Festival Flamenco Pa'tos 6. Mayte Martin & Belén Maya, Antonio Pitingo, Salva del Real.

Text: Sonia M. Pariente
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas

Click to enlarge images

“Flamenco people are so clever, they applaud themselves!”
was one of the ingenious quips the Gomaespuma comedy team delivered
in their presentation of the second evening of the Festival Flamenco
Pa’Tos. Although it’s not really the case with this
particular festival where audiences are being quite generous with
their ovations. Belén Maya and Mayte Martín had the
auditorium rapt from the first moment and the fact is, these two
artists show their incredible class in every performance.

They interpreted several pieces from their last show “Flamenco
de Cámara”. Mayte began singing vidalita and guajira
from her record “Querencia”. Sheer sensitivity. Her
voice carresses with sweetness, flamenconess, delicacy…Mayte has
it all.

And everything Mayte is with her singing, Belén Maya is
with her dancing. Her alegrías is a delight. She dances it
with ‘bata de cola’ which she dominates perfectly, because
her dance is rich, full of different intensities, grace, elegance.
Hips, arms, feet…nothing is lacking. The taranto, finished off
with the rhythmic ‘abandolao’ cante was further proof
that her dance is pure feeling, genuine, with one foot in the past
and another in the present, she never resorts to easy tricks to
please the crowd.

The recital got under way with the guitar of Salva del Real. If
his first record “Alikati” is a kind of modern flamenco
with pop overtones, and where this artist composes sings and plays
guitar, here he only displayed his guitar-playing facet. And it
was a pleasant surprise. True to traditional styles, with little
more than his guitar, Salva played taranto and soleá with
suggestive, melodious creativity, and a fresh approach. Afterwards,
with the back-up of two ‘palmeros’ and plenty of compás,
he interpreted bulerías and alegrías, closing out
with tangos and bulerías.

This is the second year that young singer Antonio Pitingo appeared
in the festival. As one of the Gomaespuma team said, “last
year was his first communion, and this year, his confirmation”,
and that’s just how it seemed. Pitingo sang convincingly,
demonstrating he’s come to feel at home on stage. He did a
lovely granaína and malagueña de Chacón, softly,
with a velvety voice, feeling out the low tones. It’s clear
it’s in these styles where he feels most at home, as with
the fandangos from his hometown of Huelva. He also sang soleá
and bulerías, a sort of cuplé, stepping away from
the mike to sing without amplification, and even offering a little
dance. To show his gratitude for the applause, he ended with some
fandangos dedicated to his uncle, the recently deceased pianist
Arturo Pavón.

Text: Sonia
Martínez Pariente

Photos: Rafael Manjavacas

More information:

Review & photos 20th june: Sara Baras, Enrique
de Melchor, Marina Heredia

:
Rafael Riqueni, Mercé&Moraíto, Israel Galván,
Terremoto, Lagos

:
Son de la Frontera, La Tana, El Güito

Salva del Real 'Alí Katí'

Mayte Martin «Querencia»