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X FESTIVAL DE JEREZ
February 25th, 2006
COMPAÑÍA DE BELÉN MAYA “DIBUJOS”
Guadalcacín Theater
COMPAÑÍA DE MANUELA CARRASCO “UN
SORBITO DE LO SUBLIME”
Villamarta Theater
CUADRO DE LA PEÑA TÍO JOSÉ
DE PAULA
Tío José de Paula Peña
THE FLAVORS OF FLAMENCO
Text: Manuel Moraga
Yesterday was perfect for any Japanese student
wishing to write a doctoral thesis about the different manifestations
of flamenco. In just a few hours we were able to go from
nearly domestic ritual to the most sophisticated design.
The day began at noon with the presentation of the book
and DVD “Rito y Geografía del Cante Flamenco”
at the San Ginés Bodega. The person who directed
the legendary series for Spanish televisión, José
María Velázquez-Gaztelu was present and we
were able to see images of Tío Gregorio el Borrico
(among others), one of the most representative flamenco
artists to come out of the Santiago neighborhood.
 In
the early afternoon we beamed up to another space and time.
The Guadalcacín theater featured Belén Maya’s
“Dibujos”, a show that explores a terrain where
dance sheds its ancestral baggage to become an autonomous
language capable of expressing its own ideas. The rite disappears
giving way to free expression, enriching the language and
underlining the capacity of dance to create sketches in
space. Belén danced to the guitar of José
Luis Rodríguez and the voice of Manuel Gago offering
an extense repertoire that included her alegrías
with bata de cola. The dancer managed to distance herself
from tradition and then return, not as a mere automaton,
but aiming to create within the forms. A metronome unifies
the different pieces and reminds us of the discipline of
time.
 One
and a half hours later, the curtain went up at the Villamarta
theater and standing there on stage (tan shawl over black
dress), the picture-postcard perfect Manuela Carrasco. The
taranto opens a series of dance and cante numbers. A few
problems with amplification at the beginning, and once they
were taken care of, the artists began to warm up the atmosphere.
And it was welcome heat since the rain hadn’t let
up all day. One of the most intense moments of the evening
was courtesy of Manuel Molina (guest artist) with Manuela
Carrasco. The poetry and lyricism of the former was answered
by the grave dramatic sense of the latter. Dancer Rafael
de Carmen was splendid as were guitarist Pedro Sierra and
singers José Valencia, La Tobala and Samara Amador.
And in the midst of it all, Carrasco with her traditional
alegrías, hands gripping her vest during the footwork,
always a pretty picture, shoulders right in place, arms
searching for the soul of the dance. The strongest moment
came with the soleá. That was where Manuela Carrasco
put all her art to good use, finding an outlet for her intensity,
not intensity of movement, but rather an interior force,
introspective and therefore communicative of feeling.
And rounding out the day, nothing better than stepping
back in time to share a good flamenco bash with the women
of the Tío José de Paula flamenco club. It’s
sheer delight to hear them sing and watch them dance, as
well a good lesson in anthropology. Eva Rubichi, Dolores,
Antonia, Carmen, Fernando Vargas... Tangos, fandangos and
of course endless bulerías. The compás of
Santiago. In less than six hours we’d gone from a
contemporary vision of flamenco to the living roots of the
art. And if the day started out with images of Santiago,
what better way to end up than on the spot after having
enjoyed the enriching panorama of an art that never stops
creating flavors
Photo Manuela Carrasco by Manny Rocca.
Photo Belen Maya by Rafa Manjavacas
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