2007 NÎMES FLAMENCO
FESTIVAL. FUENSANTA LA MONETA
More than a young talent
Silvia Calado. Nîmes, January 23rd, 2007
‘Soirée jeunes talents
de Marseilles à Grenade’. Fuensanta
la Moneta: baile. Enrique el Extremeño,
José Valencia, Miguel Lavis: cante. Miguel Iglesias
and David Carmona: guitar. First part: Juan de la Alpujarra
(cante), Frasco Santiago (guitar), ‘Kadu’
(box drum). 2007 Nîmes Flamenco Festival. Odèon.
Nîmes (France), January 23rd, 2007. 8 p.m.
The Odèon was jam-packed.
No enthusiasts within many miles around had wanted to
miss the new baile sensation appearing in Nîmes.
And Fuensanta
la Moneta was more than up to the expectations of
the boisterous crowd. Just like at the last edition of
Seville’s Bienal, she came to offer a baile performance
consisting of alegrías, farruca and seguiriyas,
a journey from the most outgoing flamenco to the deepest.
| |
Fuensanta la Moneta
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
The alegrías in a bata de cola
were an introduction bursting with freshness, which immediately
crossed the line between the stage and the crowd. Starting
with the foundation laid down for her by Matilde Coral,
the young Granada-born artist has built a baile which
is esthetic, flirtatious and at the same time impetuous.
El
Extremeño sang with his broad voice old-style
when the white train of the bata began to generate flashes
of art. Hip, hands, gesture, look. Respect for the rules,
but not slavery to the rules. The silence was beautiful
and peaceful, full of details. And the shuffling steps,
impeccable and musical. The bailaora is going to develop
a tale... and she knows how to tell it. She combines flamencura,
technique, the showing off in the cave and a whole lot
of guts.
The guitarists take care of the interlude
side by side in varied fashion, ultimately leading up
to the farruca. The bailaora reappears wearing a short
jacket and black trousers. Javier Latorre has taught her
to be sober, neat and elegant, to take advantage of creative
dance resources always reminiscent of Gades, Antonios
and Pelaos. And she gives it much more than a good performance.
You can hear the silence, the rubbing, the slightest nuance
of her feet or body, following up a choreography of exquisite
dynamics.
The cantaor trio comes up to the front
of the stage. With the spotlight shining overhead, they
begin the round of bulerías to listen to. El Lavis
shows how it’s done. El Extremeño is reminiscent
of “Pastora, Pinto and Tomás”. And
José
Valencia lays all his stakes on substance. Fade out
and under the same spotlight, La Moneta appears decked
out in bright red. She marks and commands. She takes the
seguiriyas down to earth, her dramatic forms staying on
the ground, challenging herself in every string of heels...
but without forgetting her body, which twists and turns
in photogenic pictures. She and toque and cante. All for
one, accomplices on a front which wasn’t easy to
defend (due to the conditions in the auditorium). Fuensanta
la Moneta and her people now just have to reap in the
applause. The Granada-born artist is already much more
than a ‘jeune talent’.
And on this second night, the local flamenco
has to be fought for. Young cantaor Juan de la Alpujarra,
guitarist Frasco and percussionist Kadu opened the evening.
Everything is adjustable, but the trio upheld with an
acceptable level of quality a flamenco repertoire in which
there were seguiriyas, soleares, bulerías and a
lot of Camarón. Besides faculties, you could see
their intention to go places. And in fact, the tocaor
was already behind the scenes talking about some classes
in Jerez with Diego del Morao.
Juan de la Alpujarra (Photo:
Daniel Muñoz)
