Flamenco concert guitar: Víctor Monge “Serranito”. Ethnic instruments: Javier Paxariño. Piano: Moisés Sánchez. Cante: Eva Durán. Dance: Ángel Muñoz. Second guitar: Rafael Morales. Guitar and bass: Julián Vaquero. Percussion: Víctor Monge Jr.

Texto: Rubén Gutierrez
Fotos: Málaga en Flamenco (Carlos Díaz Martín)

HEAVENLY GUITAR

It’s only fitting that gods and heroes should receive just due. The series devoted to Paco de Lucía, who in a few days is scheduled to perform at the Málaga bullring, received one of the guitarists who most admires the maestro from Algeciras. The blond kid from Madrid who started out playing Argentine tangos, reached such heights that his music is now more appropriate to angels than mortals.

Víctor Monge, an entire life devoted to guitar, is not only one of the great guitarists of the twentieth century, but knows how to surround himself with good musicians. He started out with the taranta “Cazorla”, but as the piece developed, which indeed evoked the beginning of the Guadalquivir river, the rest of the group appeared. Together, they play tangos de Granada, now evoking the Genil river. Serranito is a guitarist and a person with strong sentiments, and the proof is in this descriptive music. The solea “Paseando por Triana”, which he played alone, becomes a musical flamenco poem of the feelings radiated by the legendary Seville neighborhood. He also offered a piece based on one of the popular songs revived by Ferderico García Lorca, the “Romance del Pastor”, to the compás of seguiriya and bulería.

The blond kid from Madrid who started out playing Argentine tangos, reached such heights that his music is now more appropriate to angels than mortals.

Dancer Angel Muñoz took center stage dressed in the “majo” fashion for zapateado. The guitar was a showpiece of virtuosity, and the dancer gave a lesson in placement worthy of Antonio Gades. Then came the bulerías titled “Calle de la Sangre”. This street is one of the most flamenco in the Santiago neighborhood of Jerez, although it’s real name is Taxdirt. Sounds of Santiago filled his guitar, and Ramírez Sánchez joins in to combine his jazz with a flamenco soul, as well as instrumentalist Javier Paxariño. The man from Granada has based his career on the instruments of Spanish folklore and world music, particularly wind instruments, and he has some good recordings accompanying people like Tino di Giraldo.

Everyone returns to the stage for one of the most moving numbers of this edition of Málaga en Flamenco. “La Noche de las Tres Lunas” aims to be a reflection of the ambience that reigned in Córdoba or Toledo seven or eight centuries ago. Christian, Hebrew and Arab music join hands for petenera, seguiriya and caballes, bulerías and tangos, played on instruments like the kaval, the neys and the Turkish clarinet, and Islamic-style duende flows. The four elements, water, fire, earth and air, are spiritually joined in bulerías that brings the audience to their feet. With the fiesta thus served, they group ended up with another piece full of drama that recalled the sadness felt after the loss of a family friend.

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