Pasión «Inés Bacán, Dolores de los Santos 'Agujetas' y María Peña»

Text: Sara Arguijo
Photos: Adam Newby

Series Jueves Flamencos. Cante: Inés Bacán, Dolores de los Santos 'Agujetas' and María Peña. Guitar: Antonio Moya. Palmas and jaleos: Rocío 'La Turronera' and Verónica Bermúdez. Fundación Cajasol (Sala Chicarreros) Thursday, May 28th. Attendance: Full.

Honesty sells

In the free-wheeling atmosphere of the press-conference that preceded the show, it was noted that Pedro Bacán – without whom this work would not have existed – «even managed to sell the stairs».  In other words, there would be so much expectation about what the Lebrija guitarist managed to put on stage, that people fell over each other to secure tickets, even if they had to stand in the aisles.  That's exactly what spectators would have been willing to do yesterday as they waited patiently at the box-office to see if any tickets might become available for «Pasión», the show in which Inés Bacán, Dolores de los Santos 'Agujetas', María Peña and Carmen Ledesma closed out this first season of the Jueves Flamencos de Cajasol.

It was really exciting to feel the audience's knowledge of how fortunate each one was to be present for these four women, undisputed representatives of the pure art of their gypsy dynasties. Because you don't often see them, because they are seldom together and because, in any case, these are people you never want to miss.

So the best thing to do was to get carried away by the singing and dancing on this train trip to the roots of flamenco with stops in Jerez, Lebrija, Utrera and Sevilla, although we would have been happy to go to Timbuktu with them.  Above all, because the four of them, guided by the flamenco guitar of Antonio Moya, communicated at every moment via kissing, hugging, knowing smiles and displays of sincere affection, that we were invited to join them on their voyage.

And it's all in the family of course.  We were taken through martinetes to bulerías, feeling the pain of Dolores Agujetas' broken voice in siguiriyas, the sweet nurturing voice and generous soleá of Inés Bacán, the powerful voice of Mari Peña in tientos, the femininity and personality of Carmen Ledesma's hips and arms in the romance.  It's impressive how naturally these women express their art.  It's truly moving to see the infinite palette of possibilities to be found in flamenco.  And it's surprising how truthfully them express themselves.

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