Cante: Rubito Hijo, Encarnita Anillo, Felipe Scapachini, Juan Antonio Zarzuela, José Menese, Diego Clavel, Juana la del Pipa, Manuel Tañé.
Dance: Antonio el Pipa and his group.
Guitar: Antonio Carrión, Pascual de Lorca, Fernando Rodríguez, José Ignacio Franco, Juan Moneo.

Of the many summer flamenco festivals, the one held in La Puebla de Cazalla stands apart from all the rest. Ever since the first edition in 1967, the organizers have remained faithful to the rigorous standards established by local poet and painter, Francisco Moreno Galván, and on Saturday, July 12th, 2003, each one of the participating singers expressed respect for the prestigious event.

Rubito Hijo	Felipe Scapachini

The setting for the festival, as always, ideal and impeccable. Just two minutes from the town center, you find yourself in the wide open Seville countryside, and to pass through the massive ancient entrance to the Fuenlonguilla hacienda, is to enter another time frame. The poetic touch of fresh rosemary branches scattered about the ground is a declaration of intent as well as an invitation to partake, with respect and dignity, of this unique event.

The poetic touch of fresh rosemary branches scattered about the ground is a declaration of intent as well as an invitation to partake of this unique event.

Nevertheless, the artistic level of other years was not achieved, and the bill of artists appeared to have been put together with an eye to quantity rather than quality. Aside from local veteran singers José Menese and Diego Clavel who jointly represent the small but rich flamenco nucleus of La Puebla, there were no big names.

The evening began, as is customary at this festival which prefers to be called a "reunión", at eleven p.m. sharp with a guitar solo, on this occasion by Antonio Carrión, with bulerías. With the backup of two palmeros, the guitarist of choice for veteran singers played a well-constructed assortment of traditional and original falsetas with verve and conviction. Departing from the scheduled program at the request of José Menese who wanted to sing something so that his grandchildren could see him without having to wait until four in the morning, the cantaor offered some discreet guajiras, mixing short verses and 'décimas', followed by the singer Rubito Hijo. With Fernando Rodríguez accompanying, the 22-year-old sang tientos tangos, marianas, siguiriyas and alegrías with a depth of knowledge one would normally expect from someone older, the occasional bow to Camarón, and enthusiastic audience response.

The guitarist of choice for veteran singers played a
well-constructed assortment of falsetas with verve and conviction.

The singer Encarnita Anillo from Cádiz was the first disappointment of the night. In 2001 the young woman offered her splendid festive cantes within the context of a group from Cádiz, and that small triumph should have been left at that. With the clipped dry Jerez sound of guitarist José Ignacio Franco, the cantaora made an admirable effort with alegrías and malagueñas, dedicating the latter to an individual in the first row: "a friend of mine who sings very very well, called Miguel Poveda", but her beauty was more appealing than her singing. Following that she opted for cantes more in line with her specific talents: tientos tasting strongly of Cádiz led into some modern tangos, and then standing at the mike, a set of popular songs por bulería that she didn't quite transform into flamenco.

Antonio El Pipa

Diego Clavel closed the first part accompanied by Antonio Carrión. This maestro of the carefully contained primal scream sang the polo (the cantaores of La Puebla have a particular fondness for forgotten or ignored cantes), followed by tientos, a form Clavel has always known how to coddle and exploit to the fullest, ending in the traditional fashion with just a short tango closing. Soleá por bulería and petenera and the master of ceremonies announces a ten-minute intermission.

The cantaores of La Puebla have a particular fondness for forgotten or ignored cantes.

The second part opens with a guitar solo, this time by José Ignacio Franco, a regular in Paco Cepero's sextet. Bulerías with all the flavor of his hometown with irresistible compás that delights the audience and makes an apt prologue for the dancing to follow. "Ooooh, now that's really a sight for sore eyes!" exclaims a plump lady sitting just behind when Antonio el Pipa rushes on stage wearing white and a broad smile, his long arms fully extended. "I don't believe it...Picasso's white dove just came in for a landing"...this time it was a man's voice. And in fact, his appearance made quite an impact. Antonio el Pipa's artistic personality has been honed on large stages, and he projected far beyond the confines of the discreet patio. Soleá and alegrías. Despite a tinny sound from her clip-on mike, Juana la del Pipa delights the audience with her gravel voice and good-natured humor, and the extraordinary chemistry at work between her and her nephew is a joy to contemplate. The closing fiesta number is a strong jolt of Jerez, and El Pipa drags out Miguel Poveda who defends himself well with bulerías. It's strange how little-known this young Catalonian cantaor is in these parts considering his three solo records and a decade of intense professional activity.

José Menese with Antonio Carrión

Juana la del Pipa delights the audience with
her gravel voice and good-natured humor

Next up, Antonio Carrión returns to accompany the Cádiz singer Felipe Scapachini with his cante tasting of Aurelio, Manolo Vargas, Pericón and especially Caracol. Alegrías played in C position, 'the way it's supposed to be' (just ask them down in Cádiz), bulerías with his hand glued to his chest Caracol-style with "La Salvaora" set to festive compás. So far so good, but then a zambra "in memory of Manolo Caracol and my good friend Beni de Cádiz", long and ambling, doesn't quite come together and seems a little out of place. A lot out of place.

The disappointment became greater with young Juan Antonio Zarzuela (José Ignacio Franco accompanying), a protegè of Menese's, who had more wardrobe, hairdo and personality than singing ability. In an unfortunate inversion of the Spanish saying "If it's brief as well as good, than doubly good", the young man sang a very long set...alegrías, malagueña, soleá, fandangos and bulerías, asking for requests between cantes like a cocktail lounge singer. Fortunately we still had to hear from José Menese. It's been a long time since those heady years when the singer was the youthful prodigy of cante flamenco - now he is quite the patriarch and sings and behaves accordingly. In last year's edition of the festival he had just come out of rehabilitation and his touching performance stood on pure nostalgia and his town's great affection. On this night however, he sings like in the good ol' days: caracoles, peteneras, soleá and siguiriya, closing out the latter with the magnificent interpretation of a dramatic Nitri style with its major-key flirtation. Impressive.

Chill country air has invaded the patio, but few move
from their seats because the round of 'tonás' is yet to come.

Another fiesta ending, with the extra added attraction of guitarist Antonio Carrión's singing. Chill country air has invaded the patio, but few move from their seats because the round of 'tonás' is yet to come. The five male singers nobly rise to the occasion, but Diego Clavel who sings last wins the friendly face-off with beautiful, seldom-heard styles. After all is said and done we return home with a good feeling and better memories of this "reunión de cante jondo".

Miguel Poveda

Text & Photos: Estela Zatania