XVII Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba- Grilo. Joaquín Grilo – Pastora Galván

Dance: Joaquín Grilo, Pastora Galván. Guitar:
José Quevedo “Bolita”, Ricardo Rivera. Cante:
Carmen Grilo, José Antonio Núñez, Luis Moneo.
Percussion: Francisco González “Paquito”. Palmas:
J. Carlos Grilo.

A sober ‘a capella’ bulerías presentation
in basic black was the calling card Joaquin Grilo and Pastora Galván,
both winners in earlier editions of this triennial festival competition,
served up to open their recital. In a night of flamenco without
fusion or plot of any sort, the young maestros had the excellent
taste to reject the hackneyed concept of the “major work”,
limiting themselves instead to the tools that two centuries of flamenco
history put at their disposition.

Despite a theater that was only two-thirds full, and an inexplicably
cold audience, we were treated to a high quality performance. The
introductory bulerías dissolved into a siguiriya duet where
the choreography, somewhat overloaded with geometric forms, was
saved thanks to the admirable communication between the two dancers
and the more than acceptable cante of José Antonio Núñez
and Luis Moneo.

There being no corps de ballet to fill in while Grilo and Galván
changed costume, we were then fed a long singing solo by Carmen
Grilo, the dancer’s sister. Mining cante with rhythmic abandolao
forms to end was too much responsibility for the young woman whose
delivery is better suited to lyrical song than flamenco cante.

A fresh modern projection that meshed
delightfully
with the memory of a past steeped in tradition

With the alegrías in E position that came next, Pastora
Galván did for this form what dancer Yerbabuena does for
soleá. The lady was nothing short of impressive with her
white bata de cola, her intensity and her impeccable control. Mature
beyond her years, cerebral, controlled, compact even, a true flamenco
demeanor with no contrived gestures…. All this, and a fresh
modern projection that meshed delightfully with the memory of a
past steeped in tradition. Songs of the Diego Carrasco brand rounded
out the respectfully innovative approach.

Joaquín
Grilo’s long soleá took up the final portion of the
hour and a quarter recital. Perhaps the weight of responsibility
that came from being nominal star of the night cause him to over-extend
now and again. But make no mistake, this young man is a genius and
a maestro, even though at certain moments you catch him doing things
he’s not even convinced of himself, trying to commit Antonio
Canales madness, while lacking that dancer’s degree of madness.

Nevertheless, Grilo got settled in with each passing second and
when he finally decided to trust his own considerable resources,
his dancing reached the heights we’ve witnessed on other occasions.
Halfway through the dance, a specially miked platform near the rear
of the stage was the space where Grilo leveled with himself and
found his momentary truth, because artistic truths are not by any
means absolute but rather fleeting and unpredictable. He continued
off the platform and that which can no longer be denied was reiterated:
bulerías has ascended to a place of supreme importance in
flamenco dance, nearly a genre unto itself, expressive and magnificent
in the hands, feet and body of dancers like Grilo.

Text: Estela
Zatania
Photos: Rafael Manjavacas