, but also the group's diehard followers sang along with the 'greatest hits', demanded curtain calls and cheered the musicians on. It should also be noted that many people made a headlong dash for the door when they heard the first 'sounds' of the oddball wearing a camouflage shirt and espadrilles.

The Gomaespuma duo, which will soon no longer be a radio group, announced: "Today we represent one extreme of flamenco, and starting tomorrow, the opposite". When that times comes, don't forget to check out the conferences and projections scheduled for the afternoon, "this thing about free shows is great" (said with a certain irony), and don't fail to leave a euro or so in the collection box at the door... whether it's more or less, or not at all flamenco, it's for the children of the little Gomaespuma school in faraway Calcutta.

Donations for Gomaespuma's Foundation in Calcuta
Bank: Bankinter (Spain). Account number: 0128 4446 12 0100000664

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