Special 14th Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla. Reviews, programa, photos...

Text: Estela Zatania
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas Lara

Israel Galván “Arena”
Friday, September 15th, 2006. 9:00pm. Teatro Lope de Vega

Dance: Israel Galván. Cante: David Lagos, Diego Carrasco. Guitar: Alfredo Lagos. Back-up: Bobote, El Eléctrico. Gaita del Gastor: Mercedes Bernal.

From the color and light of Andalucía, el Flamenco y la Humanidad which opened the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla last Wednesday, to the surprising existential world of Israel Galván. This mental journey from maximalism to minimalism demonstrates the diversity of today’s flamenco dance scene which so often pits the avant-garde fans against those who prefer classic flamenco, and shows the organizers’ intention to cater to a wide variety of tastes.

Of Israel Galván’s three most recent works, each one requires a different level of open-mindedness. If Edad de Oro is the most classic of the three, and Tábula Rasa the one which most defies convention, Arena is halfway between the two with numerous references to traditional flamenco, always tempered by jarring details that force the observer to rethink his or her criteria every step of the way.

Jazzman Duke Ellington admonished the experimenters of his era with the famous conundrum: “If you don’t know the rules, you shouldn’t break them”. Israel Galván has perfect command of the rules of flamenco, as well as impeccable technique, infallible compás, knowledge and substance. For this reason his projects always deserve every benefit of the doubt, however bizarrre the on-stage antics he commits in the name of flamenco dance may seem. He dances barefoot, partners a rocking-chair, dances with stuffed artifcial skins that represent bulls, he head-butts a wooden plank, inserts the acrid sound of a primitive wind instrument in the middle of sweet, melodic cantiñas, or the disorienting sound of a raucous funky dance band. Israel breaks all the molds, and he nearly always does it with naturalness and absolute conviction, unlike others who simply go for shock value. Many performers show signs of having an intense inner life. Israel Galván expresses his openly and publicly in the theater, and thousands of people throughout the world pay good money to witness the spectacle. This, perhaps, is the most concise description of a true artist.

Jarring details that force the observer to rethink his or her criteria every step of the way.

As one might expect, there have been modifications since the work premiered two years ago. The fundamental elements remain: 6 choreographies with bullfighting references, separated by audiovisual interludes with the voice and image of Enrique Morente, the splendid guitar of Alfredo Lagos, Diego Amador’s piano, two live voices, those of Miguel Poveda and David Lagos, and the impossible to categorize Diego Carrasco. But Galván has had the good taste to allow more flamenconess to the flamenco, there’s a bit more cante, palmeros Bobote and Eléctrico play a greater role, and most importantly, there are humorous touches. All this enhances the work, while making it more accessible to the audience, without sacrificing the dancer’s vision, but most importantly, the overall experience is no longer oppressive, and although the spectator is made to participate intellectually, it is a painless, and ultimately rewarding experience. When the final curtain falls we’re pleased to have been able to accompany Israel on his Fellini-esque surrealistic excursion through the land of his fertile imagination.

La Susi / El Potito
Friday, September 15th. Hotel Triana,11:30pm

The second show of the evening took place in the patio of the Hotel Triana, an open-air stage in the heart of old Triana with a laid-back, easy-going atmosphere.

Antonio Vargas Cortés “Potito”, Seville native who was a child prodigy some fifteen years ago after being discovered and promoted by Pepe de Lucía, was out of the limelight for some time, almost completely forgotten despite a few recordings, until resurfacing not long ago to pick up the string of his popularity as was evidenced by the warm reaction of the audience at the Hotel Triana. With the magnificent Pedro Sierra on guitar, backed up by Miguel Iglesias, he sang long and well, soleá without guitar, fandangos, taranto, siguiriya, tangos and bulerías connecting easily with the large audience with a voice that is rich and mature, and free-flowing compás. Judging from the applause, it’s possible the newest singers may have abandoned the Camarón sound a bit too soon.

After intermission, we continued down memory lane with Susi, the fifty-something woman from Alicante who was always “the female Camarón” for flamenco fans of a certain age who couldn’t get enough of that velvety voice with the sweetly painful delivery. Susi is another singer from earlier years who has resurfaced from near retirement and managed to reinvent herself. She started off spectacularly in electric red with tonás, ending aptly enough, with the debla “En el barrio de Triana” as a well-timed breeze picked up and shimmied the long fringe of her shawl. She should have followed the usual battle plan: a little mineras and then the bulerías and tangos she does so well. Instead she tackled a long series of soleá, nearly all Serneta and Juaniquí, that is, the adopted cante of Utrera, then vidalita, mining cante, rondeña... It wasn’t the repertoire people were expecting, and the excitement wound down despite the singer’s best efforts. A fiesta finale with Potito briefly rekindled interest, and thus ended Friday evening at the Bienal de Sevilla.

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Special XIV Bienal de Flamenco. Program, reviews, photos