None of the young artists who performed at the Nimes
Festival the evening of Wednesday, January 25th was a winner
in their respective specialties at the 2005 La Unión
contest, but the intent was both clear and admiratble: to
present top-notch young hopefuls in flamenco singing, dance
and guitar within the framework of the festival.
Guitar…
In 2005 the prize called the “Bordón”
went unawarded at La Unión, so the reign of Antonio
Rey, the previous year’s winner, still stands. Having
also won first prize at the prestigious Los Cernícalos
contest in Jerez de la Frontera, his hometown, the young man
is among the most noteworthy flamenco guitar soloists of his
generation, the top of the class so to speak. Antonio offered
a recital of four compositions beginning with taranta. His
technique is astonishing and we can forgive a certain amount
of fireworks and splash precisely because of his surprising
command of the instrument. A good touch and fine phrasing,
sensitivity and an energetic picado as well as original bits
of music all combine to keep up the interest from beginning
to end. If there’s anything to criticize it’s
a certain uniformity in the pieces. The characteristic chords
of taranta only shone through briefly, the colombiana could
just as easily have been guajira with a minimum of imagination,
one composition in measures of three might have been a romance
and in general the major part of each piece was played freestyle.
The bulería he used to close offered no resistance
whatsoever and was richly musical.
Antonio Rey
…dance…
Twenty-year-old dancer Iván Vargas Heredia from Granada
won second prize at last year’s Festival de la Unión.
His dance is based on raw strength charged with tension, typical
of Granada, with some moves clearly from Manolete (the poses
which appear suspended in the air) and Mario Maya (geometric
lines and the footwork number done while seated). His racial
good looks and svelte compact form would be the envy of any
dancer and his technique is polished. All the same, he follows
a style which in 2006 seems a bit outdated. In short, his
dance tends towards the frenetic, too much movement. A brief
segment where he bullfights with his jacket reveals his capacity
for exquisite minimalism, but the French audience most profusely
applauded the lightening-fast footwork and sudden stops. He
closed the first part with his taranto with a long tango ending
as is only fitting considering his place of birth.
Ivan Vargas. Foto: Estela Zatania
…and cante…
Ater intermission, Extremadura singer Miguel de Tena, winner
of the second prize for cante at La Unión in 2005 took
his seat on stage with guitarist Fernando Rodríquez
at his side. Miguel has the voice of an Irish tenor which
is especially apt for a type of cante that was sung in the
days before Antonio Mairena, a repertoire he delivers with
tender loving care, especially the cantes of Manuel Vallejo.
We would have liked to hear some tangos or bulerías
from Extremadura but it was also enjoyable to remember Vallejo’s
fandango por soleá as well as some non-Mellizo malagueñas
wrapped up with ‘abandolao’ and the classic alegrías
with one Pinini style and the cantiña of the Mirris.
Por bulerías, he recreated some classic cuplés
like Vallejo’s “Frutero” and Mairena’s
“Era Trianera y se Llamaba Carmen”. Rodriguez’
accompaniment was noteworthy – he looks nothing at all
like a flamenco guitarist, but his playing more than makes
up for it. Miguel’s habit of forcing his voice beyond
its natural limits is an easily corrected flaw the French
audience overlooked again and again offering their warmest
ovation and not letting the singer leave the stage without
a curtain call.
Miguel de Tena. Foto: Estela Zatania
Another dance from Iván Vargas, this time alegrías,
accompanied as before by guitarist Luis Mariano and singers
Pepe Jiménez and Rafaela Martínez, and a laidback
fiesta finale included the more than respectable singing of
Fernando Rodríguez and Antonio Rey’s little dance.
