|
Tuesday, August 15th.
XV Festival de Cante de Las Minas. La Union.
The good old Tomatito and the wily Frenchman
Tomatito
Jose el Frances (the Frenchman) was the poppy closing act for the galas
of the Festival, in a night saved by Tomatito and his band.
It was excessive, there was an absolute full house, with people standing, during
the last gala, in the concert with most public seen at the old market, which hasn't
been called the Cathedral of the Cante for things such as the album "Alma" (Soul)
of Jose el Frances, even if he did perform the usual "taranta". He came as a substitute
of Raimundo Amador and ended enthusiastically cheered and adored by the public.
Tomatito
Tomatito, of whom a new album has been expected for over two years now, and
his band began by giving some spice to the night. He plays as well as the classicism
of the revolution, thanks to a settled sound and to a variety and richness in
the series of "falsetas".
Tomatito
As soon as his long hair touched his guitar, he began with a guitar survey
of the Levante style, a style which he was born a neighbor to, and between bulerias
he performed some of his best compositions, with the very precise Ramon Porrina
playing the "cajon" (percussion instrument). Before, we had Potito as the singer,
"the last cantaor" of Tomatito, who now has in his band Rafael de Utrera
and who played some tangos teased by the violin of Bernardo Parrilla; with him
he closes with a "solea por tangos argentinos", including his usual tricks. This
string duet gave a somber tone to the "solea por buleria" danced to by Joselito
Fernandez; they go out "por granainas" -Grapelli, jazz, pizzicatto and rumba and,
for the encore, fast "bulerias" with short "pataitas" (rapid stamping of the feet
in flamenco dance).
Jose el Frances
Jose el Frances sang his hit single "Fuera de mi" ("Out of me" or "Out of my
senses") twice and announced it five times: "Yes, ‘Fuera de mi’, but I want
us to stay very close to each other". Excuses: "Mora (Arab woman) come
with me to the broom under the olive tree". There was a constant hollering
of adolescent girls in the background, while he played pretending to find efficiency
in the interminable compositions and in the Italian "tonadas" and the Caribbean
rhythms marked by an outline of Ketama-like commerciality: after his first two
albums went unnoticed, he now knows how to be a star of the moment. How? "Allow
me to play a little bit of flamenco", he says sitting beside the guitar player
and badly settling down "por fandangos", "por bulerias" of Camaron and, what can
you say, he finally dedicates a "taranta2 to his manager. He even performs the
"picaros tartaneros", in "cartagenera" style, this rogue of Montpellier who, after
the interlude, came back with a ballad, some "tanguitos", some songs in a "flamenco
light" key... and again he repeats: "Nothing of ‘Fuera de mí’, all
together now".
Luis Clemente
Translation: Pekka Odriozola
|
