XV BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA. 'PERSONALIDAD' El Chozas, Antonio Reyes, Angelita Vargas y José Méndez

XV BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA

‘PERSONALIDAD’
El Chozas, Antonio Reyes, Angelita Vargas y José Méndez
Program (PDF)
19th SEPTEMBER- Hotel Triana – 11:00 horas

SPECIAL BIENAL DE FLAMENCO DE SEVILLA 2008

Texto: Estela Zatania
Photos: © Archivo Bienal de Flamenco, Luis Castilla

Cante: El Chozas, Antonio Reyes, José Méndez. Guitar: Rubén Levaniegos, Antonio Higuero, Juan Diego. Palmas: Diego Montoya, Pedro de la Chana. Dance: Angelita Vargas with Juan José Amador and Luis Amador (cante), Ramón Amador and Eugenio Iglesias (guitar) and Bobote (palmas).

Amidst a sea of extravagant, daring (watch out for this word, it’s as suspect as “pure” these days), shows, the organization of the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla has understood the need to insert these oases of conventional flamenco.  Dance and cante for the flamenco fan who fell in love with the genre over thirty years ago when, without any script or message beyond the impact of the voices, the bodies and guitars all tuned into the same compás, they felt the odd sensation of hairs on end.

Okay, you caught me…traditional flamenco still sounds great to me.  But it’s not my fault, anyone’s taste has a life of its own and I’m not able to overcome mine, because even critics have preferences, although we dutifully fulfill the sacred obligation of putting them to one side when required.  The shows offered at the Hotel Triana tend to correspond to this kind of user-friendly flamenco that asks only to be heard, seen and enjoyed.

The presentation (no way you can call it a “work”) reflected the format of a typical summer festival, but with fewer performers, like a few tapas to stave off hunger without getting you full.  First course, José Méndez.  For the second consecutive show, the stage of the Hotel Triana received a member of the Méndez family of Jerez, “the Paqueras”, because José is another nephew of Francisca Méndez Garrido.  Recreating sounds and cantes that reminded you of her royal highness, the queen of bulerías, with the accompaniment of guitarist Juan Diego, and making constant references to “my aunt”, the singer interpreted cantes from his hometown of Jerez: soleá por bulerlía, siguiriyas, bulerías.

Next up, the two Antonios, Reyes and Higuero, singer and guitarist.  Theirs is a happy stable artistic union, two young veterans who do what they do, better and better with each performance.  The cozy velvet voice of Reyes interpreted soléa, an assortment of tangos that Higuero accompanied in E position with a fandango and bits of popular song also inserted, and bulerías closed out with the dancing of the singer’s wife, Patricia.

José Antonio Muñoz “Chozas”, not to be confused with the late “Chozas de Jerez”, Juan José Vargas.  The Seville singer achieved a certain amount of fame duing the height of the festival era when he made some recordings, but like others, fell by the wayside when classic flamenco went out of style.  His Mairena delivery was just right for siguiriyas and fandangos, but less well-suited to some milongas.  He was accompanied by guitarist Rubén Levaniegos.

With dancing to close out the night, Angelita Vargas, with the excellent back-up of singer Juan José Amador, came to leave her mark and her style.  Soleá, the dance of dances and cante of cantes, was the vehicle chosen by the lady to express her temperamental personality.  A bulería fiesta finale, with child prodigy included, and the flamenco that captured my attention so many years ago, continues to claim its relevance and its rightful place in Seville’s Bienal de Flamenco.