Photos & videos: Rafael Manjavacas
In the current edition of the Cante de las Minas, women are dominating the program. Mayte Martín celebrates the 30th anniversary of her Lámpara Minera, and Argentina returns for the third time to the Catedral del Cante.
Flamenco singing, cante, is the main offering at the gala shows. Last Friday the voices of Rocío Márquez and Lole Montoya were featured, and last night female voices again were the main attraction on the stage of the Catedral del Cante with two excellent representatives.
An emotional Mayte Martín opened the double recital with granaínas and went on to interpret the minera that brought her the Lámpara Minera in 1987 – the second woman to receive it – and she dedicated it to the revered local star Encarnación Fernández and family who received her so well at the time. The sensitivity and sweetness of the Catalonian woman’s singing delighted the audience at the Catedral del Cante, accompanied by the guitar of Salvador Gutiérrez. The recital of classic flamenco including soleá, cantinas, bulerías, fandangos…sweetly sensitive, was awarded with a long ovation.
Huelva singer Argentina came on strong with fine staging, opening her recital with the guajira “La Vida del Artista” from her latest recording of the same name. With the excellent back-up of her regular guitarist José Quevedo “Bolita”, and the rhythm of “Los Mellis” and “Torombo”, she set the place on fire when the audience was still under the spell of the previous recital offered moments earlier.
Argentina spoke gratefully of her admired Mayte Martín, confessing having fallen in love with flamenco after hearing her. “It seems dreams come true, there are artists you start listening to, and then one day you find yourself on the same program with them”.
It was a great concert with a wide repertoire, the Huelva singer interpreted everything, mariana, serrana, nana por soleá, tarantos, malagueña and abandolaos. And of course, siguiriyas, alegrías and bulerías. Come back soon…
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