TORRIJOS, DEMÓFILO AND A DOLLOP OF FLAMENCO

Torrijos er valiente. Guitar: Gaspar Rodriguez, Niño Javi. Cante: Andrés Lozano, Pepe Guzmán. Cante and chorus: La Divi, Miguel Astorga. Dance: La Yedra, Jesús Nieto. Cello: Nicasio Moreno. Percussion: Tete Peña. Music director and arrangements: Gaspar Rodríguez, Nicasio Moreno. 8:00pm. Palacio de la Paz, Fuengirola.

Tragic events that took place 175 years ago around the tourist zone of the Costa del Sol were the pretext for Friday’s first show at Málaga en Flamenco. The object was to recall, with verses from the Demófilo collection, the execution of freedom-fighter General José María Torrijos along with 52 members of his group on Málaga’s San Andrés beach.

It seems somewhat contrived to relate mirabrás, malagueñas, colombianas, tangos, seguiriyas, fandangos, alegrías, soleá apolá and bulerías with anything beyond the music itself, but the noble spirit was appreciated as was the desire to highlight native Málaga artists: the entire cast was from the province.

Singer Andrés Lozano is the old pro who keeps up the level with his rough but strong voice that contradicts his appearance of absent-minded accountant. Also noteworthy, Pepe Guzmán, a diehard follower of Pepe Marchena. The man seems not to have any connection whatsoever with flamenco beyond his infinite admiration for José Tejada Martín, “Pepe Marchena” to flamenco fans, a social phenomenon fifty years before Camarón de la Isla would earn that description. Guzman comes out twice, for a poem he recites to colombianas, the form created by his idol, and alegrías, and the extreme affection he clearly feels for the legendary singer is moving. A dancer, Jesús Nieto, also offered a good level as well as a wall-to-wall smile worthy of José Greco. The rest of the group was fairly mediocre, but all was forgiven in the fiesta finale “Abandolao Abandonao”.

CULTURAL TUG-OF-WAR

De la andaluza moraga: Dance: Milagros Mengíbar with singers Manolo Sevilla and Emilio Cabello, and Rafael Rodríguez on guitar. Cante: Virgina Gámez. Guitar: Curro de María. Violin: Nelson Doblas. Percussion: David Galiano. Repentistas (Cuba): Alexis Díaz-Pimienta and his group. Verdiales group from Jotrón and Lomillas.

The sound of breaking waves before the beginning of this show is the audio preparation for another presentation with historic underpinnings. Salvador Rueda, a Málaga poet who was more appreciated in Havana at the turn of the last century than in his own hometown, is the point around which the contrived brotherhood between a verdiales group and a Cuban repentista group revolves, with a local singer thrown in for good measure. Completing and further complicating the buffet, a magnificent dancer from Triana, Milagros Mengíbar.

The long first number is a friendly musical tug-of-war betweent the verdiales group and the repentistas, an intrinsically flawed premise, since the former play absolutely folkloric music, while the latter is a stylized contemporary genre, closer to flamenco; in fact, more than similarities, you mostly see differences. But Alexis Díaz-Pimienta, leader of the Cuban group, who uses his expansive personality to act as a kind of master of ceremonies, could sell you the seat you’re occupying, and manages to transmit the feeling of a laidback Havana bar. His ability to invent verse on the spot (although it doesn’t always rhyme, and doesn’t always obey a meter) and which wows the audience, is an odd framework for the majestic dancing of Milagros Mengíbar who gave her very best with two dances based entirely on movement, not one speck of footwork. Proud, elegant, with that special sort of wise flirtation women of a certain age employ, showed she still has plenty to offer to the new generation of women dancers. Rafael Rodríguez on guitar, superb as always. Singer Virginia Gámez sings some dignified malagueñas and abandolao cante with her sweet lyrical voice.

The second part, just as lengthy as the first, was more of the same, progressively degenerating into a disorganized free-for-all which just managed to avoid embarrassment by a hair’s breadth, but was well-received by the audience. “Improvisation!. . . the same sea washes our shores on two different continents!…our blood brings us together, and Salvador Rueda makes us one!” shouts out the Cuban showman effusively. Milagros dances verdiales with the women from the group, guitarist Curro de María sings a verse of the same, all’s well that ends well and tomorrow is another day.

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