The nerves of a festival that is about to begin do not prevent Miguel Marin (Carcabuey, Córdoba, 1967) display a wide smile on the screen. The director of the Flamenco London festival, which is celebrating its twentieth edition this year, is preparing to welcome 17 companies with 25 performances to the British capital, including names such as Sara Baras, Manuel Liñán, La Tremendita, Farruquito and Paula Comitre, among others.
Two decades in which this manager, also responsible for the New York Festival, has contributed decisively to the art jondo have a place, and not exactly a secondary one, in London's cultural calendar, where the number of followers grows every year and our artists enjoy ever-increasing recognition.
After 20 years, does a festival stand on its own anymore, or do you feel like you always have to start from scratch?
A festival never goes alone. I think that's precisely one of the natures of these events: when producing, we're very subject to the inclemency of all the changes that continually occur. This year in London, for example, we have to obtain visas that we didn't have to obtain before. We have to always be alert and pushing.
It is also often said that “the flamenco “it sells itself,” and…
No, no, the flamenco Tickets are sold by the ticket holder. Here and everywhere. It's not like you don't put up a sign flamenco and people are automatically lining up at the door. It all takes a lot of effort and dedication.
Would you dare to define the London public in contrast to the Spanish public?
What characterizes London is that it's a very cosmopolitan city. And one of the pillars of the festival has always been to partner with leading theaters on the international cultural scene. That brings us a specific audience, which is the dance audience, which is very cultured, and today we can also say that they know the flamenco, because we have been doing it for twenty years. But it will still be a limited knowledge, which cannot be compared with what there may be in Seville, where the codes of the flamencoOn the other hand, I believe and feel there's greater openness, as we no longer have to rely on expectations within those codes. The audience is much more open to enjoying a show without having to conform to certain standards. And this—well, I say this, and artists say it too—they feel greater freedom of expression; you feel like you're not going to be judged.
You don't go to the exam, like at the Maestranza or the Central.
Indeed. One of our goals at the festival has also been precisely that, to break any preconceived ideas that may exist about the flamenco. To expose the public to all the expressions that there are, or most of the expressions that there are right now in the flamencoI can say that 20 years ago the idea of flamenco as a folkloric, ethnic, but exotic expression. Today, however, audiences don't come for the exoticism, but for the extremely high artistic quality found in the shows. This broader perspective, being open to the proposal as it is, without any preconceived ideas, makes the audience a little different.
"The London public is not the Seville public, where the codes of flamenco"But I feel there's more openness. Audiences are much more open to enjoying a show without having to conform to certain standards. Artists feel more freedom of expression; they feel like they won't be judged."
→ See the full LONDON program here FLAMENCO FESTIVAL on the AGENDA EXPOFLAMENCO.
To what extent has the festival collaborated so that artists today flamencos have the doors of Sadler's Wells or other spaces open?
Well, I think that artists should say that... Yes, I think that, regardless of everything, the festival has becomepeñaI play a very important role and, well, there's the story. Before the festival, well, of course there has been flamenco in London and around the world, but it is true that before the festival two companies passed through here, Paco de Lucía and Paco Peña, and now we're talking about 190 different companies, between New York and London. It's true that Sara Baras had a season at Sadler's Well, Eva Yerbabuena and some other companies, but this year, for example, there are 17 companies performing in London, with a total of 25 performances. Going from one or two companies a year to there being 17 and the variety we're talking about... In addition to the fact that this year six or seven proposals are musicals, we have the series of cante with La Plazuela and Las Migas and the guitar series. It is the festival's important contribution to London's cultural scene.
There is no doubt that they have created fans, but do they also create artists? flamencos? Will they see each other? flamencoLondoners, English people, who grew up with the festival?
Well, yeah, I don't know if it's with the festival, but yes, in parallel with this, we have Yinka [Esi Graves], a London artist who has surely been influenced by what we've been doing, I don't know. My focus is more on Spanish artists being able to present their work in London. I think that's really the key, more on creating companies in London that do flamencoYes, I am interested in artists who do not come from the flamenco approach the flamencoWe've had some very interesting collaborations there. One of the activities we do with this very goal is the In Progress artist residency project, in which each year artists from flamenco They collaborate with London artists. We've had Rocío Molina collaborate with Honji Wang and Sebastián Ramírez, artists who come from hip hop. Or we've had Olga Pericet collaborate with Holly Waddington, a costume designer who comes from British cinema. Or we've had Jesús Carmona collaborate with artists who come from Gaga's tradition. Or Tim Reis, the Rolling Stones saxophonist, with whom we've done several collaborations.
Is there anything better understood than here?
No, I think in the end it's not about understanding. And that's what I think makes the flamenco have that international nature. Because if it were about understanding, here we understand it better: here we understand the letters, we understand the codes and we understand the canon of flamencoThe most interesting thing about presentations abroad is that you don't understand them, you feel them. The rational aspect is removed, leaving only the more emotional aspect. This benefits the audience, because they have a less conditioned and clearer perspective.
With twenty years of experience, what never fails in London?
Obviously, there's an artist who... The thing is, I don't like to personalize an artist. I think what really connects is authenticity. I can tell you that twenty years ago, what everyone was looking for was the flamenco ethnic and the flamenco Traditional. And it's still being sought after today. It's appreciated because it has something ancestral, but there are other proposals that resonate deeply with the public. What touches them is when we speak the truth. The truth, the authenticity, the honesty, the integrity of the artist. That's transmitted and felt. For example, Manuel Liñán. He's not exactly an artist who could be described as avant-garde; he's innovative in that, in terms of the subject matter and what he expresses, he connects with current society. He opens up and talks about himself in a way that's unusual. That resonates with the public.
And something that would never fit in London?
I don't know, the truth is that I'm not sure there's anything that can't be presented... But everything does have to be given context.
"If it were about understanding, we understand it better here. The most interesting thing about presentations abroad is that you don't understand it, you feel it. That rational aspect is removed and simply the more emotional aspect is left. That benefits the audience, because they have a less conditioned and clearer perspective."
Your greatest moment of glory in these twenty years?
Every day you sit in the auditorium and see the audience standing, applauding, completely moved by the artist and the show. That, for me, is the achievement of every day, the driving force that motivates you to do what you do.
Any bad moments in these two decades?
If it were just a moment, once that moment has passed it would be over. I thank God that there are many good moments, like when the audience gives their all or when you see that the fruit is being reaped, I'm not talking about the festival, but when the flamenco It's reaping the rewards of the artists' work. I'm thinking of Sara Baras, who was the first artist to receive the Olivier, or this year's Eva Yerbabuena, who also received the Olivier, the most important performing arts award in the United Kingdom. Seeing how a company that has been in London for two or three days, through which all the most important dance companies in the world pass, receives this recognition, I think it's something to be proud of. It's also something for us as a festival, for having been the context in which it was presented. And it's also an indicator that the festival is part of London's cultural scene. Then you see that all the work is worth it and that it's having a real impact.
But I asked him if he remembered any bad times in particular…
Well, there have been many moments. In the case of New York, you have to keep in mind that the first edition was in February 2001. In September 2001, the Twin Towers fell. Organizing that second edition was like a trial by fire. And I'm very happy that we decided to go ahead despite all the difficulties of that year. It was the first time that airport controls were implemented. And then there have been cancellations for various reasons, because an artist fell ill or didn't make a flight. The 2020 festival, which was the festival's twentieth anniversary, was supposed to have 70 performances, 20 companies, 20 venues in New York; it was the biggest. And the festival started on March 13, 2020. We traveled on March 11 and returned on the 12th. When you look back, it's true that even those situations give you more clarity and more strength to do things. Sometimes setbacks make you stop, reflect, and say, well, why am I doing this? Ah, well, this is why I'm doing it. Well, then it's worth going back.
At this point, I think he's already won everyone over, but is there anyone who has resisted him yet?
No, not to London. But I did take New York once… The first artist I took was Aurora Vargas. But then, well, I think she had such a hard time on the flights that it was never possible to do it again. She came in '97, before we did the festival. But I think that long trip… Anyway, I think all artists are excited about being able to be at these kinds of events and contexts, because you know they're cities that also contribute something important to the artist's career.
If you could resurrect any artist to bring to your festival, who would it be?
The master Paco de Lucía, the master Morente, of course.
"Last year I was at Vicente Amigo's concert, sitting in the stalls, and I looked around and there was an eighty-year-old woman next to me, who didn't speak Spanish, British, and I said, 'Where does this woman come from? Who are these people? How is this possible? At least that's how I experience it, as something very beautiful.'"
Along with the London and New York festivals, you promote the Torrox residencies. What do they contribute to your career?
I think it's my main project. It's where I can also put my experience, my knowledge, and my contacts to work to support new creations from young artists. Yes, that's where my heart is right now.
The worst enemy of the flamenco is…
You know the answer to this, but… I have to think about it because not all institutions are an enemy of the flamenco. I believe that sometimes the worst enemy of the flamenco It is ignorance, lack of knowledge, not having the pulse of the great value, of the great strength that the flamenco in the world. And I tell you, very few people who decide, I'm not saying that they don't value it, but... Having the real pulse of what the flamenco in the world and the ability to have that awareness of what it means and what it represents, and the impact it has and what it does to our image. We've all said it, we've heard it, we read it, everyone says it, but I think awareness is only 50 percent of reality. I think the lack of awareness of that aspect is the worst enemy.
A call to enjoy the London Festival this year?
For me, the experience of seeing a show flamenco Outside of Spain it is a unique moment, even a historic moment. As Spaniards or as professionals in the flamenco, when we're away and we see that response from the audience, from the stalls standing, I think it gives you a very special experience. I would tell all Spaniards to come and see the shows, even those that don't belong to the canons of flamenco, such as La Plazuela, which is flamenco, but also Farruquito making the canons of flamenco. Experiencing that, how it's valued by people who don't belong to our culture. And that makes you feel a special pride, enjoying it in a different way. It happens to me. Last year I was at the Vicente Amigo concert, sitting in the stalls, and I looked around and there was an 80-year-old woman next to me, who didn't speak Spanish, British, and I said, where does this woman come from? Who are these people? How is this possible? At least that's how I experience it, as something very beautiful, and what I ask of all institutions, all people who decide on culture, is to come and have that experience. I think it's like the starting point of a change in the way we think about it. flamenco and understand it. ♦
