Saturday, September 10th,
2005. 11:00pm. Patio de Colegio de la SAFA. Écija (Sevilla)
Cante:
José Menese, Aurora Vargas, Juan Moreno “El Pele”,
La Macanita, Antonio Reyes.
Guitar: Antonio Carrión, Antonio Higuero, Diego Amaya,
Juan Diego, Salvador Gutiérrez.
Dance: Milagros Mengíbar with guitarist Rafael Rodríguez
and singers Juan Reina and Manolo Sevilla.
Text & photos: Estela Zatania
In 1962, the year after Antonio Mairena received
the Llave de Oro del Cante, the first Noche Flamenca de Écija
was celebrated, making this event one of the first of the
festival movement that began four decades ago. After fits
and starts, years when it was not held, not due to any lack
of interest but rather political motives, the festival was
reinstated in 2004 and this year reached its 29th edition.
With intelligence and dedication, trusting in a tried-and-true
formula, the organizers of the Noche Flamenca de Écija
2005 managed to put together a varied program of high quality.
Within the irregular geographical rectangle of cante –
it’s called a “triangle”, but that’s
pushing it – there exists an oval-shaped area that extends
from Álcala de Guadaíra and Mairena del Alcor,
to La Puebla de Cazalla, Marchena and Carmona, and in the
extreme eastward point we find Écija. This is the heart
of Antonio Mairena territory where the singer’s influence
remains as vivid as it was forty years ago when with Ricardo
Molina he wrote “Mundo y formas del cante flamenco”
and set out on a crusade to protect, preserve and dignify
flamenco singing, and discredit the so-called “cante
bonito” which had monopolized public attention for decades.
This year’s Noche Flamenca de Écija, dedicated
to the “Casa de los Mairena”, was honored with
the presence of the only survivor of that cante dynasty, Manuel
Cruz García, “Manolo Mairena” and was prologued
by an impassioned speech by Antonio Reina, president of the
Fundación Antonio Mairena.
Antonio Reyes
José Menese
The proyected image of Antonio
Mairena on the backdrop was witness to the continuity of the
kind of cante he fought so passionately to preserve.
Écija guitarist Salvador Gutiérrez opened the
musical part of the evening with a splendid soleá with
that precise mixture of traditional sounds and modern details,
courtesy of Paco de Lucía, that sounds so good. The
young maestro made the most of his instrument’s resonance
with no capo, playing in traditional E position, and a prodigious
thumb. The first voice of the night, another young artist
in the process of consolidating his career, Antonio Reyes
from Chiclana with Jerez guitarist Antonio Higuero. Soleá,
siguiriyas and bulerías, all dedicated to Manolo Mairena
and delivered with the sweet, warm and poignant voice of this
young man who at the 2002 Córdoba contest carried off
both the ‘Manolo Caracol’ and ‘Antonio Mairena’
prizes. The projected image of Antonio Mairena on the backdrop
is witness to the continuity of the kind of cante he fought
so passionately to preserve.
“On this night when there are some 8000 people in the
Jerez bullring for the Fiesta de la Bulería, we have
here one of the top stars from Jerez”. With these words
master of ceremonies Manuel Curao introduced Tomasa la Macanita
and her group with Juan Diego on the guitar. Tientos tangos
with quite a bit more tangos than tientos, in the clippy Jerez
style. She’s a bit hoarse but takes advantage of the
struggle with her vocal chords to seek out a Fernanda sound
for soleá, and manages some fine moments. Malagueña
of Chacón and of Mellizo, a palo not entirely satisfactory
for this singer’s specific abilities, but all is forgiven
with the bulerías and the audience is generous with
its applause.
Pure essence and rightful
heir to the Seville school of flamenco dance, which is none
other than the “Matilde Coral school”
The damp night chill of Spain’s southwestern countryside
begins to envelop this town known as “the frying pan
of Andalusia” because of the intense summer heat, and
José Menese is up next, opening with tonás,
not without first offering a brisk sermon about the importance
of Antonio Mairena, a message reinforced when he sings: “…y
si no es verdad, la casa de los Mairena tiembla y no callo”
[“…and if it’s not true, the house of Mairena
trembles and I shall be silent”. Then, ‘marianas’,
because “you have to do different things” explains
the singer, and with his regular guitarist Antonio Carrión,
the team does everything humanly possible with a somewhat
limited cante. For soleá Menese sings a wide range
of styles and is more focused than just a few days earlier
at the festival de Mairena, then siguiriyas with his voice
cracking now and again, a welcome touch in this singer who
sometimes is a bit too cerebral for some tastes.
La Macanita
Milagros Mengíbar
Next on the agenda, an emotional tribute to the Mairena clan
with the presence of the maestro’s brother and sister,
in addition to the mayor and other local dignitaries, and
the stage is cleared for the dance portion of the show. Milagros
Mengíbar, pure essence and rightful heir to the Seville
school of flamenco dance which is none other than the “Matilde
Coral school”. Female elegance, proud stride, delicacy
and minimalism punctuated by the impeccable makeup, a tightly-wound
bun and classic wardrobe where the bata de cola she manages
as an extension of her body is never absent. Caña and
alegrías with the surprising guitar-playing of Rafael
Rodríguez and the voices of veterans Juan Reina and
Manolo Sevilla, and the dancer is looking more svelte and
agil, younger even, and each instant is sheer delight.
Cordoban singer Manuel Moreno Maya “El Pele”
is not a regular at the summer cante festivals and the turnover
of personnel is welcome. With the accompaniment of Salvador
Gutiérrez the singer begins with soleá “dedicated
to Antonio Mairena, one of the greatest geniuses of all time”,
but what comes out of his mouth is pure Caracol although he
manages to give a personal touch. There are a few weak moments
and others quite powerful…Pele seems to be having trouble
with the sound system and complains to the technicians. The
siguiriya is interesting, different – Córdoba
is a long ways from Jerez, but Pele has his own particular
angst and definitely connects with the audience, which is
what it’s all about in the first place. Malagueña
of Chacón and of Juan Breva to end, a few unpleasant
screams – the singer has an anarchic delivery that tends
to grab a lot of people, no doubt about it, and he gets the
audience right in his pocket. His bulerías is very
together and he winds up his performance with flawless professionalism
getting the crowd to their feet for the first time this night.
Córdoba is a long
ways from Jerez, but Pele has his own particular angst and
definitely connects with the audience
It
seems no festival is complete without the presence of Aurora
Vargas. The attractive fiesta singer and dancer comes right
on chatting-up the audience, provoking smiles and applause:
“Anyone got a pullover?” But it’s Aurora
herself who heats up the atmosphere with her alegrías,
soleá and soleá por bulería nice and
laidback. At four in the morning we’re feeling the chill
but no one’s tired, and Manuel Curao calls up Pansequito,
Aurora’s famous mate, for a knock-down drag-out bulería
finale with all the performers, like in the good ‘ol
days, spontaneous and full of fun.
Écija went for broke with its Noche Flamenca and set
an admirable example, the earnest desire of a town not necessarily
a leader in flamenco, to preserve its heritage, not as a tourist
draw but a cultural duty and privilege.
