GALA CONCERT IN HONOR OF Enrique el Mellizo. Gran Teatro Cádiz. Encarnita Anillo, Carmen de la Jara…

Cuadro flamenco de El Junco:
Dance: El Junco. Cante: Miguel Rosendo, Reyes Martín, Vicente
Gelos. Guitar: Andrés Martínez, Ramón Amador.
Percussion: Roberto Jaén.
Grupo “Aires de mi barrio”
Cante: Antonio Reyes, Chiquito de Cádiz, Momi de Cádiz.
Guitar: Antonio Higuero, Andrés Martínez, José
Herrera, Ricardo Rivera, Ignacio Alvarez.
Grupo “Duende flamenco”:
Cante: Carmen de la Jara, Joaquín Alegría, Paco de
Solano, Selu de Cádiz, José Anillo. Guitar: Antonio
Carrión, Niño de la Leo, Pepe Ruso, Juan José
Alba.
Grupo “Jondura y sentimiento”:
Cante: Encarnita Anillo, Felipe Scapachini, Pepi de Ignacio, Miguel
Rosendo, Nani de Cádiz. Guitarra: Adriano Lozano, Víctor
Rosa, Paco de Cádiz.
Cuadro de Lidia Diáñez:
Cante: Paco Reyes, Zamara Montañés. Guitar: Niño
de la Leo. Percusión: Edu Gómez, Jaleo, Naín
Real, Miguel Cortés, Ma. José Franco.

To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of historic singer Enrique
el Mellizo’s death, the flamenco community of Cádiz,
el Mellizo’s birthplace, deployed its considerable resources
for a gala show with the participation of numerous artists from
Cádiz. For various reasons several major stars such as Rancapino,
Chano Lobato, Juan Villar or Mariana Cornejo were not able to be
present, but we were able to enjoy others such as Carmen de la Jara,
Encarnita and José Anillo in cante, and the young dance star
El Junco.

Singer Carmen de la Jara offered a biographical sketch of Mellizo
and El Junco’s group interpreted an assortment of cantiñas
for the lead dancer. The group “Aires de mi Barrio”
took over the stage with a more traditional sort of Cádiz
cante with the noteworthy Antonio Reyes who sang siguiriyas and
malagueñas. Veteran Chiquito de Cádiz was pure art
and grace with his Caracol-style fandangos and enough charisma to
get the audience to their feet.

Of the third group, “Duende Flamenco”, Paco de Solano
recalled the old style of Cádiz cante with festive material
from Pericón and Manolo Vargas, and Selu de Cádiz
mixed classic alegrías with cantiñas. José
Anillo who has been singing for the Farrucos, sang soleá
por bulerías with many personal touches as is only fitting
for this form, and Carmen de la Jara, a woman with a great love
for cante, sang siguiriyas.

The unmistakable compás of Cádiz
bay

With the title “Jondura y Sentimiento”, Pepi de Ignacio
opened with caracoles, a cante in danger of extinction, Nani de
Cádiz sang por soleá, Encarna Anillo offered an interesting
assortment of cantiñas, young Miguel Rosendo lent his richly-textured
voice to siguiriyas and veteran Felipe Scapachini closed out the
first part with his malagueñas.

After intermission there were official acts to show thanks for
Fosforito’s presence, a singer who spent the better part of
his youth in Cádiz where he developed a strong repertoire
of cantiñas. He received the gold insignia from the Cátedra
de Flamenco de Cádiz. There were also honors for Gonzalo
Rojo, president of the Fundación Nacional de Arte Flamenco.

The second part of the show consisted of a long alegrías
dance with all its traditional elements by dancer Lidía Diáñez
and her group, with the only omission perhaps being a bata de cola
to round out the traditional flavor that was cultivated.

A lengthy fiesta finale with the thirty-some artists who had performed
was to have taken up the rest of the evening, but the absence of
the major stars of Cádiz, and the presence of so many semi-professionales
led to a certain chaos, all with plenty of wit and the unmistakabble
compás of Cádiz bay. Encarnita Anillo danced bulerías
with her brother José Anillo and the fun-loving crowd danced
off into the wings bringing this unusual event to an end.

Cádiz: Special report