4th festival 'Enclave de Sol' con Gerardo Núñez, Carmen Cortés, Javier Barón, Perico Sambeat, Guadiana...

Cante: Guadiana, Jesús Méndez, Alba Bazán and Brenda del Castillo, Samuel Serrano; Dance: Javier Barón y Carmen Cortes, Juan Tomás de Trebujena; Guitar: Gerardo Núñez, Manuel Valencia, “El Lin”; Saxophone: Perico Sambeat; Drums: Nano Peña; Double bass: Pablo Martín; Percussion: Cepillo

Text: Gonzalo Peña
Photos: Horacio Arriaza

The fourth edition of the Enclave de Sol festival reasserted itself as a point of encounter for flamenco fans and lovers of free-style music with the aim of doing things together, and creating a feeling of shared experiences on stage.  The temperature was just right, and the Cerro Jaranilla afforded beautiful views of the Cádiz countryside for the seven or eight-hundred spectators.

The concept created by guitarist Gerardo Núñez and his wife, dancer Carmen Cortés (what a talented couple), is based on the love both feel for music, and their desire to share it with others, although he himself commented on stage that he does not receive public funding other than from the local town hall and the Agencia Andaluza para el Desarrollo del flamenco.

It’s clear musicians enjoy themselves most when they are just letting their inspiration flow naturally along with other musicians, allowing each one to contribute to the ongoing communication that takes place.  That is the basis upon which this festival is constructed, and that’s why it offers something special which is immediately noticeable.  Clearly there are rehearsals, but no script is followed and only the basic outline is known beforehand.

In this way we were able to enjoy completely spontaneous moments such as the soleá por bulería sung by Jesús Méndez with Carmen Cortes’ dance, the musical feedback of Perico Sambeat’s saxophone and Pablo Martín’s double bass solo.

One of the stars of the program was singer Guadiana, who with his unmistakable style offered a lovely taranta accompanied by Gerardo Núñez.  Although we would have liked to hear more of this singer, the little he did left an excellent impression.

Another noteworthy moment was the piece “De Aquí Pallá” from Gerardo Núñez’ record Cruce de Caminos with Perico Sambeat.  Nano Peña’s percussion found just the right level without upstaging anyone when he accompanied Jesús Méndez’ singing.  This cantaor was very active throughout the night, and was one of the strong points of the concert.  Keep an eye on this young singer because he just might make a name for himself in the current flamenco scene thanks to his sincere desire to sing, and because he is offering, paradoxically what few others dare nowadays, which is traditional flamenco singing without the whistles and bells.

Another special moment was provided by dancer Javier Barón who performed por soleá in a modern vein that was very in keeping with the tone of the festival, but without sacrificing a bit of flamenco-ness, and leaving no doubts about his rhythmic and aesthetic sense.

The chance to see Guadiana with Javier Ruibal was another draw Enclave de Sol had to offer, and it was a very worthwhile encounter.

To wind up, and as was only fitting, all the musicians went on stage for a bulería ending in which young amateur artists from neighboring towns enjoyed singing and dancing with the professionals they so admire.  Young dancer Juan Tomás left us speechless with his dance style, and Samuel Serrano from Chipiona also demonstrated his tremendous love for this art with his bulerías cante, punchy but melodic.

Otro momento especial de la noche fue el baile de Javier Barón que dando muestras de su versatilidad sacó un baile por Soleá al estilo de la noche muy actual pero sin perder la flamencura y dejando ver claramente su dominio rítmico y sentido estético.

La posibilidad de ver juntos a Guadiana con Javier Ruibal es otro de los alicientes que sólo este “Enclave de Sol” te ofrece y desde luego fue un bonito encuentro.

Para concluir como no podía ser de otra manera se subieron todos los músicos al escenario para hacer un fin de fiesta por bulerías, en el que los jóvenes aficionados de los pueblos cercanos disfrutaron de cantar y bailar con profesionales a los que admiran. El jovencísimo bailaor Juan Tomás nos dejó boquiabiertos con sus maneras al baile y el chaval de Chipiona Samuel Serrano también demostró su gran afición con un cante por bulerías corto pero muy melódico.