Antonio El Pipa 'Puertas Adentro' Ciclo 7 producciones nuevas. Teatro Las Lagunas – Mijas Bienal Málaga en Flamenco 07

Text: Ruben Gutierrez
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas

LUCES Y SOMBRAS

Dance, stage direction and choreography: Antonio El Pipa. Dance: Maria del Mar Moreno, Christián de los Reyes y Macarena Ramírez. Cante: Tía Juana la del Pipa, Montse Cortés, Enrique el Extremeño, Morenito de Illora, Diego Camacho “Boquerón”. Guitars: José Luis Montón y Pascual de Lorca.

Corps de ballet

: Marta Fernández de Córdoba, Alejandra Gudí, Sandra Rosán, Marina Ayala, Ana Utrera.

Another new series got under way of the seven that make up Málaga en Flamenco. It’s one of the novel ideas of this festival: many months ago a contest was announced for artists to submit their productions. Forty works competed, five were selected and two were invited, one of them, the most recent creation of Antonio el Pipa. Supported by the Agencia Andaluza para el Desarrollo del Flamenco, and the Culture Ministry, the Jerez dancer sought to lay out his inner life, that intimate world of the artist that you don’t even see in gossip magazines.

The show begins daringly, influenced by the poetry of Miguel Hernández with the poem “Las Tres Heridas”, sung by Monte Cortés with music by José Luis Montón. El Pipa appears wearing a hat to dance peteneras after a funeral procession staged to set the dark mood. There’s more to Pipa now, the constrictions of Jerez are in the background although the poor illumination did not help in appreciating his dancing. This number evokes his mother’s death which was not too long ago. Tía Juana appears on stage to recall Pipa’s childhood, with Christián de los Reyes, a talented nine-year-old, playing the part of the young dancer, along with the rest of the group in colorful costumes that have become this company’s trademark, for bulerías. Veteran singer Boquerón was a pleasant surprise, tasteful and knowledgeable. María del Mar Moreno also takes part. The Jerez dancer was invited by Pipa to demonstrate her characteristic style. After a brief alegrías, there’s a duo with Christián and Pipa, ending with cabales.

His inner life, that intimate world of the artist that you don’t even see in gossip magazines.

Then comes the learning period… in the Santiago neighborhood from birth. With verses by singer David de María, who is also from the city of wine and horses, Monste Cortés sings a beautiful nana in binary rhythm dressed in immaculate white, as she rocks a cradle that represents the birth of Pipa’s second child. Celebration comes in the form of guajira with a young Macarena Ramírez, only fifteen years old, who already made a name for herself playing an adolescent Lola Flores in the recent biographical film of Flores. She did some nice things, and her youthful grace, short skirt included, was delightful. Equally moving is Pipa’s dance with Christián to the sound of “Fiesta en el Barrio de Santiago” from the recording “Canta Jerez”. Pipa teaches his young charge bulería por soleá with the superb voices of Diamante Negro, Sernita and Tío Gregorio el Borrico. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of this great record.

The final passage tells of love and brings us straight into the fiesta which is Jerez, with singers around a table knocking out rhythms in the traditional way. The choreographies pass before our eyes to characteristic mixed compás with red and white dominating the wardrobe. The onstage doors open wide to receive the essence of ancient Astia Regia. The gut-wrenching voice of Tía Juana is the ideal complement for Pipa’s soleá, although this final part is suspiciously reminiscent of an earlier number from “De Tablao”, which it just so happens premiered at the last Bienal and has been presented on some of the world’s most important stages. After an ovation of nearly ten minutes, the company offered its inevitable fiesta finale where Tía Juana and Pipa were overcome with emotion and tears could be seen in their eyes. The saying goes “No one is a prophet in his own land”, but in Málaga Antonio el Pipa has found an adopted terrain which has issued him an unconditional passport that once again will lead him down the path of success with this new show.

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