FESTIVAL DE JEREZ 2007. TONI EL PELAO
& LA UCHI
History, art and myth
Silvia Calado. Jerez, March 7th, 2007
‘Puro flamenco’. Toni
el Pelao: baile, choreography, artistic director.
La Uchi: baile, choreography. Talegón
de Córdoba, Yeye de Cádiz: cante. Juan Serrano,
Pepe Amaya: guitar. 11th Festival de Jerez. Sala Compañía
(Jerez, Cádiz), March 7th, 2007. 9 p.m.
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Toni el Pelao (Photo:
Daniel Muñoz) |
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History finally came and paid Jerez a
visit. To remind it that a century and a half ago, a gypsy
from the neighborhood of Santiago set off for Madrid.
He settled down there and started a flamenco family which
is still alive today: Los
Pelaos. One of his sons, Pelao Viejo, was Carmen Amaya’s
guitarist; and the other, El Gato, was the creator of
the farruca as a baile. And his grandchildren Juan el
Pelao, Fati and Faíco became leading baile figures,
with a baile of distinction, sobriety and composure which
laid the foundations for every later generation. Now his
great-grandson Toni el Pelao is here, who since he made
his début at the age of two thanks to Pastora Imperio,
hasn’t neglected to safeguard the family school
one bit. And he has upheld it with exquisite pampering
and dignity, just as easily in the world’s top theaters
as in the rough setting of the tablao, where he still
dances every night. Now then, don’t go to the tablao
Torres Bermejas in Madrid tomorrow expecting the mythical
farruca; he saves that gem for special occasions.
And being in Jerez was one of them. When
Toni el Pelao appeared on stage, the overhead light marking
his dark features, with the sober guitars of Juan Serrano
and Pepe Amaya playing the farruca, a chill went through
the Sala Compañía. The bailaor, as he is
rigorous, dressed old-style, with high-waist trousers,
a purple frilled shirt and a short gold-embroidered black
vest. Matilde Coral couldn’t hold back her olé
for the scene. Disciples such as Javier Barón and
Ángel Muñoz were transported to the roots
from their seats. And then he started the baile, with
still arms, a cutting figure, like a man from another
time. The clock turned back at least half a century. The
unique call, that which nobody has ever known how to answer,
no matter how much the canon has been imitated; that of
the legs which are smoothly arched, nearly at the same
time as they wind forward. History, art, myth.
But the show had begun with another ode
to classicism, the caña performed by El Pelao and
La Uchi as a pair. “The key lies in us getting things
across to each other”, the bailaor explained to
journalists the other day. Their regard, guessing the
next movement... and over forty years together in their
personal and professional lives. Following a taranto by
Yeye de Cádiz, sung with an aftertaste and poise,
the solos came; the aforementioned farruca by the bailaor
and alegrías by the bailaora. La
Uchi was dazzling, dressed in emerald green, dancing
alegrías old-style, almost behind time, playing
with nearly invisible details of flavor, measuring speed
and strength.
And so, the show continued in the terrain
of cantiñas. Talegón’s throat wasn’t
up to fiestas, but he warmed up the ambience as much as
he could. El Pelao appeared once again with a romera,
dressed for the occasion in ocher tones. He combined baile
from the waist up with footwork which was spectacular
not just for being cunning, but for being well-measured,
know-it-all. Complexity dressed in simplicity. They finished
por bulerías, intermingling feeling and composure,
to the point, without adornment. And if they didn’t
go further, it was because the venue’s technical
conditions didn’t make it easy for them. Though
how great it was that they left us wanting more; not satiating
is a sign of elegance. And this pair has plenty of it.
And with them Jerez, and in passing, today’s flamenco,
has settled a pending matter.
Pulsa
sobre las imágenes para ampliar |
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| Toni
el Pelao
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
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La Uchi
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
Ye-Ye
de Cádiz
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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| Talegón
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
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Toni
el Pelao
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
Saludos
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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And tomorrow... Chicuelo •
Eva Yerbabuena • María
José Franco
The festival returns to the
Teatro Villamarta on Thursday, March 8th with
the Eva Yerbabuena Company, which presents
her new show ‘El huso de la memoria’
in Jerez. As she explained at the press conference,
she has built a show which is “simple
and not at all pretentious, but full of contrasts,
since that’s what my life’s been
like. A time has come when I feel like looking
back”. With music by Paco Jarana, the
show enjoys the special collaboration of dancers
Patrick de Bana, Aida Badía and Edu
Lozano: “It isn’t about fusion,
but rather sharing love of dance”. Moreover,
the antepenultimate day of the festival will
also star Chicuelo alone on guitar at the
Bodega de los Apóstoles in the afternoon;
and María José Franco on baile
at midnight at the Sala Compañía,
where she will present ‘De grana y oro’.
Chicuelo.
Bodega Los Apóstoles (7 p.m.)
Eva
Yerbabuena, ‘El huso de la memoria’.
Teatro Villamarta (9 p.m.)
More
information
María
José Franco, ‘De grana y
oro’. Sala Compañía (midnight)
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