«De Camarón para acá» – Flamenco on Fire

Text: José Manuel Gómez «Gufi»
Photos & video: Rafael Manjavacas

Guadiana, Pedro el Granaino, Duquende on the balconies of Pamplona. Tempo de Luz at the Baluarte, David & Carlos de Jacoba in the Ciclo Nocturno.

 

Hangover from the tribute to Camarón that featured Duquende, Pedro el Granaíno and Guadiana.  The three singers put together one of those unforgettable concerts with the help of los Mellis; and the next day, Thursday morning, they had a date with Pamplona, for free, and with the sun shining like there was no tomorrow.  I got to Mañueta street full of doubt, between coffee-time and beer-time, while Guadiana was finishing up with bulerías.  Impossible to make a proper evaluation.  Next was Pedro el Granaíno, and you wonder if having a voice like that, a carbon-copy of Camarón’s, he can really live off that.

He began with martinetes, and with the first sip of wine we’re at his feet, even with the scorching sunshine, because you have to be pretty brave to sing Camarón-style in this weather, in Pamplona at one o’clock midday.

 

We’re in the famous plaza of the “chupinazo”, and those of us in direct sunlight cool off with the chills provided by the singing.  He wrapped it all up with the tangos “Turu-turai” of Remedios Amaya, linking it to a diversity of verses forming a chorus that people dance to, and the photographers were anxious to get that immortal shot.

Next stop was the Plaza del Castillo with Duquende, who appeared dressed in red and black beneath the relentless sunshine.  In the next balcony over, the guitarist was doing his best to keep spirits up.  Impossible to compare this with the previous night’s concert, impossible to give so much in the same way.  It’s very hard to feel the same when you’ve just ordered the first beer of the day.

The careful reader will say you have to maintain your judgment, and your intellectual freshness, and I say, yes, for sure, but I’ll wait here in the shade.

The show “Tempo de Luz” debuted at the Baluarte with Carmen Linares, Arcángel and Marina Heredia, and once again there’s a link to the night before, in this case, with the guitar of Miguel Ángel Cortés and the dancing of Ana Morales.  The presentation is impeccable, the curtain opens with vocals accompanied by the rhythm of knuckles on a table.  Frankly, I’m put off by the sound of those three voices in a shared chorus, but the majority of the audience seemed to love it.  A question of taste, or lack of habit.  I enjoyed Carmen Linares singing in that zone where the words come out full of music, and fight to stay there without forming phrases, the territory of Borrico or Talega I’d say.  I was taken aback by the sound of Marina Heredia and of Arcángel, excellent accompanying Morales’ dance which included excellent shawl work.  They were a success beyond any shadow of a doubt, and the audience managed to encourage an encore.

 

 

At the Tres Reyes Hotel, David and Carlos de Jacoba presented their quartet with Joni and Antonio Losada.  It was one of those concerts to let yourself get carried away.  David is an excellent singer, and he is presenting a new repertoire, splendid in his way of working the low notes with the elegant laidback guitar of his brother, the exact opposite of Duquende with whom he shared Paco de Lucía’s last tours.

 

 

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