Vicente
Soto ‘Sordera’ opens the 2006 flamenco
season in the Sabatini Gardens. On the evening of 25th
July, the Jerez-born cantaor sang a selection of verses by Spanish
poets such as Antonio Machado, Lorca, Juan Ramón Jiménez
and Alberti, set to several different flamenco palos. With Madrid's
Royal Palace as a spectacular backdrop, he moved from the toná
to alegrías, easily switching between the staple Jerez
styles, tangos and even the Latin American influenced 'ida y
vuelta' cantes. After a few initial tracks accompanied only
on guitar, a backing group stepped up on stage: a coro of backing
singers, a cajón for percussion, a keyboard, bass and
cello. But perhaps the literature made things a little uneasy.
In spite of the sublime matching of the chosen verses with the
requirements of the cante, Vicente Soto never quite managed
to break the ice, nor truly demonstrate the breadth of his talent
until it came to the bulerías and the popular lyric.
It was then that the thinly-spread audience - only half the
tickets were sold - began to respond to the artist, calling
for an encore and a gran finale. Naturally he was only too happy
to oblige, his powerful cante allowing those who that night
came out in spite of the searing heat to enjoy flamenco among
the pine trees, the sky and the sound of the crickets.
Flamenco
in the Sabatini Gardens 2006. Full Program
