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Venues
The venues where the Sanlúcar courses are held change
every night, with delicious surprises every season. On this
occasion we paid a visit at a reasonable hour of night - la
flor de la noche es para quien la merece – to the magnificent
venue owned by the Peña Puerto Lucero, the old-fashioned
bodegón El Mirabrás. Here the night begins with
a recital by the most outstanding guitar students, followed
by Marisé who sang what was almost a nursery rhyme
- ‘El burrito’ - por tanguillos, and guitarist
Antonio
Carrión, relaxed among friends, sang a heavenly
soleá. The venue was so popular that a swift return
was immediately penciled in.
We also stopped at the fantastic Hotel Posada de Palacio,
which played host to another session, with cante by Carina,
a cousin of Cepillo, and the guitar of Víctor Torres,
presented by friend, flamencologist and radio DJ José
María Castaño.
One of the big nights is always set aside for a visit to
the unique Bodegas Barbadillo, a true monument to behold,
a delight to the senses of sight, smell and taste. And the
fact that the proprietors are kind enough to give away food
and local manzanilla Sherry is the icing on the cake. There,
in a grand air-conditioned hall with fantastic views over
the town, Gerardo Núñez with his trio - Cepillo
on percussion and Pablo
Martín on contrabass - offered a rotund hour-long
concert of tracks from his stunning disc Andando
el tiempo’, recently released on the ACT label.
Gerardo was in his element, and his group was never far behind.
The group of students rose to their feet several times, and
gave them another standing ovation at the end. Tino Vandersman
also offered a taste of his soon-to-be-launched album ‘Desatino
flamenco’. And to round off the evening came the intense
cante of Rafael
de Utrera, with de-luxe guitar accompaniment by Bolita
de Jerez.
The last night of the course featured performances by Carmen's
most outstanding pupils, with American Richard Marlow offering
a brilliant solo guitar performance. There was also a chance
to see Catalonian musician Francisco García perform
electric bass in a duet with Gerardo Núñez,
a bulería por soleá driven on by palmas from
the hands of Cepillo and Javier Patino. Then came the turn
of the cajón. The students, excellently trained on
this percussion instrument by Ángel Sánchez,
Cepillo, moved from bulerías to tangos with breathtaking
ease, and slapped their rhythms out at every opportunity.
With notepaper in hand, Rafael de Utrera's disciples (including
a German version of La Paquera) sang in unison several kinds
of soleá, and a cantiñas requiring true dexterity
of the vocal chords. Unbelievable, but an extraordinary sight
to watch. There are some students who try their hand at several
disciplines, and they're tight. There are cajoneros and cajoneras,
cantaores and cantaoras, bailaores and bailaoras, guitarists
male and female too... And Kyoko, between performances, immortalizing
moments with that camera.
And as the early morning inspiration (and liquor) began to
flow, a Dutch guitarist - Peter van Bulck - gave an up-beat
improvisation with the group, and knowing full well what he
was saying, even threw in a few cheeky Andalusian lyrics.
No doubts about the universality of flamenco when you see
this. Gerardo is planning a third album in the series ‘La
nueva escuela de guitarra flamenca, bringing together
international musicians - there are plenty of them, and with
plenty to offer.
Guitar maestros with Rafael de
Utrera singing
And we shouldn't forget to mention the “Rancapino”
of the group, Cristóbal Contreras, a veritable jukebox
of deep 'flamenco jondo' - he knows them all: Mairena's, Caracol's,
Pastora's, Tomás's and whoever's. And he does a fine
job. Just as Carmen Cortés does with her guitar. Just
give her a little help with the fingering and she'll play
her heart out in perfect time. We can bear witness to that.
All the while, Manuel Macías from the Andalusian Tourist
Board, acted as resident polyglot, meticulously providing
fluent, precise translations for students and teachers alike.
You can imagine the mess of languages just by glancing at
the list of nationalities that featured on the register: Turkey,
Iran, Israel, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, England,
Finland, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Italy, Russia...
For the singing, playing, foot-stomping Babylonia that shares
one common language of flamenco, the stay at the picturesque
hotels that hosts them is another treat. Rehearsals are allowed
at any reasonable hour. You might even hear Gerardo playing
a few notes from your balcony, or feel the ceiling shudder
as Carmen performs an escobilla in the room above, or hear
the piercing wail of a soleá with a Russian accent...
or who knows what else.
The first meeting is held at Carmen and Gerardo's place,
where each teacher gives the instructions for their course
in front of a group who already let off steam with the bulerías,
and are full of impatience to show off more of their skills.
There, too, the season comes to a close, with all present
exhausted and disheveled, tucking into a delicious paella,
casting from their minds any thought of flamenco activity.
The guitar, cante and percussion lessons took place in the
airy Auditorio de la Merced, while the dance classes were
offered at the Patio de la Victoria, including the quick class
for guitarists so they know how to do a quick turn 'por bulerías'
when the situation calls for it. Carmen Cortés, tireless
and infallible, is a total stranger to dullness and despondency.
The first-rate bailaora gives her all to the students, and
would never allow any one of them to go home disappointed.
Everyone dances here - even the prompter standing in the w¡ngs!
These courses are made possible only by students' contributions.
As a private initiative, the brainchild of Gerardo and Carmen
themselves, they receive no type of external aid to help finance
the courses. Although, well, the town does provide the conditions
for free suntans. And then we ought to mention the fine cuisine
available here. Ah, those lunchtime drinks at Casa Balbino,
on Plaza del Cabildo, spoilt for choice by the tremendous,
unrivaled tapas menu! Shrimp omelets or salmorejo? Ortiguilla
anemones or gazpacho? Plaice or fried seafood cakes? Stuffed
peppers or salpicón?... ¡Viva la Tortilla de
camarones! - make mine a shrimp omelet. I'm afraid, though,
that if you want to sit at the outdoor tables you'll have
to go get your own food. And for king prawns and such delicacies,
just follow the guide to Casa Bigote. It's right around the
corner! Then ice-cream at Toni's parlor. And all that's left
is the late night session, not for the faint-hearted, with
several after-hours possibilities within walking distance.
Those who've forgotten to get their shopping have an ‘ad
hoc’ market at their disposal. Isa - Carmen and Gerardo's
daughter who also helped out with the beginners' class in
sevillanas, got together with her cousins to set up a stall
where you can buy the skirt you needed, the right dance shoes,
T-shirts, beads or CDs featuring Gerardo and Carmen's work.
Among the albums there's Gerardo's latest, Carmen and Gerardo's
‘Salomé’, or ‘Jucal’ with a
striking new format and packaging, bearing the name of Marvin
Cortés, son and disciple of the great Mario Cortés,
‘The Lord of the Cajones’.
Year after year, a who's who of visitors drop by Sanlúcar
to say hello to Gerardo and Carmen. In 2004 we saw singer
Pasión Vega, guitarists Antonio Carrión, Juan
Diego, Bolita and Javier Patino, cantaora Laura Vital... And,
among the eminences who figure among the students you might
meet guitar innovators of the ilk of Robert Ruck, Andrés
Marvi (and it's not the first year they came), Valeriano Bernal,
Romero...
A wise decision: As from next year the courses will be scheduled
to coincide with the week of July which marks the 'fiesta
del Carmen'. So in '2005 it'll be from 11th to 16th. We'll
keep you posted with all the information you need on this
website. See you in Sanlúcar around El Carmen 2005,
to enjoy - yes, enjoy - the 14th Gerardo Núñez
and Carmen Cortés Curso Flamenco.
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