– Special XVI
Festival de Nimes.
Text: Estela Zatania
Dance: Melinda Sala, Manuel Gutiérrez. Guitar:
Antonio Moya, Frasco Santiago, Titi, Antonio Cortés.
Voice: Juan de la Alpujarra, Blas Deleria, Perico Santiago,
Luis de la Carrasca, Cristo Cortés, Aurora. Cajón:
Enrike Santiago. In collaboration with the Pepe Linares Association.
For various social and political reasons there exists
a strong Spanish, gypsy and flamenco presence along the southern
coast of France, particularly between Marseille and Nimes,
an area which is the only flamenco zone outside Spanish territory.
Other countries such as Japan or the United States have an
extense flamenco community with a good level of artists, but
these are not actual flamenco regions since they lack the
family surroundings where art is transmitted from elders to
children. So it should come as no surprise that this area
of France yields accomplished flamenco artists specialized
in cante, dance and guitar as is the case of the group of
musicians who performed last night in a presentation titled
“Reflejo Flamenco”, or Flamenco Reflection.
Antonio Moya en el camerino con Frasco Santiago
– Foto Estela Zatania
And a very apt title it is because the group of ten singers,
guitarists and dancers are a perfect reflection of the current
flamenco scene worldwide. A far cry from the image of the
Gypsy Kings we tend to relate to flamenco in France, the offering
went unabashedly from the most profound “palo seco”
(without musical accompaniment) to the most contemporary flamenco
derivatives, without complexes or apologies, each performer
finding his or her own particular slice of the flamenco pie
and serving it up with energy and credibility to a thoroughly
delighted audience. A good lesson for the radically divided
Spanish flamenco followers nowadays who have created an atmosphere
of animosity and mistrust: “flamenco taliban”,
“fusionists” or “purists”, in Spain
labels are hung on anyone professing to enjoy flamenco and
it’s a destructive sort of elitism.
“Flamenco is with us, we don’t need to go out
and look for it”
Antonio Moya who accompanied José la Negreta the previous
night, was on again this evening with the French group. Also
noteworthy, Marseille guitarist Frasco Santiago, brimming
with technique and inspiration, and like his Spanish counterparts,
it’s possible he’s been carried away by a certain
over-infatuation with the jazz sound. But then suddenly a
voice in my head demands: “how do you define that alleged
over-infatuation?”…we wouldn’t want anyone to
accuse us of being a flamenco taliban. And for once the answer
springs to the forefront with crystal clarity: a guitar solo
can handle nearly all the musical novelty a musician’s
mind can conjure up, but when it comes time to accompany cante,
the guitarist’s mission is to back up the singer and
enhance everything he or she does. But this was of little
concern to the numerous audience at the Odeon Theater who
clapped right along with the siguiriya of Marseille cantaor
Blas Delería as they would at any rock concert.
If the French taste in flamenco guitar tends toward the contemporary,
in dance the “reflection” was of a more traditional
aesthetic, with polkadots, flowers and dramatic accelerations
that triggered enthusiastic applause. The singers were admirable,
each with his or her own personality. Noteworthy for his energy
and compás was young Cristo Cortés, and veteran
Luis de la Carrasca interpreted the caña with knowledge
and loving care.
With the exception of Antonio Moya who has lived in Utrera
for many years, it’s unlikely any of the other names
will be heard around Spain despte the artists’ ability.
They all claim to feel the rejection of Spanish flamenco fans
while claiming to be self-sufficient with the ambience they’ve
created and which continues to be strongly cultivated. As
one of the group members said: “Flamenco is with us,
we don’t need to go out and look for it”.
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