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Cante: Fernando Terremoto, Capullo de Jerez. Guitar: Manolito
Jero, Manuel Valencia. Percussion: José Rubichi. Palmas:
Jesús Flores.
Text & photos: Estela Zatania
On the program it said “Mano a Mano Flamenco”,
a kind of facing-off, but Fernando Terremoto and Capullo de Jerez
don’t have to demonstrate anything to each other nor to anybody
because they are both fundamental cogs in the great flamenco wheel
of Jerez, each one in his own way.
Fernando Terremoto, with all the burden of his heritage, is carrying
his destiny with intelligence and integrity, not to mention good
taste and extraordinary ability. This man wakes up every morning,
looks in the mirror and sees the similarity with his legendary father
whose nickname he has adopted and then goes out on stage, not to
imitate but to recreate and honor all that tradition so reminiscent
of Jerez.
Bulería por soleá, and the first vibrations that
alter the silence reaching more than 400 pairs of ears announce
power, cultural pride and the intention of communicating both qualities
with the utmost urgency. Fernando is a young man whose knowledge
and command are growing rapidly – having begun his singing
career at a relatively late age after having been a guitarist, it’s
as if he wants to make up for lost time.
Two fundamental cogs in the great flamenco
wheel of Jerez, each one in his own way
The malagueña, obligatory for every singer from Jerez, is
worked in a very special way in these parts. If Manuel Torre’s
taranto is a gypsified version of Levante mining cante, the malagueña
of Mellizo, Jerez style, offers an alternative to the ethereal threads
of melody of the legendary Antonio Chacón who was most responsible
for the evolution and development of malagueñas. Fernando
Terremoto achieves a dynamic flamenco interpretation of this form
that all too often lends itself to cloying sweetness.
Voices from the audience call out for “bulerías!”.
Fernando smiles and moves on to classic siguiriyas in the Jerez
style with guitarist Manuel Valencia offering good solid accompaniment
with no superficiality despite his youth. It’s funny how all
Jerez guitarists, and only Jerez guitarists, when accompanying siguiriyas,
indulge in a free-form section between cantes, a sort of rubato
or free phrasing carried to the extreme, not so bad once you get
used to it. After siguiriyas, the fiesta moment is temporarily put
back with some fandangos. The audience is alive with expectation
when the sound of bulerías finally rings out, Fernando sings
at the front edge of the stage sounding almost as powerful as with
amplification and finishes up with his characteristic dance, delightfully
tight and understated.
Inhabiting the no-man’s land between
pop and tradition making no concessions to either
The popularity of Capullo de Jerez has grown exponentially in recent
years as a result, they say, of having made a successful record.
More likely he’s man born in the right place at the right
time. Flamenco is fashionable in all its manifestations and Capullo
represents the essence, managing to inhabit the no-man’s land
between pop and tradition making no concessions to either. After
opening with bulería por soleá, voices are heard requesting
specific songs from his recording but the singer explains: “I’ve
got two kinds of fans, the old folks and the kids”. It continues
to be the old folks’ turn with some ‘fandangos naturales’
and only then does the singer cater to the younger set with some
pop tangos ending with anti-war verses. An about-face takes us to
tonás, and then some stylized bulerías and the song
“Apágame la Luz”. This performer repeats and
reinvents himself with each appearance thanks to the sheer force
of his personality and a diehard following.
After the imaginary face-off of these two great singers, the party
continues in the local flamenco club with Fernando Moreno’s
group that includes his son Isaac and fiesta singers Sara Salado,
Tamara Tañé and Anabel Rosado, all from Jerez in keeping
with the spirit of the day.
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More information
- Isabel Bayón – 'Del
Alma' - Fernando Terremoto &
Capullo de Jerez - Pepa Montes. Bailaora. Manuel Molina,
Segundo Falcón, Ricardo Miño - Historias de Arte: Matilde Coral, Chano
Lobato…