FESTIVAL DE NIMES – Noche de Novedades. Pepe Torres – Cancanilla

“NOCHE DE NOVEDADES
– De Málaga a Morón”
Cancanilla y Pepe Torres

Teatro Odéon, Nimes, Francia. 24th january, 2007.
2000h

Special Festival de Nimes 2007.

Text & photos: Estela Zatania

1st part. Cante: Cancanilla. Guitar: Antonio Moya. 2nd part: Dance: Pepe Torres. Cante: Moi de Morón, Juan José Amador. Guitar:Rafael Rodríguez and Paco Iglesias. Fiesta: Javier Heredia

The third day of the Nimes Flamenco Festival began at midday with a conference by Norberto Torres, «Compás and flamenco dance: cante, guitarra, palmas, coreografía en el baile flamenco», in which the organization of a typical flamenco cuadro was explained.And in the evening, at the Odeón Theater, there was a shared recital by singer Cancanilla de Marbella and dancer Pepe Torres.

Pepe Torres

Accompanied on the guitar by Antonio Moya, Cancanilla began discreetly with «a little bit of soleá» with styles from Alcalá, Utrera and Cádiz.The singer's age, 55, and his era, make him of the Mairena school.If these singers with solid preparation and knowledge abounded in the nineteen-seventies, now we have to call them «maestros», because there aren't that many left.In the tientos he was clearly drawing from Gaspar de Utrera, one of the few singers who has always made the most of this form. The siguiriyas are dedicated to María Peña, singer, and Antonio Moya's wife who is in the audience, and the guitarist launches into sounds of Diego del Gastor, Melchor and Ricardo as well as his own, with a playing style that is sensitive and respectful of the cante.Cancanilla responds with a serious and intense interpretation, ending with Manuel Torre's «tres días de Santiago y Santana».He ends with bulerías, and the little dance bit that is never missing from this singer's performances.

Dancer Pepe Torres from Morón de la Frontera, from the family of Diego del Gastor, is a regular member of the group Son de la Frontera, although on this occasion he has come to Nimes with his own group to offer his sober, elegant dancing.The cuadro gets underway with alegrías backing up the dancer who exhibits an interesting mix of styles, from the rhythmic energy of Farruquito to the solemn dignity of Manolete or Güito, and always his family background and experience coloring and counseling every move.A bulerías solo up front by Javier Heredia who sings and dances in the style of Miguel Funi, is entertaining but a bit long for the uninitiated audience who respond with polite applause.

The solemn dignity of Manolete or Güito, and always his family background and experience coloring and counseling every move

Pepe returns for soleá, and the guitars have an updated Morón sound, slow and paused as is the custom in this town.The dancer is dressed in basic black up to the neck and looks like a priest about to give mass.His movements are tight and feline and the air is thick with expectation.The tempo accelerates and tightens up for soleá por bulería, Moi is in the groove, Pepe is feeling good too and guitarist Rafael Rodríguez commits his usual pranks with dampened strings.

The fiesta finale is always the same old story, right?Wrong.It all depends on the elements at hand, and their ease with the compás.In this case, and with the collaboration of Cancanilla and Antonio Moya, there's enough material to knock down a brick wall.Rafael Rodríguez proves to be a Diego Carrasco in the making, with his rap number danced to bulerías and then singing for Moya's dance.Cancanilla does his dance, Javier Heredía, his, and Pepe Torres, and the French audience knows how to value the privilege of seeing a bit of old-time flamenco from top artists who have come to Nimes to spread some of their art around.