receives us Fuenlonguilla With the grand gate open, like an endless embrace. The night promises to be cold, according to someone in the audience who arrives with a blanket to keep warm in the hacienda's courtyard when the dew begins to fall. She knows where she's coming; she's become a regular at this festival, which can boast of being a grand gathering. This year, the heat wave subsided, leaving us with only a few degrees for the summer night of cante jondo en La Puebla de Cazalla (Seville)Fifty-seven editions crowns the poster, which is presided over by a beautiful drawing of Francisco Moreno Galvan“The tickets get more beautiful every year,” I overheard at the box office.
The flow of people is calm but steady, until the seating area in front of the stage is full. The air is perfumed by the aromatic herbs scattered on the ground, like a carpet reminiscent of the Moorish countryside. The event is a resounding success with audiences each year, drawn by the unique atmosphere of this gathering. flamenco which maintains the flavor, the taste, and the skill that Francisco Moreno Galván instilled in the summer festival scene. Many familiar faces among the crowd and many new ones who arrived, drawn by the popularity of the Meeting of Cante JondoThe public seeks personal experiences, and in these lands they can find some. Greetings and hugs follow one another as they find their place.
For this year, the organization has opted for a lineup of prominent and well-established figures in the scene flamenco: Mayte Martín, Rubito Jr., Paqui Ríos and Ezequiel Benítez they would lend their voices to cante, Together with David the Galli y Sergio the Redhead, while the dance would come from Granada among the ruffles of Fuensanta La MonetaThe exquisitely crafted guitars would resonate in the hands of the master. Antonio Carrion (newly appointed ambassador of La Puebla de Cazalla), Antonio de Patrocinio Jr., José Gálvez, Paco León, Rafael Rodríguez 'el Cabeza' y Domingo Rubichi's; and palmas and trouble in the hands of Naín Real with Tate Nunez, and Miguel Heredia with louis goldThey were all introduced by the flamenco dancer, communicator and host of the evening. Sara Arguijo.
As usual, the meeting opens with a guitar solo, performed, as so often, by Antonio Carrión. It would seem that the guitarist's connection with Jose Menese The guitarist would be captivated by the landscape of La Puebla de Cazalla. He himself would affirm how grateful he was to this town and how much he felt at home there. A soleá to fill the night of the Moorish Gathering with the sweetness and flamenco rhythm.
It will soon be ten years since Menese's passing, and it's likely that his name and memory will be mentioned during the performances. The next artist chosen was Ezequiel Benítez from Jerez, who with his immense humanity had the grace to remember the much-missed Pepe el Cachas, with whom he shared a friendship and to whom he dedicated the soleá. Ezequiel is a flamenco singer with a good understanding of the canteHe also knows how to win people over. He performed a varied repertoire with authentic Jerez flavor, continuing with alegrías, malagueñas, fandangos, and bulerías. A relaxed moment occurred when he asked the organizers to turn on lights in the audience "to see their faces," although his real intention was to get the crowd singing along to lyrics that went Quack, quack say the ducks / cock-a-doodle-doo crowed the hen / and I keep dancing for you / the sparrow's danceCertainly, the prestige of La Puebla as a serious festival doesn't quite understand these burlesque proposals, but it seems the public accepted it willingly. A little bit of bulerías from Ezequiel is to savor all the art of Jerez that runs in his veinsHe was accompanied by his usual guitarist, Paco León.
"Fuensanta La Moneta is one of the favorite flamenco dancers in La Puebla de Cazalla and always delights her audience. This powerful woman knows she is loved and feels the affection shown to her. With her dancing and her group of artists, they filled the space in La Fuenlonguilla with flamenco and gypsy spirit."
Next up was Paqui Ríos. Small, petite, but with a big heart flamenco and full of knowledge about it jondo. Paqui is purity, cante Without artifice, it is returning to the bosom flamenco where it all took place. Ríos took the chair with a seriousness that reminds me of Gallina. There's no fuss in his performances; he seems to stop time and rewind it when he executes the cantes. Gypsy style, characterized by what we call "black sounds" and well-placed wails, conveying what seems to tear at his very core when he sings. Over the Jerez-style chords of Domingo Rubichi, he brilliantly performed the malagueña, soleá, fandangos por soleá, and seguiriya.
And a stop to change the scenery. The decoration of the Meeting of Cante Jondo It's a design that embodies a message of sobriety and elegance. It's not entirely clear that the next flamenco singer I swapped the black rush-seated chairs for two office chairs, a requirement that Mayte Martín demands, we don't quite know why.and which stirs up murmurs among the audience, besides unnecessarily halting the flow of the event. Mayte is a flamenco singer who has opened doors to new fans and an artist whose gaze is fixed on the future and on herself. She searches within her own inner resources for other ways to express the flamenco With more lyricism, she brought the brilliance of her voice to the stage. With her, the first part ended, leading to a short intermission while the stage was prepared for the dance that would open the second part.
But before we continue, a guitar solo by Carrión playing soleá, accompanied by the palmas by Concha Carrión and Ángel Peña.
Rafael Rodríguez summoned the singers with his guitar, while David el Galli and Sergio el Colorao accompanied Fuensanta La Moneta, who returned to the stage of this 57th Meeting with her powerful presence. La Moneta is one of the most beloved dancers in Puebla de Cazalla and always delights her audience. This powerful woman knows she is loved and feels the affection shown to her. With her dancing and her group of artists, they filled the space at La Fuenlonguilla with flamenco and gypsy spirit. The arabesques on Rafael Rodríguez's guitar intertwined with the seguiriya and soleá that the artist offered us with such energy. Fuensanta only knows how to dance by giving her soul and drawing with her body impossible echoes that sometimes evoke Carmen Amaya and her indomitable strength.
The grand finale was delivered by local artist Rubito Jr., who took to the stage with a somber mood due to the painful circumstances the singer is going through. Little Blonde from ParáHis father, and that he himself told us on stage. From ExpoFlamenco We wish you a speedy and full recovery. With a pain in his chest, Rubito gave everything he had inside, to close the night. Accompanied by the wonderful guitar of Antonio de Patrocinio Hijo, he bravely began his performance with petenera, grande and chica, tientos with his tangos, cantiñas and seguiriyas, canteseasoned by the incomparable lyrics of Francisco Moreno Galván, which left a Moorish taste in the ears of the public that still crowded the Fuenlonguilla courtyard.
The night of the Meeting cannot be closed without a good round of tonás that sounded in the already wounded throats of Ezequiel Benítez, Paqui Ríos and Rubito de ParáAnd here the night should have ended, as is tradition in La Puebla de Cazalla, but a closing bulerías has become fashionable, which, rather than squaring the circle, feels forced. Is there anything else that can be done after a round of tonás that have shaken the very heart of the night? ♦
