Cante: Bernarda de Utrera, Chocolate, Juana
la del Revuelo, Inés Suárez, Chato de Utrera.
Dance: Manuela Carrasco.
Guitar: Antonio Carrión, José Manuel, Martín
Chico
While elaborate flamenco productions are receiving more
backing all the time, it's slim pickings for the festival
circuit these days, a format which peaked around the mid-1970s.
Nevertheless the Potaje Gitano de Utrera, the first flamenco
festival, continues to be an important reference – 47 years
without a break is quite an achievement.
A hundred and fifty years
of combined flamenco experience between the two of them
This year's lineup of artists could be described as “Bernarda
and Chocolate et al” because with just those two names,
good solid cante was guaranteed. A hundred and fifty years
of flamenco experience between the two of them, but many younger
aficionados were unimpressed and there were derisive comments
when a verse was momentarily flubbed, or a high tone was not
crystal clear.
But
let's begin at the beginning… The first person to settle
in on stage was Chato de Utrera with guitarist Niño
José Miguel. The veteran singer who has an extensive
professional record in flamenco, both within Spain and abroad,
is always well-received with his thick, expressive voice.
Tangos, soleá de Utrera, and to wrap up, fandangos,
with the novelty that when he stepped away from the mike to
sing without amplification (that tiresome gesture that has
become de rigueur) you could actually hear him perfectly.
Chato de Utrera and Niño José Manuel
As is her custom
in recent years, she began by requesting a round of applause
“for my sister Fernanda”
Inés Suárez Jiménez who specializes in festive and popular
Spanish songs done to flamenco, with guitarist Antonio Moya,
stirred up the ambience with a rich assortment of 'cuplé'
por bulería, most notably the sentimental Machin creations
“Toda una vida” y “Dos gardenias”, in the most faithful style
of her hometown of Utrera. Next, master of ceremonies Antonio
Torres stated: “I hereby declare myself incompetent to present
Bernarda de Utrera”, and thus the lady was presented, with
all her energy and spirit. She took her place in front of
the mike next to Antonio Moya and as is her custom in recent
years, began by requesting a round of applause “for my sister
Fernanda”. The audience complied enthusiastically. Bernarda
complains briefly about the chill of the night and goes on
to heat things up with her bulerías and fandangos, por soleá
(she always says she can't sing por soleá, but you'd never
know it), and the famous Romance de María de las Mercedes.
Chocolate
Juana la del Revuelo & Martín
Chico
Bernarda complains
briefly about the chill of the night
and goes on to heat things up with her bulerías
An intermission affords time to hang out at the festival
bar while the typical potaje stew is dished up at the tables.
The politician Manuel Copete “La Alondra” is the
person to be honored this year, and after the ceremonial speeches,
it's back to flamenco…
Juana la del Revuelo comes on with her customary bloomers,
but no basket on this occasion. We all know her repertoire
by heart. The day she gets a flat tyre or can't show up for
whatever reason, we can all sing her tangos “No me pegues
bocaítos…” and we'll rock her Curro to sleep
por bulerías for the thousandth time, but no matter
how you slice it, the woman has personality and stage presence,
and the people of Utrera love her gypsy delivery. Husband
Martin Revuelo is always worthwhile, short but delightful,
as well as guitarist son Martín Chico with his modernized
Morón style riffs. A young man they call “Cable”
rounds out the bulerías finale playing around with
the theme song of “Marco: from the Alps to the Andes”
making it flamenco.
“…first the basic
cantes, and then I'll do Frank Sinatra if you want”
On page 8 of Juan de la Plata's biography of Manuel Torre,
“La pena sonora”, he mentions singer Antonio Núñez el “Chocolarte”
[sic], and written like that, the nickname gave me a chuckle.
“Chocolarte” or Chocolate was introduced as an “absolutely
relevant singer”, and a string of awards and prizes was read
off, including last year's Latin Grammy. The singer showed
himself to be worthy of all the praise singing the malagueña
del Mellizo magnificently with guitarist Carrión who gave
him the Melchor sound, then the nasal aged taranto, por soleá
with the aroma of the Alameda de Hércules and Triana. As has
been happening lately, the audience demanded fandangos, over
and over, but the maestro insisted “first the basic cantes,
and then I'll do Frank Sinatra if you want”. His “little Cagancho
songs” (siguiriyas) raised gooseflesh for those people who
let themselves be carried away and knew how to appreciate
that age-worn voice instead of criticizing it, and the finale
with the much-awaited fandangos. Persons under 30 years of
age take note: it's called “flamenco singing”.
Manuel Carrasco…more
beautiful, more flamenco
and more gypsy than ever.
Manuela Carrasco
Samara Amador
Next up, another legend, but a fair amount younger. Manuela
Carrasco resurfaced several years ago after semi-retirement,
more beautiful, more flamenco and more 'gitana' than ever.
The night of the Potaje she came on in flaming orange with
turqoise to open with bulerías. She was accompanied on the
guitar by her husband Joaquín Amador and young Daniel Méndez,
in addition to the voices of Enrique Extremeño, a young singer
from Morón, David Sánchez and another whose name did not appear
on the program. A round of rondeña ended with the fandango
of Frasquito Yerbabuena, and exhibited such exuberance that
it was the moral equivalent of bulerías. Sound problems marred
the sung and danced bulería of Samara, daughter of Manuela
and Joaquín, in the style of her aunt la Susi. Bobote was
a delight as always when he filled in while Manuela changed
costume for the 'mother' of all dances, trademark for her
and so many others, soleá, and thus ended the 2003 edition
of the Potaje Gitano de Utrera shortly before five a.m.
