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14th Festival de Jerez 2010
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Text: Estela Zatania THREE TAKES ON “CLASSIC MODERN” FLAMENCO FARRUQUITO ESENCIAL. Dance: Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya “Farruquito”. Cante: Rubio de Pruna, Antonio Villar, Encarnita Anillo, La Tana. Guitar: Román Vicente, Antonio Rey. Violin: Bernardo Parrilla. Percussion: Isidro Suárez. Monday, first day of the third month of the year, and the Tertulias de la Bodega of the Festival de Jerez, traditional midday encounter with presentations and sherry, brought Capullo de Jerez to accompany María Bermúdez who presented her show “Chicana Gypsy Project”. Ramón Trujillo talked about his guitar recital programmed for Tuesday, Manuel Curao presented the new volume of his successful series “Los Flamencos Hablan de Sí Mismos” and it didn’t rain, which is news in itself.
The Palacio Villavicencio was the venue for Jesús Méndez, the young singer who carries the responsibility of representing the twenty-something generation of Jerez cante. The guarantee of Moraíto on guitar accompaniment, the singer’s quality and a packed house of admiring flamenco fans, combined to offer one of the best cante recitals we’ve seen in this space reserved for acoustic (unamplified) performances. With his strong voice and Mairena delivery, he began with an assorted buffet of a capella cante forms. Following this, he dedicated his performance to the memory of Fernando Terremoto, as has nearly every artist so far in the festival, which reflects the profound mourning felt throughout Jerez and the world of flamenco right now due to the loss of Fernando. A moving malagueña is followed by soleá apolá, a relatively unaccustomed form for Jerez singers but which was well-worked and convincing, siguiriyas with knowledge beyond his years, fandangos and bulerías, all very correct. The social phenomenon called Farruquito came to the Villamarta theater, stirred things up and conquered. The show “Farruquito Esencial” is the distillation of his work “Puro”, which debuted in Palma de Mallorca in July of 2008. The same concept, but with simpler staging and a reduced cast. The lonely mournful sound of Bernardo Parrilla’s violin, prefaced the flamenco storm about to be unleashed. In the darkness of the theatre, expectation was palpable when the sweetly rough voice of Rubio de Pruna cut through with trilla, and one by one the other singers, Antonio Villar, Encarnita Anillo and La Tana joined in with other music-free cantes. Farruquito arrives on stage wearing a leather jacket and street clothes to dance siguiriyas. Those of us who have seen him many times, spot new moves and poses, a greater capacity for eloquent subtlety and greater strength (unbelievably enough). The excellent guitars of Román Vicente and Antonio Rey provide the flamenco sound for an assortment of abandolao cante, a form which has benefited from an important makeover in recent years, leaving behind its folkloric character to become the rustic cousin of bulerías. Farruquito makes a spectacular entrance now dressed in pristine white for alegrías, with all the charisma and magnetism that is his. Undefined instrumental interludes lead to the final battle which is soleá, starting out at a solemn pace before taking us to the cathartic moment. The dancer is wearing a shiny black suit which enhances his “stalk and attack” concept of dance. He pinches the air, gives orders to the collective goose-flesh, demands the focused attention of all those present and drives the audience wild as they continuously and energetically shout and applaud the ending, a lily which is gilded with the intervention of young brother Carpeta. Once again I feel compelled to protest, as many have protested, the insufficient lighting which although it might be interesting for brief dramatic moments, is extremely annoying when used for a whole dance, and judging from reviews that have come out of the U.S. of the recent Flamenco Festival, the darkness, intended to be sophisticated, has become yet another cliché of flamenco dance shows. At 12 midnight, the multipurpose Diego Carrasco inaugurated the Sala Paúl, a new festival venue, with his show “En Familia”, with guest artist, the queen of flamencoey song, and cante as well when she sets her mind to it, Remedios Amaya. Both of them being idols of the young, and not so young sector, the theater filled up quickly, and the numerous audience was able to enjoy Diego’s classic repertoire, with a few new things as well. Those who didn’t want the party to end, headed for the Tertulia Flamenca Pepe Alconchel for the after-hours show.
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