‘FLAMENCO VIENE DEL SUR’ IN SEVILLE. MARINA HEREDIA/ EL POTITO

Maturity in youth

Carlos Sánchez. Seville, 21st March 2006

Marina Heredia: cante. Guitar: José Quevedo ‘El Bolita’. Palmas: Carlos Grilo and Manuel Salado/ El Potito: cante. Guitar: Paco Fernández. Percussion: Joselito Carrasco. Palmas: El Torombo and Luis Peña. Flamenco Viene del Sur 2006. Teatro Central. Seville, 21st March 2006. 9pm

Marina Heredia (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Following a long period without setting foot in the venues of his birthplace, Potito returned to his homelands with a more committed cante – something that comes with age – but without forgetting the details of what constitutes true flamenco. The vocalist, who some dismissed as a Camarón clone, shared the limelight with vocalist Marina Heredia. A discord between two voices blessed with a maturity capable of fanning the flames of flamenco's endless potential. Two different timbres, two discerning, serene approaches to flamenco vocals. Both restrained by a healthy respect for the roots of the artform. Maturity in youth.

The cantaora from Granada was first up on stage. She opened with the ‘pregón de Macandé’, something that she's incorporated into her habitual repertoire. Sweet and slow. An ad lib performance to warm up her voice before tackling the soleá. Here we see the restraint and the rhythmicality of cante, which she pours into the verses of the apolá. A nice lead-in to the malagueñas, where the true sweetness of her voice is revealed. From here to the abandolao that served as a rhythmical link with the tangos that were to follow. A Granada-style “Rebujo” where she really lets rip with her voice. To round off her appearance she chose bulerías with a bullfighting theme by José Bergamín, given musical life by the guitar of ‘El Bolita’.

Now came the turn of Potito. The cantaor from Seville brandished the cante rulebook, opening with the traditional soleá. With that unmistakable flamenco clarity in his voice that broods over time. The son of Changuito moved on with a seguiriya. Faithfully carrying out his duty. And squeezing everything out of his voice, with the flourish that has become his trademark, until Paco Fernández's guitar rounds off for him. Following the exploration of the deepest flamenco, he leans toward Huelva with a fandango. Treading a path toward more upbeat styles. Tangos. Reminiscent of Camarón. Raising his pitch without falling apart. Moving like a fish in water. This is familiar territory to him, and his grasp over these styles is supreme. The same goes for the bulerías. Where his vocals unfold in the most natural manner. A platform for the unleashing of his credentials as a cantaor. The child has become a man, but in his cante there lingers a trace of his beginnings.

magazine@flamenco-world.com