José Valencia /
Fuensanta la “Moneta”
Friday, September 29th, 2006. 9:00pm. Teatro Alameda

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

Text: Estela Zatania

José Valencia: Salvador Gutiérrez y Miguel Iglesias, guitar. Manuel Valencia, Carlos Grilo, Luis Cantarote, palmas.

José Antonio Valencia Vargas. For flamenco genealogists, the lineage revealed by those surnames leaves no room for doubt – flamenco, indeed cante itself, pulses through his veins. For less fanciful souls, José Valencia is a young singer who for years has shown himself to be one of the most noteworthy of a generation short on classic singers. His command of the compás, a powerful voice, dynamic personality and vast knowledge have made him very much in demand to sing for dance, and at the last Festival de Jerez his presence in a large portion of the shows became a running joke. But as a solo singer, it’s been an uphill struggle, not through any fault of his own, but because of the scarcity of recordings of traditional cante which in turn comes down to reluctant record companies. As Descartes would say: “I record, therefore I am”, and the young man who used to be known as Joselito de Lebrija, now José Valencia, has not made a recording.

Genuine cante, without that sound of every note meticulously learned and measured out which spoils so much cante these days

With the noteworthy exception of Miguel Poveda’s recital, there’s been a severe cante famine since the Bienal began a fortnight ago, so with all the more gusto we devoured the recital of this Lebrija singer. Malagueña with fandango de Frasquito, soleá tasting of Lebrija and Utrera, cantiñas del Pinini, Jerezy siguiriyas and bulerías with the characteristic compás of Lebrija and verses of Antonia Pozo.

A certain excess of lung power, and the near absence of shading, most certainly the result of so many years singing for dancers, is easily corrected by just lowering the volume at source. Genuine cante, without that sound of every note meticulously learned and measured out which spoils so much cante these days. Maybe thirty or forty years ago José Valencia would have been just another singer in the populous landscape of cante back then, but in 2006 he is an authentic treasure, a bearer of knowledge he sets out through his contemporary perspective and an artist to keep an eye on.

Fuensanta la Moneta: Enrique el Extremeño and Miguel Lavi, cante. Eugenio Iglesias y Miguel Iglesias, guitar.

Fuensanta “la Moneta” is currently one of the most interesting young female dancers. She has a strong personality of her own within the energetic style of her hometown of Granada, original details and surprising outbursts even she seems only barely able to control and which give the illusion of someone permanently on the verge of mental instability. Technique, compás, strength, haunting dark beauty and a penetrating gaze that multiplies the effect of every movement. Though not gypsy, she is the stereotypical image of the temperamental gypsy flamenco dancer.

One big roller coaster ride, from beginning to end

Opening with alegrías, she wears a lovely white bata de cola that she works with authority, almost punishing it, something that was harshly criticized when she presented her recital in Sevilla last spring, but which can only be interpreted as another style of dance. She strikes poses from the past that recall photos of Argentinita: the arched back, the big smile, the hair combs...

She comes out in trousers for a farruca, and now she’s Carmen Amaya. The 4x4 rhythm comes naturally since tangos, another binary rhythm, is the flamenco form par excellence in Granada. It’s another retro choreography which borders on just plain old-fashioned – a little nostalgia is fine, but the time-machine effect wears a little thin. For siguiriyas she wears an electric red dress without bata or sleeves, nor accessories of any sort. Moneta in red.

Too much of a good thing, and we all know what happens. Just as with Farruquito some years back before he settled down and understood the importance of silence, Fuensanta’s dancing is one big roller coaster ride, from beginning to end. There’s no contrast, the unrelenting intensity starts to get old and even begins to look artificial. You’re sitting in a Sacromonte cave waiting for your glass of sangría, and you have to gulp down your flamenco because the bus is leaving in a few minutes.

A few months ago at the Festival de Jerez this dancer gave a magnificent recital, and she seemed poised to take her place at the top. The current female stars of flamenco dance travel experimental paths, do modern dance á la Martha Graham, or simply resort to a repetitive classical style. This young woman however has it in her power to do important things and create a revolution. If only she could be a little less Granada, and a little more Seville.

Los Juncales
Friday, September 29th, 2006. 11:30pm Hotel Triana.

Voice and guitar:Manuel Molina, Diego Carrasco. Voice and footwork:Tomasito. Dance: Javier Barón. Guitar: Moraíto, Diego del Morao. Palmas: Maloko, Bo. Percussion and voice: Juan Grande.

Fun and games with compás, the more the merrier, at the Hotel Triana. The special treat of Moraíto’s presence and guest artists, dancer Javier Barón and guitarist Diego del Morao, the complicity of Manuel Molina in the role of Manuel Molina, Tomasito as himself, Diego Carrasco doing whatever needs to be done and Los Juncales, a happy collection of talent with only minimal structure, is the special of the day.

It makes no difference whether these guys dance, sing or play guitar – they’re on a rhythm trip and show off their personalities, from Santiago and Triana, all hooked into the same groove. “El sol, joven y fuerte vence tinieblas” is enough to send us straight to the nineteen-seventies and the height of the Lole and Manuel craze with the latter’s voice and guitar sketching imaginary compás suspened in the air. The magnificent Javier Barón – finally participating in the Bienal – dances alegrías, the most “serious” moment of the show, rounding out an evening full of good flamenco at the Bienal de Sevilla.

More information:

Special XIV Bienal de Flamenco. Program, reviews, photos