Thursday Flamenco '¡Por Alegrías!'

Thursday Flamenco

“¡Por Alegrías!”

July 28th, 2005., 2005.
Baluarte de la Candelaria, Cádiz.

Text & photos: Estela Zatania

On Thursday July 28th, the series “Jueves Flamenco”
organized by the Enrique el Mellizo flamenco club, now in
its twenty-third year, featured the show “¡Por
Alegrías!”, a buffet of three Cádiz voices,
one from the coast of Málaga and a young pianist from
Jerez.

Miguel Rosendo, one of the most popular singers with the
most important dance groups, had his chance in the limelight
and in his own hometown. With the accompaniment of Pascual
de Lorca he gave us the unmistakable sound of authentic alegrías,
let his very flamenco voice blossom for siguiriyas with the
sort of short phrasing flamenco-lovers value, sang por bulerías
sounding as much from Jerez as inspired in Juan Villar, fandangos
that went down well even without amplification and tonás
to wind up. Perhaps opting for the safest route he failed
to reach his usual intensity, but it was a thoroughly dignified
performance.

Cancanilla de Marbella with Antonio Jero

With his white cane completing
a lovely picture of tradition

Antonio López Olmo, el “Yeyé de Cádiz”,
has floated to the surface after a long career although his
name rings few bells. Last year at the Córdoba contest
he walked off with the Camarón de la Isla prize, several
months later he recorded a respectable CD with guitarist Pedro
Sierra and here he was in a triumphal return to his place
of birth to demonstrate he’s a fine professional worthy
of serious attention. He began alone, a cappella, with tonás,
his white cane completing a lovely picture of tradition. With
a pleasantly time-worn voice and the accompaniment of Antonio
Jero, he went on to sing soleá, not without first saying
what a great pleasure it was to sing in his hometown. “Tocan
a rebato…”, “Se lo peí esta mañana…”…old
Aurelio was listening contentedly from somewhere… “I’m
a Cádiz man through and through” declares the
singer, and he demonstrates precisely that with his interpretation
of classic alegrías, tanguillos and bulerías
de Cádiz.

A change of pace with Rosario Lazo Montoya, “Reina
Gitana”, a flamenco pianist in the line of Felipe Campuzano,
Dorantes and Pedro Ricardo Miño, with the extra added
attraction of being the first and only female to practice
the profession. She came with her group that included José
Manuel Delgado on guitar, the singing of Manuel Soto, the
percussion of Francisco Jesús Santos, the dancing of
Miguel Ángel Morales and Rocío Romero, the violin
of Sofía Owaren and the flute of Cecilia Menacho. But
the absolute star was Rosario with her flamboyant gypsy looks
– curly black hair and electric red dress with a belt
of golden coins, she looked like one of these flamenco dolls
you put on top of the TV. Her piano-playing is aggressive
and flamenco with sweet, evocative moments for an assortment
of pieces that included bulería, tangos, bulería
romanceada, a siguiriya fantasía… The pace dampened
a bit with a violin piece and a long dance school routine,
but all was forgiven and forgotten with the bulerías
encore.

Iced manzanilla, fried fish,
the sea wind coming in from the bay, flamenco at the Baluarte
de la Candelaria….the ultimate Cádiz experience

Cancanilla de Marbella is another unknown quantity for flamenco
fans, but despite the nickname that sounds more like well-heeled
tourists than heavy-duty singers, the man is an experienced
cantaor with a large repertoire. With Antonio Jero playing
once again, Cancanilla dedicated his soleá por bulería
to Juanito Villar who was among the audience, and his excellent
interpretation sparked the interest of those who had never
heard this singer before. Tientos tangos inspired in Gaspar
de Utrera, and then Cancanilla asks the permission of the
audience to sing siguiriyas where he demonstrates his knowledge.
He ended with bulerías that included flashes of powerful
dance.

 
Hermosa estampa del Yeyé de Cádiz

To round out the evening, the Shirley Temple of Jerez, everyone’s
favorite in Cádiz, Mariana Cornejo with the guitar
of Pascual de Lorca. She quickly gets the audience on her
side with an exquisite assortment of Cádiz bulerías
and classic cuplé, “chuflillas” as she
says, from Pericón, Manolo Vargas, “Plaza de
la Catedra…”, “Quisiera volverme yedra…”,
the singer’s personality is pure delight. This is followed
by the nearly forgotten cante of rosas played as tradition
demands, in the position of E major, and some classic alegrías
ending with the verse she always sings to praise the merits
of Perla de Cádiz, Rancapino and Camarón among
others. Her soleá was less convincing, but this is
not a singer of limited knowledge, and she ended with bulerías
leaving a good impression.

Iced manzanilla, fried fish, the sea wind coming in from
the bay, flamenco at the Baluarte de la Candelaria….the
ultimate Cádiz experience.

Text & photos: Estela
Zatania

Yeyé de Cádiz 'Puerta Tierra'

Mariana Cornejo 'Tela Marinera'