19th
FESTIVAL DEL MOSTACHÓN
Tribute to Manuel de Angustias
Saturday, November 8th,
2003.
Teatro Enrique de la Cuadra, Utrera (Sevilla) 9:30pm
Cante: Curro de Utrera, Pansequito, Aurora
Vargas, Mariana Cornejo Dance: David Morales y su grupo, Rocío
Palacios Guitar: Diego Amaya, Fernando Moreno, Niño
Elías, Francisco Javier Jimeno
If the grand-daddy of cante festivals, the Potaje Gitano
de Utrera, just about opens the festival season each year, the
Festival del Mostachón, of the same town, is the unofficial
finale. The nineteenth edition which took place on Saturday,
November 8th at the Enrique de la Cuadra theater was dedicated
to local singer Manuel de Angustias. Local because he was born
in Utrera, but his stature among serious aficionados is considerable
despite his never having pursued a professional career.
After breaking the ice with Rocio Palacios' dance school,
it was time to get down to cante with Curro de Utrera, a man
who was promoted and protected by legendary singer Pepe Marchena
six decades ago, and in 1958 won first prize in Córdoba
for his soleá, martinetes, polos and caña, quite
an impressive clutch of cantes. Having lived in Córdoba
for many years, he specializes in the cante of that province,
and his singing style doesn't reveal his Utrera origins. Nevertheless
he is a revered figure in town and in fact it's the Peña
Cultural Flamenca Curro de Utrera that organizes the Mostachón.
With his clean, youthful voice the singer went through the
classic malagueñas of Chacón and el Canario,
soleá with sounds of Córdoba and Utrera, rondeña
and fandangos, all with the accompaniment of guitarist Niño
Elías.
Tribute to Manuel de Angustias
Pansequito
Cádiz singer Mariana Cornejo, niece of Canalejas de
Puerto Real, another winner at Córdoba, in 1989, takes
her place next to Jerez gutarist Fernando Moreno. Alegrías,
soleá, tangos and bulerías, all in the most
traditional and delicious style that characterizes her hometown,
with dance included and a double helping of wit and charm.
The second part opened with a brief biographical rundown
of Manuel de Angustias offered by emcee Manuel Martín.
In 1968 flamenco researcher and writer Caballero Bonald included
his voice on the historic anthology he directed, and the singer
was an intimate friend of Antonio Mairena who urged Manuel
to become a professional singer. The speaker adds: “with
everything that's happening in flamenco these days […] I
invite all the young artists to listen to what it was like,
that struggle…there's a way with the compás that
Utrera has always managed…and his musical sense…Manuel
de Angustias has always been the real thing, through and through”.
Overcome with emotion and his voice breaking, Manuel accepted
the award assuring the audience that he didn't deserve it
and dedicating it to “mi niece Fernanda [de Utrera] who's
in a very bad way”.
Following the tribute there was a long dance offering with
the theatrical flamenco group of David Morales. Peteneras
was done with a cello that actually seemed to go quite well,
then a guitar solo by the talented Paco Javier Jimeno, winner
of the first prize for guitar at La Unión. Morales
danced por soleá with an aesthetic that recalled two
Antonios: Ruiz Soler and Canales.
David Morales
Once again the Concurso de Córdoba is mentioned to present
the singer who won the prize “for originality and renewal
in the cante” created especially for Pansequito. That voice,
“The Voice” as they used to call Sinatra…no cantaor manages
to deliver the cantes with so much originality while keeping
such a traditional flavor. Each cante is a little work of
art, with its beginning and end, so few singers attend to
that aspect. Alegrías which becomes 'cante grande', soleá
de Cádiz, Triana and even “daring” to do Utrera styles. Taranto
and cartageneras with the classic “pícaros tartaneros” verse…everything
is stylized and embellished with utmost good taste, the art
of surprising without grating. All this plus a fandango reprise,
and the audience responds with polite applause, go figure…
Fernando Moreno & Mariana Cornejo
Curro de Utrera
The emcee tells us that singer dancer Aurora Vargas is a
descendant of 19th-century singer Tomás el Nitri, but that
odd bit of information means little to the fans of this woman
from Triana whose festive art and aggressive beauty leave
no audience indifferent. Her repertoire is unchanging, and
that's the way they like it: alegrías, tientos tangos, fandangos
and bulerías, just dissonant enough to produce goose-bumps.
Aurora's charisma finally manages to warm things up and ends
the Mostachón de Utrera at half past two in the morning.
