HISTORIAS DE ARTE. 2004 FESTIVAL DE MONT DE MARSAN

The essence

Silvia Calado. Mont de Marsan, 8th July 2004
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

Part one. ‘Historias de arte’. Dance: Matilde Coral. Vocals: Chano Lobato. Guitar: Parrilla de Jerez. Part two. Vocals: José Manzano. Guitar: Manuel Herrera. Café Cantante, Place Saint Roch. Mont de Marsan (France), 8th July 2004. 8pm.

	Matilde Coral, Chano Lobato and Parrilla de Jerez

“My legs, his throat, and his hands, at your service”. With this mission statement Matilde Coral kicked off ‘Historias de arte’, more a reunion than a show, where living legends of flamenco offer the essence of their artform, of which their life experiences are also a part. Due to ill-health, Parrilla de Jerez substituted Juan Habichuela, but the change didn't alter the concept. In fact, the guitarist even got up to perform his famous bulería turn, and recounted a bathroom anecdote... The three have a combined age of over two hundred, “but we have big hearts, and we're gonna show you flamenco not like we used to do it, but the way we can do it nowadays.” They began the recital 'por tangos', Chano Lobato sang lyrics passed down through the generations: 'Cautivaron a una mora' – la mora Candelaria, and 'Las doce acaban de dar' - the well-known song which sings of the clock of the audience... The vintage toque of Parrilla de Jerez - the guitarist who accompanied recently deceased legend La Paquera - added just the right touch. Matilde Coral, grand dame of the Sevillana school of dance, shouted jaleos of encouragement from her chair, full of dignity, full of elegance. To follow came a snippet of soleá, after a couple of jokes as a pretext. The pause is all but dull. “We're going to bring back memories of Cadiz, remember the cantaor Ignacio Espeleta, remember Manolo Vargas, remember Pericón. A nice easy cantiña so Matilde can dance to it.” And without further ado, the cantaor did what he does best, performing the cantes of yesteryear which have become his trademark: slow, rich. The bailaora employed taste, strength and know-how to put the song in motion, swirling her Manila silk shawl around her as she learned to do from Pastora Imperio. And without so much as a rehearsal. “Isn't baile wonderful! Tonight I won't even have to take my pills.”

And so they did what they came to do, putting “the flamenco of yesteryear into the collective memory of audiences.” And now they turn to bulerías, to leave a good taste in the mouth, gentle, relished by all. Chano sang a light-hearted cuplé, and even squeezed in a fandango por bulerías, with incredible finesse. Chano recalled the history of how ‘tirititrán’ first originated, “one time when Espeleta was drunk”, and of how he used to sing Edith Piaf her songs 'por bulerías' in Biarritz. The fiesta continued with tanguillos, with an invitation to join in for “those who know how to keep the beat; and for those who don't a request to keep their hands in their pockets.” As the cantaor reeled off the lyrics of yesteryear, the bailaora from Seville was fully engrossed in a dance requiring the ‘fuller rump’ like only her generation knows how. “¡Qué arte! ¡Qué gracia!” The tempo shifted with a fandango, danced with a hint of Spanish classical dance. It was clear to all they felt quite at home in that intimate venue, among that warm audience. With a bulería stamped 100% Jerez by Parrilla they entered the home strait. The audience begged for an encore and they got it, with up-tempo jaleos which can be seen in the attached online video clip.

Part two of the evening's entertainment was taken care of by cantaor José Manzano from Seville, accompanied on guitar by Manuel Herrera. He gave a spotless recital, taking in styles which included alegrías, a taranto, a seguiriya, a malagueña, and fandangos. The audience loved it. One thing's for sure: at Mont de Marsan vintage flamenco is what really cuts the ice.

Matilde Coral and Victoria Abril

Interview with Victoria Abril, actress (Victoria Abril advocates the Mont de Marsan Flamenco Festival) “I must have a free spirit, just like flamenco artists” Read interview

revista@flamenco-world.com