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Miguel Poveda “Tierra
de Calma”
Thursday, 28th september, 2006. 9.00pm. Teatro Lope de Vega
Special 14th Bienal de Flamenco de
Sevilla. Reviews, programa, photos...
Text: Estela Zatania
Cante: Miguel
Poveda. Music, director and guitar: Juan
Carlos Romero. Guest artists:Eva
Yerbabuena, Diego
Carrasco, David Peña “Dorantes”,
Paco Jarana, Pepa Gamboa. Percussion: Paquito González,
Antonio Coronel. Palmas: Carlos Grilo, Luis Peña
Cantarote, Juan Cantarote.
Just five years ago, when the singer from Badalona
had long before triumphed at La Unión, he went to
give a recital in a Seville town known for its flamenco
singing. Unable to attend, on the following day when I asked
some flamenco fans “how was Poveda lasta night?”,
the answer was “what’s a poveda?” Only
a small handful of people had shown up at the theater, and
there hadn’t even been a football match on TV.
That was in 2001 when Miguel Poveda was a major star in
Madrid, northern Spain and the rest of Europe, in addition
to having a sizable following in Japan. The young singer
was ahead of his time and Andalusia was not prepeared to
accept the idea that a Catalonian with a suave delivery
could possibly have anything to offer in what is promoted
as “the cradle of cante”. But times change swiftly
in flamenco, and now with the popularity of lyrical voices
such as those of Estrella Morente, Arcángel and Mayte
Martín among many others, it seems official that
a new aesthetic reigns. Thick or gravel-toned voices are
no longer “in”, and José Mercé
is the last of his generation to perpetuate that sound known
in flamenco as “afillá”. New flamenco
fans are looking for a clean sound, impeccable tones, plenty
of melisma and pretty melodies – a fairly apt description
of the “ópera flamenca” that dominated
in Spain for decades in the first half of the twentieth
century.
Miguel Poveda has all the necessary qualifications, in
addition to exquisite taste, intelligence, compás,
charisma, maturity within the context of his youth and a
boundless love for flamenco. Last night at the Lope de Vega
theater his time finally came, and from this point on it
is impossible that any flamenco fan will ever need to ask
“what” a poveda is. Because the presentation
of his new recording, “Tierra de Calma” (peaceful
land), had all the earmarks of a definitive coming-out party:
Miguel Poveda, at 33, is one of the brightest stars of the
current panorama of flamenco singing.
Exquisite taste, intelligence,
compás, charisma and a boundless love for flamenco
It was a polished, professional presentation in every way,
and the special guest artists, particularly Eva Yerbabuena
and Diego Carrasco, rounded out a first-class show. From
the audiovisual clip at the beginning, to the cloud of smoke
and the overhead spot that presaged the Catalonian’s
appearance on stage, to the different illumination for each
cante, the good sound that made it possible to capture the
subtle shading he manages so well, not to mention his boundless
personality, everything was just right.
The splendid music of Juan Carlos Romero who also directed
and composed as well as accompanying, is noteworthy. The
singer’s solid background allows him to interpret
a wide range of styles, always with his fresh and unmistakable
sound. Outstanding alegrías and cantiñas,
fandango de Lucena and Granada, tonás, great compás
for a variety of bulerías songs, an assortment of
the most classic sort of tientos and tangos accompanied
on the piano by Dorantes who knows how to understate the
music on this dominating instrument.
Diego Carrasco is like aged cognac, he’s best enjoyed
in small sips, and Poveda knew how to make use of his talents.
The symbiosis between these two seemingly opposed personalities
delighted the audience, and Yerbabuena, who could easily
have upstaged the whole thing, was also perfectly in place
with old-style bulerías and some sevillanas with
a tiny fan.
The unprecedented image of Carrasco and Poveda singing
and dancing bulerías to each other, and Eva Yerbabuena
letting her hair down, brought us, smiling broadly to the
end of what was probably the best show of the Bienal so
far. All that was left was the singer’s acknowledgements
and a brave siguiriya with cabal to end up. The art of flamenco
was well-served in this “peaceful land” inhabited
by Miguel Poveda.
More information:
Special XIV Bienal de Flamenco. Program,
reviews, photos
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