| Cante:
Miguel Poveda, Carmen Linares, Luis de Córdoba. Guitar:
Chicuelo, Manuel Silveria, José Manuel León,
Eduardo Pacheco
Text: Estela Zatania
Photos : Rafael Manjavacas
Special "46th Festival
Internacional del Cante de las Minas" - program, reviews,
photos, news...
Sunday August 6th at the Festival Internacional
del Cante de las Minas, a conference was given by Francisco
Hidalgo, “Homenaje a Cristina Hoyos”, and the
cultural prizes were awarded, the most noteworthy being
the arts prize which went to Paco Sánchez for his
book “El Color del Flamenco”, and a special
prize for the Madrid tablao Corral de la Morería
in honor of their fiftieth anniversary.
Blanca del Rey |
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Paco Sánchez |
At the main show in the theater three names were a strong
contrast to the previous day’s lineup when the most
traditional sort of flamenco from the so-called “golden
triangle of cante” (the area that extends along the
Guadalquivir river from Seville to Cádiz) took over
the stage. Sunday night offered another take on flamenco,
that of Andalusian music made into flamenco and delivered
by the voices of three experts.
click on photo for enlarge
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Luis de Córdoba |
Carmen Linares |
Luis de Córdoba, winner of the Lámpara Minera
two years in a row, 1973 and 1974, takes his seat alongside
guitarist Manuel Silveria, also from Córdoba, and
expresses his intention of “being worthy of those
prizes”. This singer has a long career and a big following
among a certain type of flamenco fan. His repertoire is
large, but his voice of antique velvet with flamenco undertones,
and his melancholic delivery are especially suited to cante
of “ida y vuelta” (he has an entire recording
of these styles which include guajiras, milongas, vidalitas,
colombianas, etc.), free-style fandangos (known as “personales”
or “naturales”), malagueñas, granaína
and of course, mining cante. His performance starts out
with an assortment of alegrías and cantiñas
that Silveria plays in E position managing to get that special
Cádiz flavor flamenco fans love to hear. Next, the
singer interprets some mining cante which delights the audience,
and Silveria keeps making a big impression with his flamenco
attack at the service of these characteristically sweet
song-forms.
Another take on flamenco, that of Andalusian music made
into flamenco and delivered by the voices of three experts
The audience of La Unión knows Luis de Córdoba’s
repertoire well, and the singer invites requests like a
cabaret singer. Someone asks for tientos, and the wish is
granted with tientos tangos that includes styles from Extremadura
that have become so popular since Camarón took an
interest in them. Applause for one of Silveria’s falsetas,
and free-style fandangos ending with the impressive and
little-heard style of Varea/Niño León, and
the performance is rounded off with bulerías where
the man from Córdoba manages to hold his own.
Carmen Linares appears with guitarist José Manuel
León, another young talent who has received the blessing
of maestro Gerardo Núñez, and Eduardo Pacheco,
the singer’s son who is finding his niche. An assortment
of cantiñas, including some original styles, is closed
out with a chorus superimposed with the voice of Carmen.
The charming Milonga del Forastero is especially apt for
this singer whose background in lyrical Spanish song gives
her great command in this type of sweet ballad. With soleá
de Triana which is up next, an overdose of extended chords
in the accompaniment makes the “Terremoto grande”
(the famous verse about the big earthquake) hardly register
on the Richter despite the singer’s best efforts,
but the mining styles that follow set all things right.
Siguiriyas is wrapped up with Silverio’s cabal, and
once again the contemporary guitar-playing is lovely to
listen to but diminishes the vocal product. Carmen ends
with bulerías based on popular song and ‘cuplé’
which she delivers convincingly.
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Carmen Linares |
Miguel Poveda |
Miguel Poveda, the kid from Catalonia who came to La Unión
thirteen years ago “not to win the contest, but to
be able to sing outside Catalonia”, and carried off
one of the most talked-about Lámparas of the contest’s
long history, is very close to the hearts of local flamenco
fans. He appears alone, smiling and confident, clutches
the back of a chair and dives head-first into tonás,
his voice sounding stong and secure, and the applause when
he finishes is abundant and warm. Cantiñas and alegrías
in C position, and his inspired guitarist Chicuelo reiterates
the singer’s extraordinary capacity to capture “foreign”
flavors with authenticity and personality. Miguel expresses
his gratitude for “that magical night of August 14th,
1983” and proceeds to interpret malagueñas
with rondeña ending, making expert use of the half-voice
and melisma he dominates so well. Chicuelo plugs away with
his dynamic sound that adds so much, and a potpourri of
bulería songs in minor key once again demonstrates
that Miguel Poveda, above all else, is an accomplished musician.
An extraordinary capacity to capture “foreign”
flavors with authenticity and personality
 Then
came the surprise. Poveda speaks of feeling indebted to
the organization and the town, and says he wants to make
a small gift: “And since for me, there’s no
finer gift than the voice of Luis el Zambo....”. He
walks off into the wings, and sure enough, on comes the
Jerez singer who steps onto the venerable stage of the Catedral
del Cante for the first time ever. El Zambo sings soleá
as only he is able, and the contrast of voices is a delight.
That rich, warm voice fills every corner of the ample theater,
defending another perspective of flamenco, and you realize
this art we all love so much cannot do without any one of
its many elements, Andalusian and gypsy flamenco are mutually
and irrevocably committed in a wonderful collaboration that
crosses borders, both in and outside of Spain.
Poveda returns for mineras, the festival’s flagship,
“dedicated to my maestro Pencho Cros”, and after
tientos tangos there’s a mini bulerías fiesta
between the two men of Catalonia and Jerez where Miguel
causes a sensation with his excellent bulerías dance.
Viva diversity and viva the grand obsession with flamenco!
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46th Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas
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