Diego Carrasco en los Jardines Sabatini de Madrid

Diego Carrasco

Jardines de Sabatini – Veranos de la Villa
–
Madrid –
August 8th, 2008

Carrasco´s Connection

Text: Pablo San Nicasio
Photos: Paco Manzano

When you go to Jerez, and you want to see good flamenco, live, one of the obligatory places is Diego Carrasco’s place.  Between the Gallo Azul and the Cathedral there’s always something going on.  The tentacles of that flamenco family are so long, it’s rare there’s no one nearby to strike up a fiesta. And with the piano in the background on the stage.

When Friday’s Olympic day ended, a goodly part of the Jerez clan made it up to the Sabatini gardens to accompany the boss.  The “Inquilino del Mundo” who has plenty of the right stuff in his DNA.

With the venue half full (but those of us who were there knew what we were doing), Diego gave us 15 pieces, encore included, from his long career as flamenco singer-composer.

And he had thoughts for Madrid, the city which had been his home for half his life.  He conjured up Fernanda de Utrera, Tibet, and the recently deceased owner of the legendary Candela bar with his theme “Pa mi Manuela”.  And of course he had the audience chime in on “presente!” for the song about José Monge Cruz “Camarón” . No one gets off the hook with Diego around.

“Cinco Toreros” was dedicated to José Tomás, with Diego’s fine poetry.

This is an artist who knows how to connect with the public, from the very first moment there was clapping and fun, that chemistry he knows so well how to evoke.  We shared particles from where we sat, and at the end there was a reaction with blues harmony.  Molecules of holy water and also calling.

The man from Jerez, as we said, was not alone.  He came with an interesting group.  On percussion was his son Ané, on guitar, Curro Carrasco, a member of Navajita Plateá, on bass, an excellent Ignacio Sintado and the chorus was two lovely voices, one of which was the outstanding Samara Moreno.  They gave us a theme from their relative Remedios Amaya.

A great talker too, this old flamenco rocker:  “I came silently on the subway,and now I feel like talking”. The evening wound up with the recent but already legendary “Alfileres de Colores” and “Inquilino del Mundo”, both obligatory pieces.  Meantime we all felt like hiking up our shirts and marking bulerías compás.

Don’t you worry don Diego, you won’t have to sleep on the couch tonight, you’re still a great artist from the tip of your toes to the end of your poney-tail.

'Flamenco en los Jardines de Sabatini' PROGRAM COMPLETE