XII Encuentros flamencos de Granada. Juan Andrés Maya, Iván Vargas, art. inv. Miguel Poveda

XII ENCUENTROS FLAMENCOS
JUAN ANDRES MAYA, IVÁN VARGAS.
Guest artist: : MIGUEL POVEDA

December 7th, 2011
Granada. Teatro Isabel la Católica

Text and Photos: Antonio Conde  

Next to last night of flamenco in the twelfth Encuentros Flamencos de Granada, and the last devoted to dance.  The closing came with a series of rociero groups and a concert of Andalusí fusion.  

Unlike in previous editions, at least the last two, Juan Andrés Maya managed to reinvent himself and bring the house down following the system of some years back, in other words, sharing the bill with noteworthy guest artists.  If last year he didn’t achieve the sought-after success when he counted on Antonio Canales as a draw, this year he knew how to fill the seats of a theater not accustomed to being sold out.  Oddly enough, Juan Andrés doesn’t need to do this.  He has a faithful following in the city of the Alhambra, which gives him a place of honor in the city’s flamenco.  In no way does this mean that the collaborations aren’t worthwhile.

The stage received the same performers as the previous evening, with notable exceptions.  The voices of Curro Albaicón and Miguel Poveda were a substantial change.  If the day before, Juan Andrés was offering the same goods, on this night the wildly popular Miguel Poveda and the poetry of local here Curro provided angles that made everything different.

Until the Catalonian singer appeared, things were going the same.  The siguiriyas beginning of the two dancers accompanied by violin and cante in the center of the stage with overhead spot.

Iván Vargas danced alegrías powerfully and with his personalized arm movement.

The appearance of Curro Albaicín was unexpected.  He recited a poem about love by Rafael de León, followed by his singing por soleá.  From this point on, and from the moment Miguel appeared on stage, the audience went wild with interpretations of granaínas and tientos tangos with the guitars of Paco Iglesias and Pepe Maya.

It seems strange to see Poveda singing for dance, but that’s what he did.  He sang a slow but brief soleá for Juan Andrés’ dance before getting into the bulería dynamic, and that was how it went until the end, continuous build-ups and sharp closings, a particular way of revving up and exciting the audience the dancer controls to perfection.

After Juan Andrés thanked supporters and collaborators, the singer from Catalonia treated everyone to a bit of bulerías with “Ojos Verdes” for the eccentric dancer from Albaicín who on this occasion managed to press the right buttons and make this yearly series viable.