Niño Josele – Suma Flamenca 2011

FESTIVAL SUMA FLAMENCA 2011

NIÑO JOSELE
June 11th, 2011 – Teatros Canal – Madrid

Guitar: Niño Josele; Electric bass: Alain Pérez; Percussion: Israel Suárez “Piraña”; Cante: David Maldonado Santiago “David de la Jacoba”; Dance: Juan de Juan.

“GENIO CON ALMA DE NIÑO”

Text: Manuel Moraga
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas

Although his real name is Juan José, everyone calls him Niño Josele, which is how he became known in the artistic world.  There have been many “niños” in the history of flamenco: some kept that nickname all their lives, and others let it slough off as they became older.  But beyond the name, Juan José Heredia transports us to a musical universe that is so pure and transparent, it seems conjured up by the imagination of a child, but put in order by rational genius.

No matter what he does, it sounds flamenco.  No matter how much he’s circulated with musicians from other genres such as jazz or Latin jazz, Josele’s guitar sounds thoroughly flamenco.  And as time passes, we see a reinforced equilibrium in his sound and in his message.  There is a naturalness in the sound of his guitar that avoids fireworks and the sometimes excessive mixing that goes on these days.  And that lends sincerity.

You can also detect his dialogue with the difficulty of simplicity.  “In what bullfighters Curro and Paula did, you never noticed technique, and upon watching them in action, one might have thought ‘I can do that too’, but logically, that was not the case.  Technique exists to not be noticed”.  Those are the words of dancer Mario Maya, choreographic maestro and creator.  That same sensation he described is what I feel in Josele’s music.  His messages, his musical ideas get you hooked, they are moving, they get you involved without your realizing it and they win you over.  He doesn’t abuse his strength, but he knows how to apply it.  He isn’t determined to show off his ability, but he has plenty.  He doesn’t sell himself with excess, that’s why I buy him.

And that’s just what he did in the Teatros del Canal.  With an out-and-out flamenco proposal accompanied only by percussion, cante and an electric bass, Josele ran through an intense program of various styles.  First on his own, afterwards with his musicians who, as always, support and enhance the value of the music of this man from Almería.  Piraña and Alain Pérez are absolutely galactic, and it’s no secret at this stage of the game, but it’s only fair to point it out.  Whom I did discover was young singer David de la Jacoba, whose name I’d seen on Paco de Lucía’s programs, although I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of hearing him.  Although a bit timid, he made a very good impression.  In siguiriyas, he was exceptional.

Dancer Juan de Juan who came on to add interest to the last third of the show, is something else entirely.  With this artist I see the exact opposite of Josele.  The guitarist is able to offer technically complex music with utmost simplicity.  Juan de Juan on the other hand, follows the line of over-the-top dancing, bordering on the hysterical, something which for me, personally, communicates very little.  That unwarranted athletic exhibition – so popular these days – is the absolute antithesis of that quality described by Mario Maya, and to which, without a doubt, I whole-heartedly subscribe.  Is the best classical dancer  the one who can pull off ten pirouettes per second?  I’m not trying to undervalue anyone, much less lay down the law.  We talking about taste, and I’ve just described mine.

But getting back to Josele, both his last record (“Española”) and the live concert last night at the Teatros del Canal, serve to confirm my belief that this is an intellectually mature musician who is capable of creating great music thanks to the gift of having the emotional sensitivity of a child.  Perhaps because of this, the always flamenco guitar of Josele is capable of smoothly sliding to the center of the heart of anyone who listens to him, aside from the musical universe to which he belongs.  And only out of intelligence can that sincere natural complicity be achieved, between the rational and the emotional.

The evening was rounded out with the performance of Hungarian singer and flautist Márta Sebestyén, who interpreted a piece accompanied by Niño Josele before offering her repertoire.  A repertoire that has as much in common with flamenco as an Eskimo has with a Pygmie.  The beauty of that music did not manage to unravel the mystery of why it was included in flamenco festival.