Diversity and delirium

By DeFlamenco
6 años Ago

Tomatito and Orquesta Sínfónica de Navarra «Concierto de Aranjuez» – «Flamenco
La Tremendita «Delirium Tremens»

Estela Zatania

That’s the thing about flamenco. It colors everything it touches. Once let out of the bottle, there’s no return to innocence, because you learn everything there is to know about love, unlove, life and death. The running of the bulls, people dressed in white and red…venerable cultural references that now compete in Pamplona year after year with the art of flamenco as offered by the Flamenco on Fire Festival, a cultural event permanently dedicated to Agustín Castellón “Sabicas”…and how the maestro would have loved to see so much affection and attention lavished upon him by his home-town.

A refreshing format, with no complexes, in addition to a very varied program, have managed to consolidate this event in just 5 editions as one of the most important festivals based on, but not limited to flamenco.

In addition to exhibits, conferences, gastronomy and other parallel elements, the open-minded approach of the organization yesterday resulted in two exceptional shows. José Fernández Torres, good old Tomatito, came on the stage of the spacious Teatro del Baluarte with the Navarra Symphonic Orchestra to put his flamenco touch to an interpretation of the Concierto de Aranjuez of Joaquín Rodrigo. With the stage full of classical musicians, I felt a thrill of emotion when they all stood up the moment Tomatito appeared on stage…that man who was a timid adolescent of only 15 when I met him decades ago at the Taberna Gitana in Málaga. The guitarist himself had commented earlier that his collaboration with the orchestra was organized only a few months ago, perhaps for that reason the guitar, despite adding some beautiful details, was scarcely highlighted and was little heard from among the powerful instruments and the tsunami of music.

After a brief intermission, the second part brought us Tomatito in a more accustomed vein with his son, José de Tomate, and singers Morenito de Íllora and Kiki Cortiñas in addition to percussion and palmas. Threads of melodies, some very brief, rondeñas, trabili trabili, Entre de Aguas lest we forget, La Leyenda del Tiempo, scattered notes of boleros and gratuities of the Concierto de Aranjuez…it was like wading through the creative mind of this national musical treasure. And as always, Tomatito made sure to remind us that “the best guitarist of all time” was Paco de Lucía.

At half past eleven in the nightclub of the Tres Reyes Hotel, Rosario “La Tremendita” performed her creation “Delirium Tremens”, and never has there been a more appropriate title. A delirium of vocal, percussive and visual stimulation was the backdrop for a recital that was surprising at various levels, depending on the taste and generation of the spectator. Flamenco singing, at times classic…Levante, abandolao, polo, soleá de Triana…all passed through “heavy” and accompanied by Pablo Martín Caminero on bass and Pablo Martín Jones on percussion.