SUMA FLAMENCA 2009. VICENTE
AMIGO, ‘PASEO DE GRACIA’
That guitar which sings... and
triumphs
S.C. Madrid, May 18th, 2009
Vicente Amigo, ‘Paseo
de Gracia’. Photo gallery, by Daniel Muñoz
‘Paseo de Gracia’. Vicente
Amigo: guitar, music. José Manuel Hierro:
second guitar. Miguel Ortega, Rafael de Utrera: cante. Patricio
Cámara, Paquito González: percussion. Juan
Manuel Ruiz: bass. Alexis Lefèvre: violin. 4th Festival
Suma Flamenca. Teatros del Canal. Madrid, May 18th, 2009.
8 p.m.
Vicente Amigo
(Foto Daniel Muñoz) |
|
“Collective delirium”. A neighboring
spectator thus described the reaction of the Madrilenian
audience at the concert with which Vicente
Amigo presented his new album, ‘Paseo de Gracia’.
And he wasn’t exaggerating. Clapping, whistles and
shouts from a little over a thousand people managed to get
two encores from the Córdoba-born guitarist. The
last one, the one that will be a hit off this album: ‘Y
será verdad’. This song is concentrated with
the spirit of the album, on which its author has aimed not
just “to sing with the guitar”, but also to
achieve a register close to pop. Of course, always from
the viewpoint of flamenco guitar, which is a genuine delight
in his hands. This musician shines in his own right no matter
what he plays. He always does so with an absolutely personal
trademark, but he sometimes thrills with the minimum, others
he delights with the apparent simplicity of a hummable melody
and the rest of the time he works amazing marvels with his
fingers.
But the premiering repertoire took a while
to come. Following the fantasy and introductory soleá,
he took a glance at previous records of his such as the
fandangos ‘Mensaje’ off the album ‘Vivencias
imaginadas’ and ‘Tangos del Arco Bajo’
off his penultimate record, ‘Un momento en el sonido’.
By then, he was accompanied by his entire group, with its
percussions, its second guitar, its electric bass, its two
voices and the violin of Alexis
Lefèvre. A flawless group. And the time to reveal
the new scores live came with ‘Autorretrato’,
a song with a deep message, with intense makings and passionate
changes in temperature in which Rafael
de Utrera had to tackle the difficult challenge of putting
himself in the throat of Enrique Morente, who is the one
who sang it at the studio. Shortly thereafter, he found
just the right place in the bulería ‘Azules
y corinto’, alternating the cantaor business with
the guitar itself, side by side.
Miguel Ortega (Photo Daniel
Muñoz) |
And the waters calmed down with one of
those songs so much his own which he usually calls ‘bolero’.
Which opened the way for his retreat, with subtle, minimum
toque which, completely alone, he dedicated to his mother
and touched everyone. And back to the group and to the climax,
for the sake of an energetic rumba. The bulería ‘Luz
de la sombra’ once again displayed his personal way
of building scores, simply complex. An imaginary spotlight
went to shine on Miguel
Ortega, who sang with self-assurance and precise musicality.
And the whistles and the clapping and the shouts and an
encore and another encore. Perhaps then, when his smile
was already indelible, he recalled that he had asked for
a wish at the beginning: “We’re delighted to
be able to show you our love for a little while, and for
you all to receive it”. And it was granted.
