WRESTLING RETURNS TO THE CIRCO PRICE. Israel Galván vs Los 3000

Cante: Miguel Poveda. Guitar: Juan Gómez “Chicuelo”.  Palmas: Carlos Grilo, Luís Cantarote. Guest artists: Cante: Luís Zambo. Guitar: Moraíto. Dance: Israel Galván, Joaquín Grilo. Colaboración especial: Diego Carrasco, José Valencia.

Text: Ruben Gutierrez
Photos: Paco Manzano

CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE

If nothing else, it promised to be an interesting evening.  It’s been a long time since I’d felt that strange sensation of not knowing exactly what we were about to see.  In the first place, the long lines we had to put up with to pick up tickets which had been sold out several days earlier, and once inside, the grandiosity of the space dominated by a boxing ring.  The object of the gathering was wrestling, and several spectators complained to the organization that what was taking place in the ring didn’t seem to correspond to what was announced.  The historic Circo Price, nearly one century ago, used to receive this kind of spectacle wherein wrestlers would alternate with variety show numbers, and naturally, the occasional flamenco bit.

Presented by Pepín Tre who added his touch of humor, we were introduced to the spectacular acrobatics of the duo Francesca Lissa and Celso Pereira.  A challenge of strength and expressiveness.  The night was organized as if it were an actual wrestling match, with various rounds of fighting, but the most striking thing was the versatile musician Carlos Santos.  His entrance on stage was something tremendous, worthy of a circus, he came down from the ceiling seated at his piano as he interpreted a composition inherited from the school of Erik Satie, and a brief musical motif was obsessively repeated with minor variations.

At the same time, a pair of extras destroyed a piano with violent blows, just like that, expressing the artist’s internal struggle with his own work, while drawing on the various manifestations of contemporary music such as the work of John Cage.  Another bout featured violinist Raúl Márquez, and dancers Igor Yebra and Sol Picó, with the choreography on a movable crane being especially noteworthy, allowing the dancer to fly over the ring.  Also interesting was the use of elements from classic ballet, along with others from modern dance, set to popular melodies.

But we had been attracted by the presence of Israel Galván, just like many other of his followers who had come from his hometown of Seville.  Although we’re not going to discover anything new about Israel at this point, he does seem to have rediscovered himself if we examine his most recent work.  With the title “Israel Galván vs. Los Tres Mil”, he brought a corps de ballet into the show, and although it all looked improvised, you could see this was not so, but rather it had been choreographed down to the last detail.  The fight begins with the off-stage cante of David Lagos who recites a poem by legendary world champion Muhhamed Ali, to the music of alegrías.  Cristián Guerrero appears, combining his facets of singer and boxer, gloves included.  The fight turns into hand-to-hand combat including lyrics and dance, with actual blows to the sound of tonás, soleá por bulerías and fandangos.  All under the watchful eye of José Luis Ortiz Nuevo who serves as referee.  The poet seemed more serious than usual, and his normally humorous countenance was transformed into a long dramatic recitation about the ins and outs of flamenco.

The main dish was served when the Seville contingent appeared in the ring dressed in hooded bathrobes.  El Eléctrico, Bobote, his brother Dientes and El Turco, along with the guitar of Cara Café.  The Tres Mil neighborhood in person, but moving as an authentic corps de ballet, with well-rehearsed choreographies, respecting the script at every moment.  Their steps challenged “Zapatitos Galván” who wore a mask as if he were a Mexican wrestler, again and again letting us see his now classic repertoire of moves.  The bullfighter passes were there, as well as the tooth percussion, but in a certain sense he seemed more orthodox than at other times.  Bulerías gave way to rumba, ending in a round of seguiriyas marking the twelve beats of the flamenco clock in this circle in the square where everyone fought it out.  The night ended with a symbolic wink to Rocky Balboa.  Once again we left feeling the impact of what a night of flamenco can bring.