FOURTH FESTIVAL DE OTOÑO DE GRANADA – JOSÉ MERCÉ WITH MORAÍTO

Merce’s shows ought to receive a rating, the way
films do: a C for contemporary, a T for traditional, and CT for
a combination of the two, according to the repertoire for that night.
On this occasion the singer announced straightaway that he had come
to offer his T repertoire to Granada flamenco-lovers, and then proceeded
to delve into the best quality flamenco singing.

This
long-haired couple are at their artistic peak. Moraito is constantly
creating and surprising, and his exquisite Jerez-based good taste
makes everything sound flamenco. Merce, with his singing that is
both well-aged and fresh, continues to be faithful to the roots
and rejects the dubious contemporary experiments other artists resort
to.

With the hall only about three quarters full, in large part due
to the inclement weather, and with a knowledgeable and focused audience,
the singer began with malagueña del Mellizo, and his strong
rich voice, intelligently shaded, filled the lovely Isabel la Catolica
theater.

Alkaline batteries, cell phones, ecological
disasters…it all becomes flamenco once Merce works it over.

With soleares he was getting into it, coddling every line with such
care that even the verse he allowed himself about the recent oil spill
in Galicia (northern Spain) was quite digestible. Alkaline batteries,
cell phones, ecological disasters…like King Midas who turned
all he touched to gold, it all becomes flamenco once Merce works it
over.

A few years ago flamenco singer Luis el Zambo commented admiringly about this
singer: “I can’t understand how that kid knows so much!”,
and the ‘kid’ showed himself worthy of such praise when
he got into siguiriyas. The first wrenching line of “por los
rincones” was but the prelude to a series of difficult cantes
interpreted with Merce’s customary expertise and intensity,
turning the theater into an intimate gathering of flamenco connoissers
hanging on each note.

Moraito
is constantly creating and surprising, and his exquisite Jerez-based
good taste makes everything sound flamenco.

Not all singers are able to raise the collective gooseflesh with
alegrias, but this couple pulled it off, tempering the energy of
Jerez with the gentle grace of Cadiz, and ending with mirabra.

The audience requested granainas, but was happy to settle for fandangos,
followed by tientos tangos, “and now a little bit of bulerias”.
Those wonderful concise verses of his, the little dance… More
singing, “En un lagar de Jerez, baile mi primera juerga, por
eso llevan mis pies, lo mejor de la solera” [‘At a vineyard
in Jerez, I danced my first steps, and that’s why my feet,
like our wines, are the best’]. Now at the edge of the stage
to sing verses of Luis de la Pica, the compas belongs to him, without
any percussion or backup, these two boys got the whole place jumping.

For the finale, Eduardo Aute’s classic composition “Al
Alba” sung to buleria rhythm with the absolute complicity
of the audience whom Merce encouraged to join in on the chorus,
and then a traditional Christmas song.

Text y Photos: Estela
Zatania

Día 5 de diciembre: