XLIV Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas – Sara Baras – 'Sueños' – & Julián Estrada

Julián Estrada,
Sara Baras

Monday, August 9th, 2004. La Unión (Murcia) 10:45pm

Sara Baras’ group:
Dance: Sara Baras. Guest artist, José Serrano. Bailarines,
Auxiliadora Fernández, Raúl Fernández,
Cecilia Gómez, Ana González, Charo Pedraja,
Raúl Prieto, María Vega. Guitar, José
María Bandera, Mario Montoya. Cante, Miguel de la Tolea,
Saúl Quirós. Percussion, José Motos.
Violín, José Amador Goñi.

Writer,
critic and flamencologist José Manuel Gamboa opened
the activities at La Unión on Monday with his entertaining
talk “Enrique Morente y la guitarra flamenca”
illustrated with interesting samples taken from the singer’s
earliest recordings, some of them homemade. After the talk
a representative of the organization of the 32nd Congreso
Internacional de Arte Flamenco scheduled to be held in Mairena
del Alcor from September 6th to 12th presented the program
of activities titled “Mairena y la Reivindicación
Flamenca”.

Manuel Silveria is noteworthy
for his exquisite sensibility, knowledge and flamenconess

Julian Estrada & Manuel Silveria

The day’s main concert was an odd combination of artists.
Julián Estrada is not unknown in flamenco circles,
but his name is hardly a household word. The young singer
from Puente Genil came accompanied by the splended guitarist,
also from Córdoba, Manuel Silveria. With a sound reminiscent
of his town’s most famous flamenco singer, Fosforito,
the singer began with malagueña del Mellizo and cante
abandolao. His clean sweet voice, the type so fashionable
in flamenco these days, is quite apt for those cantes, but
was less successful for the soleá he offered next.
Estrada lacks that element of “wrestling” with
the cante that seems to set flamenco apart, nor does he often
take risks, and his delivery is closer to that of a lyrical
singer than a flamenco cantaor. Nevertheless, with alegrías,
milonga and fandangos he won over the packed house that had
come to see Sara Baras in the second part. Manuel Silveria
is noteworthy for his exquisite sensibility, knowledge and
flamenconess.

We’ve all seen Sara Baras’ productions and know
what she is capable of. On this occasion she presented a series
of dances under the title “Sueños” in which
farruca and soleá danced solo by Sara formed the backbone
of the show, with siguiriyas by her guest dancer José
Serrano and tango and bulerías by the group.

Moments of great tension
and beauty…Baras has excellent instincts

The lady can dance, no doubt about it, but an aura of self-promotion
gives the spectator a queasy feeling, the desire to sell herself
above all else, the extravagant kisses she sends out to the
crowd at the slightest provocation and the come-hither glances.
Nevertheless, there are moments of great tension and beauty
because Baras has excellent instincts, but it’s too
short-lived and she soon returns to flashy effects giving
the impression of viewing a performance aimed at foreign tastes.

The group is highly professional with no particular element
outshining any other, and the carefully planned production
includes good lighting and a tasteful wardrobe. We can only
hope that recognition and success, both of which have come
to Sara Baras in abundance, will eventually give her the confidence
to explore flamenco from another more serious, less commercial
angle. The day that happens flamenco-lovers with be the ones
blowing kisses from the front row, make no doubt about it.

Text & photos:
Estela Zatania