Ma. del Mar Moreno & Antonio Malena – Puro Esencia

Text: Estela Zatania
Photos: Ana Palma

20th FESTIVAL DE JEREZ
Ma. del Mar Moreno & Antonio Malena
«JEREZ PURO ESENCIA, version especial XX aniversario»
Teatro Villamarta, 9:00pm

Special 20 th  Festival de Jerez – All the information

Dance: María del Mar Moreno. Cante: Antonio Malena, El Tolo, Manuel de Malena. Guitar: Santiago Moreno, Malena hijo. Palmas: Luis de la Tota, Ale de Gitanería, Javier Peña. Guest artist: Angelita Gómez, Tomasa Guerrero «La Macanita», Antonio Agujetas, Enrique «El Zambo», Ezequiel Benítez, Mateo Soleá, José Méndez, Diego del Morao, El Bo, Jesús «El Berza», Rafael Junquera. Director and choreography: María del Mar Moreno. Artistic director: Antonio Malena.

The next-to-last day of the Festival de Jerez, the recital of José Enrique Morente was cancelled for medical reasons.  But there were still important performances to be seen in other venues, in addition to the «Off» program, full of shows in various locations throughout the city.  During the Festival, no one has to do wthout their daily dose of flamenco a la carte.

The eternal flamenco cliché, even when its definition is in constant evolution, is that of «purity».  Every flamenco fan looks for his or her ideal model,  and the good thing about the Festival de Jerez, is that here, all tendencies can be found.  Beginning with the great celebration of the Jerez identity that is always offered via a show that often is the responsibility of the much-admired dancer, María del Mar Moreno.  Bulerías and more buleríás…who doesn't have their little song or dance bit?  The audience goes wild with the first fiesta scene, and we're all ready to receive what is to follow.

The fandangos of singer El Tolo, lead into tientos danced by María.  Young singer Ezequiel Benítez interprets malagueñas with all the sweetness of Chacón, Manuel de Malena sings taranto, and 'romance' songs by Tolo lead into soleá por bulería for María's dancing.

Several years ago, in the original version of this work, the famous segment from Rito y Geografía del Cante, in which Antonio Malena, 7 years old, sings siguiriyas, accompanied by an adolescent Moraíto, was projected, while both adult artists watched the historic scene.  Last night, the absence of the beloved guitarist put us all in the same emotional place.  This time, it was Macanita, that little girl who sang and danced bulerías in the historic series, and was the adult artist who watched, with Antonio Malena, the projection of those moments from more than forty years ago.

Saeta sung from the side amidst the audience, martinete and siguiriyas for María's dancing, the barrel to rap out rhythms with knuckles, the beloved dance teacher Angelita Gómez, Macanita por soleá…in other words, all the typical elements to delight the local audience.

Photo Gallery by Ana Palma

 

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