The bailaora María Bermúdez premieres 'Sonidos Gitanos' ('Gypsy Sounds') in Seattle and Vancouver accompanied by heavyweights of Jerez's flamenco

Carmen Jiménez. Vancouver (Canada), June 2003
Translation: Joseph Kopec
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

American audiences were looking forward to it. And not just the Hispanics anxious to see the best flamenco swarming on the nearest stages, but those native to these lands who miss the warm breath of flamenco. And they had it and they are going to have it all summer long. La crème de la crème of Jerez's flamenco, led by the North American bailaora raised in Jerez María Bermúdez, will meet in the main cities of the United States and Canada throughout the summer. 'Sonidos Gitanos' is the title of this show, in which she is accompanied by Antonio El Pipa, Andrés Peña, José Vargas El Mono and David Lagos, among others.

The date was at eight o'clock in the evening on Friday, June 6th at the Vancouver Playhouse, a venue which offered the ideal setting to enjoy the show. The artists were already pepped up by their performance the previous day in the U.S. city of Seattle. The audience here again left with a good aftertaste and thankful for having been able to enjoy a kind of flamenco which is rarely seen in these parts. María Bermúdez herself inaugurated the show with the alegría 'Viejo Mundo', composed by guitarist Javier Álvarez and which María herself choreographed. José Vargas took over with the bulería 'El Arte del Mono' and was enthusiastically applauded by a crowd to which he was far from being a stranger.

Antonio el Pipa

El Pipa won over the crowd

The next to appear on stage was El Pipa. And he showed there that he has no problem winning the crowd over to his side no matter where he is. In Spanish or English, the compliments came streaming to this young Jerez-born bailaor before his special way of understanding flamenco dancing and penetrating the gaze of each and every member of the audience. He danced together with María Bermúdez on stage in the seguiriya 'Sonidos Negros' and was able to kindle everyone's passion with 'Soleá de Antonio' and the martinete 'Nos presenta Antonio'. The Adonis of flamenco, as he is becoming known outside of Andalusia, displayed his ability to personify the most beautiful and natural side of flamenco dancing. Opposing modernist tendencies, his artistic discourse offers outstanding eloquence, full of references to his native Jerez.

The group's second bailaor also knew how to connect with the Canadian audience. More reserved than El Pipa, Andrés Peña did not hesitate to set the stage for the crowd to be won over, either. He shared the stage with María Bermúdez in 'Paseando por Ronda'. Also born in Jerez, this young 27-year-old bailaor achieves one of the most refined styles of the current flamenco panorama by bringing together the paths marked for him by maestros such as Angelita Gómez, Fernando Belmonte, Antonio Canales, Javier Latorre, Domingo Ortega, Carmen Cortes and Eva Yerbabuena.

The night's flamenco group was completed by other artists such as cantaor Antonio de la Malena, who has received the support of artists such as Angelita Vargas, La Tolea and La Tati, among others, in his professional career, which has allowed him to reach stature in Spain and internationally and to earn recognition as a soloist, captured on the solo albums 'Yo soy así. Así soy yo' and 'Mis pensamientos'. Cantaor David Lagos, who has worked in the companies of Cristina Hoyos, Eva Yerbabuena, Juana Amaya and Manuela Carrasco, also made his contribution to the show, along with guitarists Jesús Álvarez, Murcia-born Pascual de Lorca and percussionist Luis de la Tota.

María Bermúdez

Antonio de la Malena

Putting the stress on America

Seattle (the United States) and Vancouver (Canada) were the cities chosen for the premiere of 'Sonidos Gitanos', on June 5th and 6th, 2003, respectively. These shows are followed by another six in as many main cities in North America, according to the schedule of the Western North American Tour), and which will close on June 22nd at the John Ford Amphitheater in Los Angeles. Beforehand, the show will be performed on June 10th at the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, Oregon, in the United States; and a day later at the WOW Hall in the city of Eugene, also in Oregon. It will be in California on June 13th and 14th at the Julia Morgan Center in the city of Berkeley and then at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz. Nevada will also take part in the program, more specifically the city of Las Vegas, where the show can be enjoyed at the Judy Bayley Center, afterwards finishing in Los Angeles.