Text: Rubén Gutierrez
Photos: Málaga en Flamenco

“FESTEJO”
SERIES: SU HOMENAJE
Rubem Dantas Group
Friday, August 31st, 2007. 800pm. Playa del Palo, Málaga

Percussion and voice: Rubem Dantas. Guitar: Israel Sandoval and Dan Ben Lior. Bass and voice: Yrvis Méndes. Piano. Eduardo Dorda. Sax: Joaquín Galindo. Trombone: Ove Larsson. Trumpet: Irapoán Freire. Drums: José Luis Calandria. Percussion: Paquito Baeza. Violin: Angel Rodas. Flamenco guitar and voice: Diego Guerrero José Cortés “El Pirata”. Cante: La Nitra, Sergio Gómez “El Colorao”. Voice: Alex Oliveira. Baile: El Moreno.

JAZZ AMONG FRIENDS

The beach of el Palo closed out this series of concerts with a gathering of friends. There were only seven of us in the audience when the concert began, but that didn’t bother Rubem Dantas. This virtuoso percussionist is used to playing in small clubs along the Andalusian shore where he moves like a fish in the sea through his jam sessions. This Brazilian was responsible for bringing the Peruvian cajón into flamenco around 1977, quite something to have done.

He came on with a multiracial multiinstrumental group, with musicians and instruments from both sides of the Atlantic. He was presenting what is going to be his next record release in which we hear melodies and harmonies from free jazz and world music, all sprinkled with a good dose of percussion. I couldn’t count how many different instruments he had, but he used every single one, rattles, thumb piano, gourds, congas. . . .

The group played four of Rubem’s themes, from the compás of verdiales in “Canelo”, to swing with “Nasdrovie” and a lot of Afro American music in “Pixinguinha”, to the sound of the Cuban keyboard and winks at the samba. They had the best of intentions, but the group still needs to work out a few rough spots, especially in closing out the numbers. A short intermission brought us to the most flamenco part of the recital with the theme “Convite” and a variation on Falla’s “Amor Brujo”. After being with the group Dolores, Paco de Lucía signed him up for his quintet, and then the septet, and together they’ve traveled the world.

.

He makes use of a group of flamenco singers and guitarists from Granada who just barely fulfill their functions, although they introduce the novelty of polyphonic voices, more apt for soul music than flamenco; Pitingo is creating a school. They continue with “Vivir y Soñé”, “Almoraíma”, “Zyriab” and “Canastera” with all the musicians on stage and Rubem seated on his throne directing this beach combo.

“BARCAS DE PLATA”
SERIES: SIETE DISCOS
Encarna Anillo
Friday, August 31st, 2007. 1100pm Castillo de Gibralfaro, Málaga

Cante: Encarna Anillo and José Anillo (guest artist). Guitar: Juan Diego, José Manuel León and Eduardo Pacheco. Percussion: Juan Peña. Chorus and compás: Marcelino Fernández, Jorge Silva “El Canastero”. Dance: Carmelina Montoya (Artista invitada).

 AIRS OF CÁDIZ AND THE CALETA

Young Encarna Anillo presented her first solo recording and thus opened a new series of Málaga en Flamenco. During this bienal seven new records are to be presented, and the young girl from Cádiz set a high standard with her “Barcas de Plata”. We’ve been hearing her do backup singing for a long time, but she has made a name for herself singing alone with this recording debut that is bound to be this year’s great discovery.

As was only fitting, she began with alegrías. What makes Encarna different is her voice quality. Her perfect diction, combined with a particular sound, that isn’t really rough, but nor is it a sweet sound, allows her to move broadly through the melodies and she knows how to take full advantage of this ability. She is also good at short clipped phrases used wisely to enhance the flamenco composition as in malagueñas ended with abandolao.

Encarna was happy with her dream of a lifetime fulfilled. She’s been on stage since the age of five, first as a dancer, and then singer, and that experience comes out in the bulerías that follows. Along with her brother José Anillo, also from Cádiz and the producer of this record together with Miguel Poveda, she interprets a song about brotherly love recalling the scene of Lola Flores and Manolo Caracol with the zambra “Salvaora”.

Encarna was smart enough to choose good guitarists for this project: Juan Diego from Jerez, with all his flamenco sensitivity, José Manuel León who was discovered a few years ago by Gerardo Núñez and Eduardo Pacheco, son of Carmen Linares. The cuadro interprets alegrías, the title song of the album, and bulerías brings Carmelina Montoya, representative of the well-known clan, to sing some wonderful tangos, as well as dance in the fiesta finale with verses of La Perla. Cádiz can feel proud: aside from the flamenco convention taking place this week, they have a new flamenco singer to boast of.

More information:

Special MÁLAGA EN FLAMENCO