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All
the information IX Festival de Jerez
Dance: Ana Morales, Fuensanta ‘La Moneta’,
Belen Mora, Encarna López, Nani Paños, Daniel
Navarro, Pedro Córdoba, Álvaro Paños.
Cante: David Palomar, Antonio Campos, Sabrina Romero, Miguel
Rosendo. Guitar: Ricardo Rivera, Keko Balomero. Piano: Sergio
Monroy. Bass, double bass: Alejandro Benítez. Percussion:
Sabrina Romero, Paquito González. Choreography: Javier
Latorre. Musical arrangements and director: Ricardo Rivera.
Audiovisual: Álvaro Bejines, La Mirada Oblicua.
Text: Estela Zatania
At the Villavicencio Palace two young artists shared a double
bill for the last recital of the series “Los conciertos
de palacio” of this year’s Festival de Jerez.
Guitarist Juan Diego, whom we saw at the Villamarta theater
with José Mercé’s group, played a series
of pieces from his record “Luminaria”, with sweet
sound, a light touch and the subtle percussion of a jug. Young
Triana singer Rosario la Tremendita opened the cante portion
of the show with martinetes which gave an idea of the maturity
and preparation of this young lady who won the Manolo Caracol
prize at Cordoba’s last Concurso Nacional. She used
her fine, slightly frosty voice to paint subtle melismas for
granaína, but was also strong for soleá por
bulería, alegrías and bulerías.
At the Villamarta theater the well-known choreographer Javier
Latorre presented “Triana, en el nombre de la rosa”.
For those who didn’t live through the era, or don’t
know the story behind the work, particularly non-Spaniards
who made up a clear majority of the audience, trying to relate
audiovisual moments, candles, the morbid ambience and roses
galore which decorated an otherwise sullen wardrobe done in
tones of grey and rose, was daunting to say the least. It
was insufficient symbolism to tell the story of the young
musician, Jesús de la Rosa, founding member of “Triana”,
the most representative “flamenco rock” group,
if not the first, who lost his young life in a car accident
over twenty years ago after having reached the pinnacle of
fame.
A well-meaning, earnest endeavor
put together by experienced professionals that just doesn’t
come together – it happens sometimes
So it seems wise to comment on the show itself without considering
the emotional underpinnings. The bulería “Abre
la puerta niña”, a hit at the end of the seventies,
immediately transports those of a certain age, but Latorre
had the good sense to update the music which accompanies all
the pieces. Sung melodies, from any musical genre, usually
resist the passage of time well, but musical accompaniment
is highly susceptible to becoming dated, and the original
arrangements of the group Triana, especially the central role
of the organ which was so popular twenty-five years ago thanks
to the newly-created technology of the synthesizer which allowed
any instrument to imitate any other, was quite a novelty and
was greatly overused. Only in the brief intervals between
numbers were we able to hear samples of Triana’s original
recordings.
The group choreographies are repetitive and plain –
you learn what it feels like to be the mirror in a dance class.
Nevertheless, two young dancers stand out: Daniel Navarro
with his inspired compás and stylized line, and Fuensanta
la Moneta, who should have been in the Villamarta with her
own group. Latorre’s eye for talent was keen enough
to allow both dancers their solo spots, and Fuensanta’s
siguiriya not only showed the strength and temperament acquired
during her formative years in the Sacromonte caves, but triggered
the most impassioned cheering of the night.
In the most general terms “Triana, en el nombre de
la rosa” is a well-meaning, earnest endeavor put together
by experienced professionals, but it just doesn’t come
together – that happens sometimes – and the overall
effect falls flat.
At midnight in the Sala la Compañía, Californian
María Bermúdez had the opportunity to show that
foreigners can learn to do credible flamenco in Jerez where
the dancer has been living for years. With the first-class
collaboration of guest artist José Vargas “El
Mono”, king of festive flamenco, in addition to a solid
backup that included singers Manuel Malena, Miguel Rosendo
and Ana de los Reyes, guitarists Pascual de Lorca and Jesús
Álvarez, the percussion of Jesule Grande and the palmas
of Luis de la Tota, María was more than competent for
siguiriyas, tangos marianas and bulerías.
But the nights of the Festival de Jerez never end until you’ve
had one for the road at the peña, on this occasion
the peña Tío José de Paula which offered
the voice and guitar of Eva and Domingo Rubichi.
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