XIII Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla . 'A mis soledades voy, de mis soledades vengo'

“Festival”

Cante: José Menese, Laura Vital. Guitar: Enrique de
Melchor, Eduardo Rebollar. Dance: Carmen Ledesma. Palmas: Gregorio
Fernández, M. Pantoja “Chicharo”.
Chamber orchestra under the direction of Joan Albert Amargós.

José Menese from la Puebla de Cazalla (Seville)
was the first contemporary singer to systematically substitute traditional
verses of flamenco singing for others, mostly with sociopolitical
overtones, written by his friend and mentor, Francisco Moreno Galván.
Four decades after the beginning of his career, Menese continues
to be concerned with the poetic content of the forms he interprets.
On this occasion he came to Seville’s Teatro de la Maestranza
within the program of the Bienal de Flamenco to offer a long and
carefully-crafted program of traditional cante accompanied and supported
by a chamber orchestra under the direction of Joan Albert Amargós.

Basically the concept of applying the poetry of Góngora, Lope
de Vega, Calderón de la Barca and others to an art form which
was born spontaneously of the people doesn’t seem all that convincing,
especially in this day and age when young people are complaining about
the use of traditional verses that have been sung for a hundred years
or more, and are clamoring for the inclusion of contemporary references
such as drug addiction, cell phones, cars and motorcycles. As in all
things the chances are both extremes are unrealistic, and the truth
lies somewhere in between. In this particular case, Menese had two
things on his side: first, the nature and dynamic of flamenco singing
wherein the verse is always secondary to the actual music, the “melody”
the singer recreates with each interpretation, and second, because
you could understand precious little of the words, at least from seat
number 18 in the fourth row of the Teatro de la Maestranza, mostly
due to poor sound reproduction which overdid the echo. The trained
ear subconsciously filled in the strictly classical styles with verses
heard over a lifetime.

Quality cante, pretty music, a
varied program, rigorous dignity and respect

It’s a stock scene if ever there was one. Menese, singer
Laura Vital, guitarists Enrique de Melchor and Eduardo Rebollar,
dancer Carmen Ledesma and palmas Gregorio and Chicharo are all seated
in a semi-circle facing the audience, however celestial lights illuminate
the eight musicians of the chamber orquestra set up right behind
the flamenco people (someday we hope to understand how individuals
who know nothing about flamenco can provide adequate backup for
cante with the information provided by their sheet music).

Menese’s voice which is in good form this night, attacks
with tonás with a subtle, mysterious and tension-creating
drone on the tonic note in a low register played by the strings.
It’s an efficient demonstration of the possibilities of this
musical collaboration in which the singer is never upstaged by the
orchestra and some cantes are done only to guitar.

Laura Vital from Sanlúcar delivers the cante with a voice
that reminds one of Spanish popular singer Isabel Pantoja, with
a polished perfection that is somehow off-putting – her sterility
seems incompatible with flamenco singing, but the girl can sing,
no doubt about it. By contrast, Menese projects the confidence that
comes with wisdom and all the depth and Mairena-like resonance his
voice is capable of giving. Between the two singers the menu of
cantes is quite varied and ambitious, from rondeñas, soleá
or livianas by Menese, to guajiras, nanas or sevillanas by Vital,
with the intelligent stately dance of Carmen Ledesma, the only female
flamenco dancer who performs in street clothes, with alegrías
and peteneras.

Quality cante, pretty music, a varied program, rigorous dignity
and respect are the noteworthy elements of this show which must
be described as admirable.

Text : Estela
Zatania
Photos: Rafa Manjavacas

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