Carmen Grilo / Manuel Liñán
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006. 9:00pm. Teatro Alameda

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Text: Estela Zatania

Carmen Grilo: Guitar, José Quevedo. Palmas, Carlos Grilo, El Lúa. Percussion, Paco González.
Manuel Liñán: Cante, Leo Treviño, Picúo. Guitar: Arcadio Marín, Fernando de la Rúa.

Wednesday evening, September 20th, two young hopefuls had their chance at the Teatro Alameda, the venue which is being used for a series of recitals devoted to known flamenco performers who are working to firmly consolidate their careers.

Carmen Grilo, sister of Joaquín with whom she is scheduled to appear on October 3 within the program of the Bienal, is from Jerez although you wouldn’t know it from her singing. Her voice is sweet and her style, richly ornate and lyrical, in the line of other young cantaores of the new generation. Back in Jerez she’s known for her saetas, the emotional Holy Week song, full of pathos and drama, which might account for a certain excess of melisma in her singing.

In the bulerías in the popular modern line, she is more relaxed and natural, excellent even

The farruca she opens with, sung free-form without the binary rhythm that characterizes this nearly obsolete cante, is a barroque creation that seems designed to show off the singer’s considerable technical command, but overuse of an exaggerated vibrato becomes annoying, and you have that uncomfortable feeling that her desire to impress exceeds her interpretative capacity, an artistic pitfall young artists typically have a hard time avoiding.

In alegrías she mixes original melodies with at least one traditional style, and juxtaposes registers to great effect, creating unusual contrasts. For siguiriyas she again resorts to histrionics with a weepy forced delivery that contradicts the dark character of this basic form. Carmen sings magnificently, but gives more importance to her own talent than to the cante, and once again the advice “less is more” seems appropriate.

Tientos and tangos are in the same overdone line, although some Triana styles are interpreted with maturity and knowledge. In the bulerías she uses to close, for the most part in the popular modern line, she is more relaxed and natural, excellent even. The guitar accompaniment of José Quevedo adds contemporary touches with good taste.

The tasteful juxtaposition of references from different generations which he manages with the aplomb of a veteran

From Granada, an area which has produced dancers of extraordinary quality such as Mario Maya, Manolete and Eva Yerbabuena, comes a young but seasoned dancer, Manuel Liñán. He has worked intensively with Rafaela Carrasco, Marco Flores and most recently, Olga Pericet, and is one of the brightest stars of the current flamenco dance scene.

In alegrías titled “1980, alegrías”, the dancer born in that very year allows himself to remember a past he never experienced with a choreography that reflects retro details that contrast with others which are absolutely contemporary. The esence of this young man’s dance is precisely that, the tasteful juxtaposition of references from different generations which he manages with the aplomb of a veteran, originality, a sense of humor and a genuinely fresh approach.

The voice of Leo Treviño, one of the few singers to perform wearing glasses, is off-putting at first, but if you let yourself go, you start getting into his sincere direct style. He shares an acceptable tonás solo with singer Picúo, and Liñán returns with his updated version of zapateado, the only flamenco dance without corresponding cante. An original guitar duet leads to soleá which includes an off-stage narrative that unfortunately, due to technical problems, could not be heard well. It’s a free-form, unusual choreography, although the extra super slow tempo deforms the cante and brings back memories of the nineteen-seventies.

It’s nice to see something that departs from the usual. Whether or not you enjoy their styles, Manuel Liñán and Carmen Grilo are searching for their respective artistic niches, looking to the past at the same time they bravely claim the right to be different.

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