1st Part. Cante Chano Lobato, guitar Pepe Habichuela
2nd Part. Cante La Macanita, guitar Juan Diego, palmas Chicharito
and Gregorio
3rd Part. Cante Calixto Sánchez, guitar Manolo Franco
Text: Manuel Moraga
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas
THE ORDEN OF THINGS
The Albéniz Theater was filled to the rafters
at the beginning of the evening, but there were many empty
seats when the show finally ended. Chano Lobato was the star
of the night when he received the Galardón Calle de
Alcalá, a prestigious award. Macanita did her job and
Calixto Sánchez was up to his high level as always.
That’s how the program unfolded, probably in the worst
possible way.
Alejandro Reyes with Chano Lobato
”I came to Madrid for three days and stayed for
thirty years” said Chano upon accepting the “Calle
de Alcalá”. Few, but well-chosen words from a
normally talkative man. And in actual fact, we missed Chano’s
chit-chat, his sweetly irreverant personality, that flamenco
way of being that so few have conserved, because above all
else, Chano Lobato is the essence of Cádiz. And flamenco
is, or ought to continue being like that. His voice isn’t
what it used to be (if it were we’d have to begin suspecting
a deal with the devil had been made), but he’s lost
not one whit of charm. The length of the program required
brevity, so his presence on stage was limited to his singing,
always a delight to hear his alegrías, his soleá
or bulerías which included abandolao cantes, cartageneras,
fandangos and anything else that occurred to him. They say
Roberto Goyeneche is the best interpreter of the tango. You
could say the same thing about this flamenco veteran who,
without be “Papparoti” as he calls the Italian
singer, always delivers the goods, art mixed with devilish
good fun. It was no empty praise when Félix Grande,
a member of the jury for this award, pointed out that Chano
Lobato has been making people happy for sixty-five years.
And it’s true. Those adorable rumba steps, the fragility,
the art and the grace…it all combines to win over audiences
and earn their utmost admiration and respect.
click for enlarge
From the wit and grace of Cádiz we move on to the
shirt-ripping Jerez style of Macanita. Cante full of sincerity
and roots, struggled through inch by inch, the kind of singing
flamenco fans like to say “hurts”. Tientos slow
and easy, soleares with no holds barred, raw siguiriyas and
plenty of bulerías. Jerez guitarist Juan Diego’s
accompaniment is noteworthy. He has managed to design a special
sound of exquisite sensibility. He maintains the character
and depth of Jerez guitar adding a certain touch of sweetness.
And after Macanita’s bulerías, Calixto Sánchez
appears singing martinete… A bit strange. The man from Mairena
was in his usual sedate, barroque form. Sedate because his
vision of flamenco is almost liturgical, ceremonial. Barroque
because his faculties permit him to lengthen and explore each
line indefinitely. Calixto was the hardest piece of the program
to assimilate. In the first place, because his aesthetic is
nearly opposed to that of the preceding singers as well as
the audience’s taste. And in the second place because
even taking into account the different approach, his Seville
style was not the most appropriate for closing out the night.
So many people simply left.
click for enlarge
No matter how you look at it, the program was too long. This
is the danger in programming three stellar performances in
one single evening. In my opinion – a question of taste
needless to say – I would have preferred more of Chano’s
antics (after all it was his night) and only two performers.
And if the issue was to maintain the concept of “Triángulo
Mágico” at all costs, another option would have
been to begin with Calixto Sánchez and end with Chano
or Macanita whose approach to flamenco are more appropriate
to end a show, and leave the audience feeling good even after
sitting in a theater for three hours. The order of things
affects the overall product.
