“Tronío” Cía. Manuela Carrasco” Saturday, October 9th, 2004. 9:00pm. Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville     Program XIII Bienal de Arte Flamenco Seville

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Text : Estela Zatania

Dance: Manuela Carrasco, Rafael del Carmen, El Torombo, El Bobote, Luis Peña, Javier Heredia. Cante: Antonio Zúñiga, La Tobala, La Nitra, Samara Carrasco, El Barilla. Guitar: Joaquín Amador, Pedro Sierra, Antón Jiménez, Juan José Amador, Agustín de Morón. Percussion: José Carrasco. Guest artists: Juana la Grande, El Extremeño, Arcángel.

The last night of the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla before the official closing gala was devoted to one of today’s biggest stars of female dance: Manuela Carrasco. The adolescent girl who thirty years ago was just a member of the regular cuadro at Los Gallos, who added dark overtones to the classic Seville school and triumphed at the last Bienal dancing siguiriyas to maestro Chocolate’s singing, returned to repeat that success, and the Maestranza was packed to the rafters.

The first ovation of the night came less than five minutes after the curtain went up with a brief guitar solo by Pedro Sierra that opened the show. After another less noteworthy solo by Antón Jiménez, there she was. The presence and magnetism of a goddess, that powerful and flamenco projection…it all made an impact even before the lady made her first move to taranto sung by Enrique el Extremeño. The outsized image of an Andalusian señorita with guitar, painted in the Julio Romero style, served as backdrop and seemed to be a declaration of respect for tradition.

Great dancers used to just dance, but we are living in the golden age of theatrical “works” and not even Carrasco is immune. Her show “Tronío” is little more than a pretext, a setting for the dancer to come on stage and do what she always does, move majestically through the rhythms of flamenco. The attempts to set a scene are not total failures and there are even some entertaining moments, but it looks amateurish. Dancer Torombo stands behind a bar filling glasses for Enrique el Extremeño and Arcángel, the dream team of singers who take turns singing fandangos…styles of El Gloria, of el del la Calzá…pretending a spontaneity that is clearly not authentic, with superficial chit-chat: “hey, you ever hear this one?” At a table in the makeshift tavern other members of the group start up with palmas and take turns doing bulerías thus getting the messy business of the “fin de fiesta” out of the way when the show has only just begun.

As happens with great stars, this woman cannot dance a duet because anyone is diminished alongside her

Alegrías begins with Arcángel alone and unaccompanied by guitar before Manuela makes her appearance dressed in white. His sweet voice fascinates and seduces but then is so unsuited to Carrasco’s temperamental dance that seeing them together on stage approaches the comical. The three female singers, Samara Carrasco, daughter of Manuela and Joaquín Amador, La Tobala and La Nitra, seated at a table, sing tangos with an undignified overdose of “nayno” choruses and cheesy harmony.

A seguiriya begins with the duo Rafael del Carmen and Manuela. Carrasco wears a short gold-colored bata and in general whoever was responsible for the choice of wardrobe gets low marks or may not even pass: rarely have less appropriate and worse-fitting costumes been seen. Nevertheless, once again the lady soaks up all the attention – as happens with great stars, this woman cannot dance a duet because anyone is diminished alongside her. She soon takes her leave and Rafael is left to dance in his usual hyped-up style that communicates little.

A lovely singing solo by Arcángel, malagueña with rhythmic ending, is followed by soleá to the rhythm of soleá por bulería. Here we’re treated to the image of Juana la del Pipa, “Juana la Grande” as she is called on the program, singing to Manuela and in this case the equilibrium is perfect. El Extremeño and Arcángel join the group and finally we are immersed in Carrasco’s trademark soleá which has evolved over the years to become synonymous with the dancer. The number reaches its climax and at that precise moment all the rest is justified.