| FOURTH FESTIVAL DE OTOÑO DE GRANADA MANOLETE & December 8th, 2003. Isabel |
Two generations, two syles, two masters
The theater was packed to the rafters as the saying goes for two
major stars of men’s flamenco dance. Manuel Santiago Maya
‘Manolete’, Granada, 1945 and Antonio Gómez de
los Reyes ‘Antonio Canales’, Sevilla, 1962. Two generations,
two styles, two masters.
is a fertile breeding-ground for dance, from the genius of Mario
Maya to the recent winner of the La Unión festival who also
participated in this festival just a few days ago, Fuensanta la
Moneta. Manolete preserves and cultivates a style of dance that
is concise and minimalist, also practiced by Mario Maya and Madrid
dancer El Güito, and which was the rage of the tablao era of
the nineteen-sixties and seventies. And it was precisely Antonio
Canales who came along a little over a decade ago dancing to the
sound of a different drummer with revolutionary forms and movements
that quickly gave a new look to both men’s and women’s
flamenco dance. Understatement gave way to almost histrionic movements,
airplane arms, hunched shoulders, karate chops, excesses for some,
touches of genius for others, copied by all today’s young
dancers.
Manolete
“Separate but equal” they danced, Manolete with a traditional
ballet company format opening with a group siguiriyas followed by
his farruca solo. His dance is characterized by elegant lines that
cause his small stature to grow, and extreme economy of movement
with a result that is both beautiful and timeless.
Canales seems to be saying that flamenco
is for
having a good time, and that’s what he’s here for.
long bulerías vocal set precedes group tangos. Then it’s
Canales’ turn with this dance he does that sprouts as siguiriyas
but soon becomes soleá por bulería, soleá and
finally bulerías. Perfect rapport with his guitarist Daniel
Méndez and main singer Rafael de Utrera, surprising flourishes,
that pulling the jacket off the shoulder at just the right moment,
that crazy hunched posture, poses from silent film, the smile that
looks authentic and which so few dancers dare to sport…with all
this and his flashy red boots Canales seems to be saying that flamenco
is for having a good time, and that’s what he’s here
for.
Tonás with a discreet and tasteful violin is a pleasant
surprise, and Manolete returns to offer up his alegrías.
We move on to the joint finale of the two groups and you realize
that Juan de Juan, Canales’ star dancer, hasn’t danced
a step but only kept rhythm for his fellow-dancers. Antonio’s
calculated madness is tempered by Manolete’s seriousness making
for a tasty flamenco cocktail that we continue to savor over at
the Eshavira club with a performance by Rafael de Utrera and Daniel
Méndez with the collaboration of Granada guitarist Emilio
Maya.
And thus ends Granada’s Festival de Otoño for 2003.
Text & Photos: Estela
Zatania
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