Colegio Mayor San Juan Evangelista. Madrid.
Thursday, April 21st, 2005.
JERÓNIMO CONNECTS WITH SAN
JUAN
Guitar: Jerónimo Maya; Second guitar: Leo de Aurora;
Guitar: Felipe Maya; Cante: El Ciervo; Percussion: Amador
Losada.
Guest artist: Arcángel
by Manuel Moraga
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas
Jerónimo Maya opened the festival presenting
his first solo recording. His guitar seems made for the stage
of the San Juan Evangelista where he achieved a sort of natural
symbiosis. His lengthy recital, possibly too long, was a splendid
example of the crossing of the musical worlds that inhabit
Jerónimo Maya’s head.
Guitar militants have in Jerónimo Maya yet another
idol to bow down to. This young man from Madrid is probably
one of the best-prepared and most-qualified flamenco instrumentalists
of his generation. You even have the feeling that flamenco
isn’t enough for him, although his aesthetic cannot
be separated from the flamenco feeling.
The place didn’t fill up. It’s possible flamenco
fans were accustomed to a more complete bill, although Arcángel
was also announced as guest artist. Even so, it wasn’t
a full house. And it’s a shame, not only because Jerónimo
is an excellent flamenco guitarist, but also because any music-lover,
in the broadest sense of the term, can enjoy his art. And
in this sense, the San Juan Evangelista is a cult venue: the
best showcase for Jerónimo.
Although he has his own personality, Jerónimo can’t
escape his musical references: classic and jazz, acquired
willingly, consciously – flamenco is part of his genetic
map. With his head thusly furnished, it’s not that Jerónimo
squeezes out the possibilities of each musical idea –
which by definition, would lead to exhausting them –
but his work is based on developing those ideas, and that’s
a far-reaching process. Although his guitar sounds flamenco,
his method is more reminiscent of formal composition. Between
rondeña, soleá and bulerías, we find
Mozart and Django Reinhardt. Within his clean technique, you
get gypsy details and winks of the eye, and it’s all
doled out at a masterfully calculated pace, with sensitivity
and restraint within any given piece.
Arcángel sang for Jerónimo, and Jerónimo
played for Arcángel. Simple as that. Just that pretty.
Here our star worked with tremendous respect, being careful
not to get in the way. But his guitar was so subtle, it was
almost too weak as a backup for the singer. It’s hard
to pick out the highlights of a well-rounded concert, but
you could say that the ménage-a-trois between Jerónimo,
his brother Leo de Aurora and the father of the two, Felipe
Maya, was noteworthy. They took turns and Jerónimo
finished off. Three different versions, three personalities
with the same heritage. Music from generation to generation.
A good recital, true enough, but too long. Two hours with
the same artist, no matter how varied the repertoire is presented,
ends up weighing heavy. Even so, the walls of the San Juan
once again vibrated with music to match the greatness of its
history. And Jerónimo was the cause of it all.
