JOAQUÍN CORTÉS. ‘MI SOLEDAD’

Conquering applause

Silvia Calado. Pozuelo (Madrid), June 16th, 2006

‘Mi soledad’. Joaquín Cortés: baile, directing. Voices: Chelo Pantoja, La Genara, Saray Muñoz. Triana Heredia / El Negri, Antonio Carbonell, Juan José Amador. Guitars: Montoyita, Piripi. Violin: Ángel López Rodas. Cello: Hillary Flelding. Contrabass: Arián Suárez. Accordion: Cuco Pérez. Percussion: Morito, Fernando Favier, Rafael Serrano. 7th Festival Pozuelo Escénica. Auditorio El Torreón. Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), June 16th, 2006. 10:30 p.m.

Joaquín Cortés on 'Mi Soledad' (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Joaquín Cortés has a re-encounter with Spain. And he does so with the new show ‘Mi soledad’, with wardrobe designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier and without further baile than his own. The opening of his Spain tour in the Madrid suburb of Pozuelo brought the Córdoba-born artist the foreseeable shower of applause, achieved by the sweat of his brow. And the thing is that the over two hours of show mainly aimed to seek out ovations and more ovations, brandishing weapons beyond mere art. The sexy slant need hardly be mentioned, though it works to the same extent as the technical virtuosity, the sound adrenaline and the forceful spotlight. Simply put, Joaquín Cortés is a star of the masses - and he acts accordingly.

The show is structured in two very different parts, as he already informed of in his recent appearances before the press. The first of them, entitled ‘Que el odio calle’, is conceived as a piece of contemporary style, with plenty of floor, bare body and nearly theatrical dramatic art emphasizing the superimposed voices. Little by little, flamenco begins to join his discourse. Three cantaoras surround him like three Graces. A touch of footwork. A pose. A marking. Stylized bulería: ‘Soleá mía’. The dancer disappears. The musicians – among them, guitarist Montoyita and singer Negri – stay to take over with an eclectic instrumental number where all the voices, all the instruments and many ethnic styles are jumbled up once more. The lighting is set above all to make the colorful gypsy wardrobe shine of the women in the group. All the adrenaline possible to get ready for the star’s second appearance. He returns in a transparent shirt dotted with petals, a hat and tailored black trousers. He wants to turn flamenco... but not too much. Just a few traces through tangos, with more poses than steps. A five-minute pass for the accredited photographers. Joaquín Cortés silences the audience, calls on it, seeks it out... while he asks the group to go out and out. And it’s amazing to see how profitable so little baile can be.

There really aren’t any bailes that are developed in this show. Unlike ‘Live’, there are barely sketches. The next one, following the corresponding instrumental interlude through zambra, is a flash of soleá. The Córdoba-born artist marks it with a cane, this time dressed in a black dress coat down to his feet and his hair tied up in a bun. The flamenco-style ballad wraps him up again while he hardly poses. In time, some cante lyrics come which he just finishes off with sensationalist cuts. The baile is still repressed. And the crowd is starting to notice.

But there’s still an ace up his sleeve, a completely infallible ace with a prolonged effect. From that moment onwards, Joaquín Cortés will spend over half an hour offering ‘patás’ through bulerías, virtuous little bits of footwork he’ll combine with eye-catching moves and provocations as clear as putting his index finger up to his ear and having the floodlight turned on, that impertinent spotlight which necessarily places the audience in the limelight. He wants to hear overwhelming applause from the several thousand people gathered in the immense outdoor auditorium. He doesn’t settle for less. And of course, he gets it... As he’ll get it from here to September in cities such as Málaga, Barcelona, León, Marbella, Majorca... and Seville. No doubt, like tonight at the Festival Pozuelo Escénica - where Tomatito will also appear with Michel Camilo, and Eva Yerbabuena dancing flamenco - the party will be long, intense and successful.

Joaquín Cortés on 'Mi Soledad'
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

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