XV BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA Tuesday, September 30th 2008. Teatro Central 9:00pm |
SPECIAL BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA 2008 Text: Juan Diego Martín Cabeza Text: Juan Diego Martín Cabeza Pianist and dyed-in-the-wool flamenco, son of guitarist Ricardo Miño and dancer Pepa Montes, he knows quite well who he is and the idiom he needs to express what he has inside. Last night he attracted an audience that was with him every step of the way as he developed a concert that was just right for him. There are two things that make Pedro Ricardo Miño a daring artist: first, the choice of the piano to express his profound flamenco sentiments. And second, he never turns his back on flamenco, no matter how much he delves into his own interpretive universe, he always has his focus on tradition, and a recognizable sound. He plays the music that is part of him. He accepts who he is, and stakes out a path he sees clearly, where he constructs his aesthetic. The recital was intended to be a journey from the essence to the very limits of this private universe. I don’t know if this pianist will some day go beyond those limits, or if his audience, or he himself would permit it . Thus, one of the main virtues of his music is precisely his faith in flamenco. In everything flamenco a piano can give, without getting murky or messy. In this sense, there were moments of great brilliance in the siguiriyas, and in soleá from Triana ended with original music. Alegrías, and the famous Mario Escudero piece “Impetu”, were also interpreted bravely and with good taste. He was smart enough to surround himself with good musicians, although Álvaro Maldonado had to make a big effort to restrain the drums and not drown out the rest of the music. Bass-player Miguel Vargas pulled all the elementos together. Alexis Lefévre, who could have done more, finally could be enjoyed in a violin solo and a musical dialogue with the piano that captured audience enthusiasm. Two artists failed to show up at the last minute, singer Pitingo, and bagpiper Carlos Núñez. Estrella Morente who took up the slack managed to sew up the performance just right for a performance that left a very good impression.
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