DORANTES with Joaquín Grilo & Pastora Galván ROCÍO MÁRQUEZ / MIGUEL DE TENA

52 Festival Internacional de Cante de las Minas de La Unión.
August 5th – Catedral del Cante – La Unión (Murcia)

Special report: 52 Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas.

Pure flamenco at the Cante de las Minas with Dorantes, Miguel de Tena and Rocío Márquez

Last night at the Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas a trio of stars including Seville pianist Dorantes presented “A Piano Abierto”, in addition to singers Rocío Márquez and Miguel de Tena.

Dorantes and his flamenco piano began the night with a mixture of technique, virtuosity and depth that was profoundly moving for everyone present in the Cathedral of Cante, with a show in which he was accompanied by Javier Moreno on double bass, percussionist Nano Peña and dancers Pastora Galván and Joaquín Grilo as guest artists.

In the course of the show “A Piano Abierto”, the Seville artist gave free rein to his imagination, transmitting growing complexity with pieces like the guajira “Atardecer”, the soleá “Silencio de Patriarca”, the bulería “Sin Muros” his extraordinary “Orobroy” and the bulería “Semblanzas de un Río”, the latter with the dancing of Pastora Galván and Joaquín Grilo.

The well-planned repertoire of Dorantes allowed him from the start to get the audience’s attention, immersing us all in a world of strings, palmas, cajon and footwork, all sewn together by the sound of the piano that enveloped the Cathedral of Cante in a great artistic moment, a true flamenco fantasy.

After the performance of the acclaimed pianist, the fourth Gala Flamenca at the Cante de las Minas 2012 continued with singer Rocío Márquez, winner of the Lámpara Minera in 2008, who returned to La Unión with her first recording under her arm, “Claridad”, which delighted the audience thanks to a strong but sweet voice and a series of classic cantes with a fresh delivery.
.
The girl from Huelva who was accompanied by Manolo Herrera on guitar, and by Tate Núñez and Diego Montoya on palmas, offered a wide range of cantes, from taranta and minera, to tangos with a verse about Niña de los Peines, in addition to bulerías and siguiriyas, ending with cantiñas to the delight of the audience who showed their appreciation for this superb performance.

Lastly, it was the turn of Miguel de Tena, winner of the Lámpara Minera in 2006, who caught the audience’s attention with a voice that controlled all the registers. The softness of his delivery and his more aggressive tones moved everyone present at the Cathedral of Cante six years after Miguel’s triumph.

De Tena, who was accompanied on guitar by Antonio Muñoz, displayed a superb repertoire of cantes: tarantas, tangos extremeños and granaínas, ending with fandangos. During his performance, in which he appeared self-assured and professional, he made clear how much he enjoys returning to La Unión and to this festival.

At the end of the show, surrounded by local authorities, visitors and fans, Dorantes unveiled his “Lámpara Dorantes” on the Avenida del Flamenco, a symbolic act that filled the pianist with emotion. He declared: “it’s a dream come true to perform at the Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas, and to have my name engraved here for always is an incredible thing. I have no words to express what I’m feeling, it’s just very nice, and I think they’re doing a good job”.

---

Dorantes

 

Rocío Márquez

 

Miguel de Tena