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“Galardón Flamenco Calle de Alcalá” Presentation of the Galardón Flamenco Calle de Alcalá 2009 to singer José Mercé Texto: Pablo San Nicasio “Perdidos por Madrid” Closing night of the “Festival Caja Madrid” for 2009. All the flamenco fans gathered together to give the well-deserved prize “Calle de Alcalá” to cante maestro José Mercé, a singer always closely linked to Madrid, with Moraíto on guitar. The main area of the Teatro del Canal bore witness, better decorated but with worse acoustics than room B, to a concert that, without a doubt, lowered the level of the three preceding days. A real shame, because among the audience were the bosses of Caja Madrid. For all we know, they had come to find out just who they were supporting in these times of recession.
And he did what he could, but the whole thing got off to a bad start. Felix Grande presented the jury and the winner in the middle of a comedy of microphones that did no justice to the magnificent verses of the poet from La Mancha. Music-wise, Paco Cepero, awarded with this same prize five years ago, was the crowd-warmer for his paisano, with a long guitar recital. Long and homogenous in sound and texture. Fourteen different pieces he played with his group (two guitars, violin and percussion). Each one, pure Cepero, based on the lower strings, progressions and short but aggressive picado runs, sudden silences, catchy melodies and overall softness in the global forms. Despite choosing short pieces, Cepero committed the sin of going on for too long, and in the end, the audience only really sat up and took not with his hit “Agua Marina”.
An hour and a half of guitar-playing that climaxed with siguiriya and rondeña, without reaching the heights, but leaving no doubt about the still admirable faculties of Cepero, his ability to communicate and his desire to keep dialoguing, paying no attention to his more than half-century guitar in hand. Intermission, and let’s see if this thing gets moving. Actually, it didn’t. The night of the Alcalá prize-winners, we were more lost in Madrid than any other day. José Mercé began with tonás, and what promised to be a great night of cante to close out the series, ended up as fifty minutes of fireworks with very little bang to them. Malagueña, soleá, siguiriya, alegrías, double dose of bulerías and a tip of fandangos for an evening of predictable cante. Not even the little dance bit at the end, nor the singing without microphone got the people interested (Cepero was sent off with a standing ovation, Mercé provoked less euphoria).
Maybe the audience just didn’t get it, maybe the venue was cold, maybe we’re too demanding, or because it was Monday, or the high level of preceding days, or the recession… Whatever it was, the thing is, the event will not go down in the annals of flamenco history, but simply was a much-deserved tribute to a singer from the Santiago neighborhood of Jerez who is well-known in Madrid. Better times will come for all. |
