El Barrio. Angel Malherido CD

‘ BARRIO FEVER' FILLED VISTALEGRE

Last Saturday night April 3 rd , the performer from the ‘barrio' de Santa María managed to overcome the high fever he was suffering due to an untimely cold, and even carried off honors worthy of a bullfighter in the legendary Carabanchel bullring with the biggest audience Madrid has seen for an event of this kind. One which solidifies for once and for all the reputation of El Barrio who opened the recital with El Nacho.

It was half past ten in the evening when the interior of the Palacio de Vistalegre fell dark. A guitar made ‘soleá' sounds while sheaths of white light crossed the immense circular space with a musical ambience that recalled the group Triana, rays of light which focused on the guitar of Juani de la Isla who earned the first ovation of the evening with his famous arpeggio from ‘Calla'. Darkness falls again to receive four well-blended voices (Javi Katumba, Reyes Martín, Raúl Obregón, Raúl Galvez) employing the chorus of the opening theme “Secretos de Miel” to allow José Luis Figuereo (El Barrio's real name) to make his shimmering appearance on a gigantic stage as is fitting for an international star. Nearly thirteen-thousand people singing in unison set a mood not seen since 1995 when Ketama appeared at the Palacio de Deportes, a venue where Camarón de la Isla drew some eleven thousand people on two different occasions.

After a spectacular opening, a touch of the Levante with thoughts for Tarifa recalling the haunting south wind, with the compás of tanguillos “A mi Majara”. This is followed by bulerías, “Rencor”, wherein El Barrio does his little dance and Raúl Obregón does a fine solo turn. After Barrio's dedication to those two hundred souls who departed one morning last month, the singer interpreted “Ángel Malherido”, the first single from the record of the same name and which those present all knew by heart. At this point Cecilio Cirre did some nice bass work in the bulería “No vale la pena” mixed with the song “Calla”. A typical potpourri of tangos in which El Barrio usually demonstrates that although he might be short on voice, he makes up for it with compás, brought one of the high points of the night.

It seems necessary to digress momentarily to mention Miguel Ángel “Lenon”, as this important musician gave an expressive interpretation on the piano which served as introduction to “Cuéntale”, Andalusian rock to tango rhythm in which Juan Sainz and Joselillo Carrasco showed off their brilliant compás. Barrio leaves the stage to make way for the song “A mi vera”, bulerías, and Juani de la Isla takes over the stage with his guitar backed up by choral work. Jorge Pardo, genius and maestro of the metal that molds his breath into jazz and flamenco, arrives with his sax to round out the interpretation of a night of desperate passion in Triana…and Saint Jesús de la Rosa is hovering in our collective heart.

Next up is the song “El primavera”, a fusion of tangos and Andalusian rock in El Barrio's characteristic style, followed by fandangos de Huelva with Juani's guitar. The singer remembered moments from his youth and accompanied himself on the guitar with the song “Yo mismo”, a tribute to his days accompanying dancers, the aura of the dressing-rooms and backstage camaraderie, and this was followed by “Tu Frialdad” which completed the story. A moment of exquisite simplicity in which El Barrio grew artistically in the solitude of the big stage, as all artists must do at some point in order to reach the heights.

After this special moment, “Quiéreme” with electric guitar for a lambada, and “Me Voy al Mundo” to officially wrap up the concert. And since the audience wouldn't let him go, a long bulería medley followed with the influence of maestro Pepe Roca, and some “Ratones Coloraos” which was well-received although the meaning of the verse may have escaped those present. Clearly this was not Andalusia where this is El Barrio's most-awaited song. The cheering of thirteen thousand voices brought the singer back on stage, and with his heavenward glance we knew how good he was feeling at that precise moment. His highest hopes had been amply fulfilled, a performer had evolved step by step and found a perfect niche in the world of high-powered producers and multinationals. The musicians returned to accompany El Barrio once again for “Ángel Malherido”, finally bringing to an end this night which will go down in history as Madrid 's biggest gathering to date for a concert associated with the flamenco genre.

Jacinto
González

Interview with 'El Barrio' (Spanish)'