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LOS VERANOS DEL CORRAL 2011. 4th week |
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Text and photos: Antonio Conde As I begin to write these lines about the last week of the Veranos del Corral, a friend has just given me the terribly sad news of the death of Manuel Moreno Junquera “Moraíto”. One of the guitar geniuses of the twentieth century, I’d even dare to say the guitar with the most “swing” of any in history. An impossible loss to assimilate for the world of flamenco and for Jerez de la Frontera. Morao was the patriarch, not only of Jerez guitar-playing, but of a different way of living music, and of being close to everything that surrounded him.
Struggling with the difficulty of writing having just received that kind of news, the last week of the “Corral” has its ups and downs. On Monday there were three main performers and their respective groups. They were the winners of the last competition organized by the Instituto Andaluz de la Juventud. David Caro is from Almería. If it weren’t because I’d seen him before, I’d have thought the star was singer Bernardo Miranda who began with granaínas with the sweet laid-back playing of Caro that was outstanding. The tangos were borrowed from Diego del Morao and Niña Pastori. With bulerías (“Orate”) he again turned to Diego del Morao from beginning to end to finish off with cantiñas. With his ability, he could have taken on a solo recital without the support of other musicians. Carlos Cruz followed with his cante and the completely mismatched guitar of Rubén Campos (Láchar, Granada). His repertoire included granaína with some initial nervousness and soleá more out of compás than usual, although passing through Alcalá, Cádiz and Jerez. In bulerías, the guitar only served to muddy the singing. In the dance department, the person who closed the gala was Hugo López. His main virtue is his strength on stage, although on occasion he loses himself in it. He did zorongo to a 12-beat compás, very stylized, and farruca. He is elegant on stage and possesses qualities that could lead him to important things in the future.
Tuesday’s program announced Lidón Patiño and La Choni, but a tribute to Enrique Morente within the series Poesía en el Laurel, kept me from attending. At the Morente event, poets and flamenco friends and artists paid tribute to the singer. Noteworthy was the cante of Juan Pinilla, Antonio Campos, Marina Heredia and Carmen Linares, with the guitars of Paco Cortés, Miguel Ángel Cortés, Montoyita and his son, and Linares’ son. A very moving event to honor the man from Albaicín. Wednesday night was the most flamenco of all. I always comment that this venue is different. It’s a place to come and dance with no concessions. And Marcos Flores took it seriously. It’s the first time he’s danced at the Corral, and I think it was the performance, along with that of Mercedes Ruiz, that received the most applause. Flores had to do three encores at the audience’s request. And well-deserved. There are clear aesthetic changes in his approach. Antonia Jiménez used her virtuosity to deliver some bulerías that melted into cabales when Marcos appeared on stage. His dance is figurative, he draws with his arms and communicates with his feet, brilliantly clean, with impulsively controlled command. Malagueñas and granaínas by Mercedes made for a transition, and Marcos returned with cantiñas and romeras showing just what’s inside of him. He is vertical, with the stance of a fencer, making the most of his feet. For siguiriyas in A position and in E for cabales, Antonia’s playing is polished, her hands travel the neck of the guitar with apparent ease. Marcos ended with soleá, short but intense. The change to fiesta mode was long, but the audience loved it. The closing of the series this year was with La Moneta and her show “Extremo Jondo”.
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