“Sevilla, concierto flamenco a su memoria” Thursday, October 7th, 2004. 9:00pm. Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville     Program XIII Bienal de Arte Flamenco Seville

Daily coverage BIENAL DE FLAMENCO sponsored by:

Dance: Israel Galván, Pastora Galván. Cante: Chano Lobato, Juan José Amador, Encarna Anillo Guitarra: Manolo Franco, Alfredo Lago, Eduardo Rebollar. Cajón: Antonio Barrull. Piano: Pedro Ricardo Miño. Sal Marina. Workers: Manuel Asencio Padilla, Manuel Acosta Sánchez, Casimiro Sánchez Franco, Manuel Sánchez Domínguez “Perlo de Triana”. Director and master of ceremonies: José Luis Ortiz Nuevo.

This time there were neither Greek tragedies nor flashy Hollywood productions...not even Lorca. The night of Thursday October 7th, the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla served up an audience-friendly collection of Seville references, memorabilia and nostalgia, an orgy of chauvinism from that old hand José Luis Ortiz Nuevo, founder and first director of the Bienal.

Ortiz Nuevo opened the show and set the tone reading random sentences from the morning paper including news about statements of his own made to the press that very morning regarding the show about to unfold, and that’s when we knew we were there to have a good time, with no consciousness-raising, social agendas or murky artistic pretense. Eighteen separate numbers, all held together by the common theme of Seville. The voice and image of Pepe Marchena singing and reciting is accompanied by the most avant-garde dancer of the moment, Israel Galván, and the amusing combination of past and future is a celebration of the diversity of flamenco. A saeta of la Niña de los Peines is interpreted by Cádiz singer Encarna Anillo, and Manolo Franco, first winner in 1984 of the Giraldillo del Toque of that Bienal, plays a composition of Rafael Riqueni’s while workers high up on catwalks construct the entrance to the Seville fair.

An audience-friendly collection of Seville references, memorabilia and nostalgia, an orgy of chauvinism

Sevillanas could not be left out and the group Sal Marina sang several they made famous. The change is brusque when the voice of Juan José Amador sings about the barrio de Triana where there is neither pen nor ink, or the plaza del Altozano, old tonás, followed by the characteristic flavor of soleá de Triana.

Pastora Galván, one of the most interesting young female dancers of the moment, plays Carmen, she of Mérimée and Bizet, to the piano of Pedro Ricardo Miño. After intermission the party continues and even tanguillos de Cádez are from Seville tonight. Ortiz Nuevo reads a newspaper story from May 24th, 1885 about the successful appearance of a carnival group from Cádiz that performed in Seville, and Chano Lobato sings the classic tanguillos to Seville “la más bonita del mundo entero” with the guitar accompaniment of Eduardo Rebollar.

The unusual tangos del Titi de Triana which incorporate minor and major key seldom found in conventional flamenco tangos, brings together the talents of Israel and Pastora Galván and the cante of Encarna Anillo with the guitar of Alfredo Lagos. Seguiriyas de Triana by Juan José Amador and then more sevillanas by Sal Marina, this time with dancing, and including “Sevilla tuvo una niña” of the well-loved and much-missed Pali. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the night, if not of the entire Bienal, was the sevillanas Israel Galván danced with his sister. Never have sevillanas been danced like this, nor is it likely they ever will be...impossible to describe, pure Galvanic inspiration, delightful, brilliant, the audience goes wild...there are many great dancers, but Israel is in a class by himself in the most literal sense of the phrase.

For the closing fiesta number all the performers are on stage and Encarna Anillo sings Pata Negra’s hit song “Yo me quedo en Sevilla” with the piano accompaniment of Pedro Ricardo Miño, and thus concludes a lighthearted and genuinely enjoyable evening.