2006 MONT DE MARSAN FLAMENCO FESTIVAL. LA WINI / GERARDO NÚÑEZ

Truly

Silvia Calado. Mont de Marsan, July 4th, 2006

See photo gallery / See online video

‘Por amor a Carmen Amaya’. Baile: Mercedes Amaya ‘La Wini’, Karime Amaya. Guitar: Santiago Aguilar, El Tati, Daniel Méndez. Cante: Galli, Mario Díaz / Gerardo Núñez Trio. Guitar and music: Gerardo Núñez. Contrabass: Pablo Martín. Box drum: Cepillo. Café Cantante. Mont de Marsan (France), July 4th, 2006. 7:30 p.m.

La Wini (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

“Everyone who doesn’t feel here – she beats her heart - lies”. Carmen Amaya gives her verdict in a video shown at the beginning of the show dedicated to her by the descendants she left in the lands of America. And amidst the din of her baile, Mercedes Amaya ‘La Wini’, the myth’s niece, had the same gesture of striking her chest. The distances between each of them need not be mentioned, but it is worth noting that point in common of the truth. The Mexican bailaora danced with a nearly primitive rawness, without leaving an ounce of herself off stage. The soleá had instants of catharsis, pure trembling, electric flurry. And Carmen Amaya, more than in gestures, steps, tics..., could be made out in the truthfulness to be found in showing your insides. She conversed with her daughter Karime Amaya, in whom the family temperament was recognized, but still tinged by age, by experience. Alone, she faced the seguiriya, a framework she used to stick in applauded rounds of marvelous heelwork. Behind them, they had a solid cante and guitar group, which they invited to add touches of color to tocaor Daniel Méndez. He was taking part in a guitar duo when the rain started to get heavier over Mont de Marsan, at the same time providing a base for the music as well as fresh air for the day’s muggy atmosphere.

Tapas and sangría. The Café Cantante (Singing Café) continues offering enthusiasts at these whereabouts in France not just live flamenco, but also ambience, interaction with the art they admire so much. Thus, despite having to contend with being preceded by a baile show, the Gerardo Núñez Trio benefited from the warmth which is now taken for granted at this venue. The wooden walls of what in the morning is an open market immediately absorbed the notes of the Jerez-born guitarist. As he’d done a few days earlier at the Flamenco pa’ Tos Festival in Madrid, he kicked off solo with ‘Yerma’, a piece in which you can hear how the notes go out. Then with Pablo Martín on contrabass and Cepillo on percussion, he traced an inviting road to travel. And the thing is that readability is a maxim in his music, despite the high level of his artistic conception, despite his shattering virtuosity. Intensity, feeling, strength... and also sweetness, comfort, silence. They continued with the soleá por bulería, a song with a beautiful beginning loop, in which as if by art of magic, they fit in the most impossible falsetas... And the virtue of the small. And the bustle of the extreme. The music flows. The three musicians show off the complicity between them and with the audience, who don’t hesitate to split their sides laughing when Cepillo and Pablo have a good time playing the contrabass, one striking the body and the other pouncing on the strings. Following the breath of fresh air, Gerardo Núñez returns with a soleá dedicated to “my Uncle Mario Maya”, who, delighted, savored it from the front row. A piece which is a world. The trio came back in formation to fly from the rondeña to... and on to the rumba. From the hypnotic to... and on to vertigo. Positive energy pervades the room. The applause is more and more thunderous. And following the final bulería –Jerez included - the café burst into such an ovation that it was answered by two encores. One, the micro fiesta in which Cepillo sings some lyrics and Pablo does a few little kicks. Two, “a composition I did for a banderillero friend of mine, a pasodoble”. What a great gift for a town so into flamenco and bullfighting.

Gerardo Núñez and Pablo Martín (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Photo gallery . Festival de Mont de Marsan Click the images to enlarge
La Wini (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	Pablo Martín and Cepillo (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	Gerardo Núñez and Pablo Martín (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	Daniel Méndez (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
Karime Amaya (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	La Wini (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	Karime Amaya (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)	La Wini (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

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