This week, in #FromWithin, I'm going to tell you about the great party that took place on the scene in the XI Paco de Lucía International Guitar Meeting, in Algeciras (Cádiz). It happened on Friday, July 11, in the Maria Cristina Park, the main lung of the event, which has featured other great musical nights with the presence, among others, of Pitingo, Laura Gallego –we must remember Paco's fondness for copla, especially for Marifé de Triana), Antonio Canales, Mayte Martín, Lucía La Piñona, Joni Jiménez, José Carlos Gómez (guitarist from Algeciras who maintained a close relationship with the maestro), Danielle Nicole...
I have to admit that I have a close, or rather special, relationship with this festival. Since the first editions, I have been there as a reporter for the local media, I have attended conferences and exhibitions with important names, and this has allowed me to learn more about the figure and Paco's influence in Algeciras, Spain and the worldThis Meeting has allowed me to listen live to illustrious musicians who were very close to the son of the Portuguese womanas the Al Di Meola, Parrita, John McLaughlin, Tomatito...
On Friday I returned to present a night focused as a great party for bulerías, remembering that festival that was born in 1986 in the same park, which featured emerging figures from Jerez and had The Paquera as the main attraction of the evening. A few years later, that festival disappeared, although it has regained its significance with the birth of the week in question, eleven years ago now.
"The atmosphere was unbeatable, with total camaraderie and harmony that favored the great celebration in honor of Paco, who surely enjoyed it from the heavenly box of flamenco authorities."
In this edition, the organization – Algeciras City Council and the artistic direction of the promoter José Luis Lara– decided to bet on a more relaxed evening, that is, with more prominence of the bulería and cantefestive like tangos. It was a bit risky, because the custom is that some male or female singers do their 40 or 50 minutes (more is jartibles) and a dance number to get the festival nights moving.
In this case they were four voices that came out in the first part, each one made two cantes, leaving the bulería for the second part, which lasts approximately one hour. In addition, they opted for singing and dancing profiles. The first to come out was Remedios Reyes, the Chiclana native who won the National Prize for Cante Antonio Mairena last September, with the guitar of July Romero. Important work of the palmeros Manuel Vinaza y Nunez strain“Plasters, my Juan,” Vinaza admitted to me, laughing when they were done, so tired they were. Tientos tangos and seguiriya. It was curious to realize that neither she nor later Joan of the Pipe, they stood up to dance the tangos as usual. They waited for the bulerías to dance. Before Juana, who also did bulerías to listen to with Vicente Santiago, he left Juanjo de la Orilla. With the tune of Juan Benjumea, direct descendant of Juan TalegaThe Algeciras native began with seguiriyas and also performed tangos. A singer without precepts, with knowledge but letting himself be carried away by the moment, improvisation, and feelings. Luis de Mateo, who debuted on that stage in the 2016 edition (poster that included Macanita, Farru, Manuel Moneo, Duquende and Vicente Soto), remembered by pilgrims to Lebrijano and was sung by romances to give way to the gypsy dance and in the place of Fernando Jiménez. Moment when the audience stood up.
And the second part was started by the personified compass: Enrique el ZamboHe is the soniquete por bulerías, he was in that first edition of 86. Everyone sang and danced, and another great artist appeared on the scene like Miguel Angel Heredia, romantic, dancing and singing, showing off on stage, as if it were a party, some gypsy sayings. Like Juana, with that cante Short, split, with such an indescribable effect, it has 600 years of gypsy tradition behind it. Remedios is reminiscent of the great festival-goers, of the couplets of Aurora, Cañeta, Revuelo...
The atmosphere was unbeatable, both on and off stage, with total camaraderie and harmony that favored the great party in honor of Paco, who surely enjoyed it from the heavenly box of flamenco authorities. Before the start, all the artists signed a guitar so that the memory of the evening will always remain in the Interpretation Center of the unforgettable guitarist. By the way, we had a few laughs with Victorian, Paco de Lucía's friend, remembering some moments they shared in their youth, in some places in the wonderful Algeciras. ♦
