MAIZENITA, JOSÉ CANELA, Festival de Jerez

Special 20 th  Festival de Jerez - All the information

MAIZENITA, JOSÉ CANELA
Palacio Villavicencio, 1900h

There have been many flamenco singers throughout history who were not from Andalusia.  Not only those from Extremadura, Murcia and Madrid, but the great Juan Varea from Castellón, Rafael Farina and Calderas from Salamanca, Catalonians Mayte Martín, Duquende and the top current star, Miguel Poveda among many others.  So the presence of a Basque singer in the Festival de Jerez, shouldn't come as any surprise.  Lander Egaña, "Maizenita", came to Jerez five years ago with clear objectives: to broaden his knowledge of flamenco singing, and find his path as a professional singer.  After much sacrifice, endless kilometers to get to gigs all over Spain, a recording under his belt and last year's performance at the Viernes Flamenco series, last night he arrived at the Palacio Villavicencio to display his art.  He bravely chose to interpret a purely Jerez repertoire.  Soleá por bulería, siguiriya ending with the popular "Santiago y Santana" style, fandangos and bulerías with the Jerez backup of José Rubichi and José Peña on palmas.  The underestimated José Ignacio Franco provided the guitar accompaniment.

José Segovia Cortés, "José Canela" son of the late maestro, Canela de San Roque who left us last summer, was in charge of the second part of this shared recital, with the creative guitar of Manuel Jero, another son with a famous father: Periquín.  Born in San Roque, winner of the prestigious Mairena prize, that of Lo Ferro and of La Unión, among others, his singing, inherited from his father, is in the Mairena line, thus, closely related to Jerez.  The sudden absence of the patriarch of the Canelas, has made the son assume responsibilities he takes very seriously.  Last night he sang a repertoire that included alegrías cantiñas, soleá and siguiriya with a delivery that was mature and controlled, similar to that of the father, fandangos and of course, bulerías, with bits and pieces of Camarón: few singers born after 1960 are immune to the influence of that popular singer.  Many of us remember the performance of Canela senior at this same venue in 2007, with the enthusiastic constant cheering of the son who is now determined to carry on the tradition.