La Buleria Festival it's a festival flamenco born in 1967 thanks to the Chair of FlamencoHistory and Folklore Studies of Jerez de la Frontera, following the example and the movement that emerged in neighboring towns such as Utrera, with its Potaje, or Arcos de la Frontera, with its Velá de las Nieves. Jerez could not be left behind, and on September 1 of that year, this festival opened at the Terraza Tempul cinema, with Fernanda y Bernarda, Trini España, and Chocolate as the main figures, as well as a long list of Jerez residents with outstanding artistic talent.
At the end of the poster appear the “young promises” Vicente Soto 'The Boy of Deafness', to canteDiego 'El de la Torrán', dancing, and Diego Carrasco, as a guitarist. These three artists are the only survivors of that lineup, 58 years later. Over these nearly six decades, debate has accompanied each lineup, including the controversy surrounding where it's held, who's participating, the City Council's budget for the event, the price of admission, and whether it's hot or cold. The question is the debate.
It's sad that so much importance is given to what a festival should be about, that is, going to participate and having a good time. It's normal, of course, for everyone to have their opinion on the artistic level or other technical details that are open to criticism, but I will never understand the hundreds of "fans?" who spend their time pouring their classic reflections on social media: that any time in the past was better, when in 2013 not even six hundred people paid for a ticket to the Bullring with a lineup composed of The Cake, Manuel Moneo, Esperanza Fernández, Argentina and a group of high-quality bulerías. They are the same ones who continue to miss the peña closest to your home when the entity opens its doors for free in order to support a group of cante, dance or touch. That is, I sell advice that pa I don't have.
That said, this year the main event, August 23, was held at the González Byass Winery, in the Cooperage Yard, with around fifteen hundred tickets sold. Sold and not given away, as in the past. Diego Carrasco opened the party with his people from Santiago and Carmen amaya as a special guest, too Maloko y Joselete, two disciples, the great Ané was on percussion, and on guitars, Fernando de la Morena Son y Rafael Sordera. The voices of Junquera y Samara Amaya They gave shelter to Tate Diego, a charming hippie with the wisdom of the compass in his stomach. In #FromWithin We don't go into the typical chronicle; we like to tell what can't be seen, like how Diego sang in my ear while I rested for five minutes, his delicacy and experience on and off the stage. His little cigar before leaving, always with the respect of the rest. His compositions in the rhythm of tangos, bulerías... and September as a masterpiece.
"It's natural for everyone to have their own opinions on the artistic level or other technical details that are open to criticism, but I'll never understand the hundreds of "fans?" who spend their time posting their classic thoughts on social media: that "the past was always better."
Antonio Malena led the group Bullfighting, with Maria del Mar Moreno Coming out at the end as a guest, after the more than sixty lyrics heard in bulerías during those minutes. It's a rough count, an average of twelve lyrics for five singers... John of the Maria he got the better of it, the Quini he remembered the Serna y Domingo Rubichi's, Fernanda Peña He traveled from Jerez to Lebrija and Utrera with great delicacy, and Saira Malena he split the air with his gypsyism. Rocío Marín She danced like they do in Jerez, and with the poise of a queen. Malena came out after two fandangos by Quini and Juan de la María, to do cantes of forge and soleá, and María del Mar Moreno He seduced the public with the classicism of a timeless figure, until he returned to the bulerías. “Even bulerías have sounds “blacks,” María del Mar and I agreed. All this well maintained by the good guitars of Antonio Malena Jr. y Fernando del Morao.
Dolores Agujetas, with whom I shared a few moments of conversation before she came on stage, confirming that "I'm very natural, very gypsy, I like to live quietly and well," as well as advising me that "I have to eat protein and vegetables" if I want to lose my summer belly. She came out so we could enjoy her soleá, her seguiriya, and some of her signature fandangos. She was the counterpoint of the evening. Just like she is, cracking jokes on the microphone ("pay me in coins," she would say to the producer) Juan Alfonso Romero), always connecting with Domingo Rubichi's guitar, dedicated despite the fact that "I've been here since seven o'clock", and after having spent a few days hospitalized due to respiratory problems. Por bulerías to the rhythm of Ali of the Tota y Javi Peña He finished his work with the audience on their feet.
But he went out again later, spontaneously and without shoes, to dance tangos with Cocoon from JerezThe Jerez native returned to the Fiesta after fourteen years and formed it, got the place dancing and vibrating with his soleá, to start off on a table, fandangos, many bulerías and tango-rumbas. Ramon Trujillo, at the touch, Miguel Flores y Jose Rubichiat palmas, and Manuel Soto to the percussion. They joined the event, to make it even bigger, Bastianito, Manuel Heredia, Juanito Zoniquete y Fernando Ávila in voices, palmas and rhythm. At one o'clock in the morning, the edition closed with Miguel dancing bulerías, the undisputed star of the party.
It is worth noting, as already highlighted in its Graphic Chronicles the partner Jose Maria Castano, that since Tuesday Jerez lived its Bulería in the Plaza Belén, with voices as relevant as those of Elu de Jerez, David Lagos, El Barullo, Melchora Ortega, Agujetas Chico, Eva del Cristo, Manuel de la Fragua, Coral de los Reyes, Fernando Soto, Mara Rey…and all their companions. A plaza packed with people, with free admission, and to enjoy, which is what it's all about. But as we all know, there's no accounting for taste.
