For almost four decades, lovers of flamenco In the Americas, they have a date in New Mexico around June. It's the Albuquerque FestivalSomething that began as a spark ignited in family tradition has ended up becoming a first-rate cultural benchmark, through which the cream of the crop has paraded. cante, the dance and the playing. expoflamenco has spoken with its current manager, Marisol Encinias, an enthusiastic fan who has grown up enjoying and learning year after year.
– How did you come to be the director of the Albuquerque Film Festival?
– My mother, Eva Encinias, started the festival in 1987, and I've been directing it for 15 years now, dedicated to curating and selecting artists. She was a flamenco dancer. flamencoShe began collaborating with the University of New Mexico around 1976, and eleven years later she was asked to organize a celebration at the College of Fine Arts. That's how the festival began. At first, it was just a weekend, then workshops were added… And so it continued. Then, in 1996, a dance bachelor's degree program with a concentration in the flamencoBecause in the United States there is a mix of conservatory and university, and we also accompany that process…
– Where did their passion come from?
– As New Mexicans, from the Southwestern United States, we consider ourselves part of Latin America. There's a certain fondness for Hispanic and Latin culture here. My grandmother had a dance school where she taught Spanish dance along with tap, Argentine tango, Mexican dances… My brother and I danced with her, and our interest gradually shifted towards… flamencoAnd before that, my grandmother's brother already had a school around 1920, a century ago!, where they danced verdiales, jotas, zambras…
– Was the festival well received from the beginning?
– It was very well received, yes. After five years, the university saw that interest was growing, but so was the programming, and with it the budget, and that worried them a bit. They continued to lend us spaces, but in 1982 we had to create a non-profit organization, The National Institute of Flamenco.
"Eighty percent of our students come from Hispanic families, speak Spanish, and enjoy singing, although there aren't as many guitarists or flamenco dancers. Dance has definitely been the focus, but my grandmother sang too! I'm sure there will be some surprises in a few years."
– Is it difficult to finance a project like this in the United States?
Yes, we receive very little public funding here. The government doesn't provide money for arts and culture, so we depend heavily on ticket sales and course registrations. That's how we've managed to hold 38 editions in 39 years, since the festival wasn't held in 2008 due to the financial crisis. But in every edition, we've had to work very hard to ensure ticket sales; it's been a huge personal commitment. Thanks to that, we have a large festival today. Last year it ran for nine days, with 90 invited guests and a budget of over a million dollars. The Institute currently has 25 employees, we run an educational program, we have two flamenco venues, and a company.
– Would you dare to define the profile of the Albuquerque Film Festival spectator?
– Recently, Domingo González, who studies audiences extensively, spoke to me about his concern regarding the aging of the average age of audience members in the flamencoWe've worked hard to create a community here; there are many children and young people, and many people who come from all over the United States. We have an affluent audience that will pay anything to see us. flamencoBut we also try to make it accessible to people with fewer resources and to young people.
– With that job for the canteSo, do you think the day is near when a leading figure will emerge from Albuquerque? flamenco?
– I'm convinced it's just a matter of time. Eighty percent of our students come from Hispanic families, speak Spanish, and enjoy singing, although there aren't as many guitarists or flamenco dancers. Dance has certainly been the focus, but my grandmother sang too! I'm sure there will be surprises in a few years.
– Is there anything that always works at the festival?
– I always try to present proposals that are of flamenco Direct, without many concepts, without complicated choreographic arguments. That's why I use the word "direct" instead of "traditional" or "pure." That doesn't mean we don't present interesting arguments, and in any case, what matters most is that the proposal is good. And that sometimes includes more experimental things. It's about presenting a little bit of everything so that people can see the possibilities this art has, but without losing its roots. flamenco-flamenco.
– And something that, in your opinion, wouldn't work?
– I don't know. I think I even like fusion, as long as it's good and done with discernment and wisdom. What I don't usually present are things that don't have a clear flamenco foundation, that go so far afield that the flamenco influence isn't noticeable. flamenco nowhere.
"There are many indigenous people here, adobe houses, and you can see the flamenco As a human expression, it connects us to the earth. In other places, it is seen as flamenco as something exotic, not in Albuquerque: they've made of flamenco "It's something of their own; they've been studying it as fans for years, and it's already part of their lives."
– A moment of glory for the festival?
– The first time my mother brought BullfighterAntonio Canales's performance in 1996 was at Popejoy Hall and it was incredibly impactful. I was already a big fan of Canales, I followed his work with different companies, but having him in my city was a major event. And well, then we've had many important people, in the early years dancers like Manolete, later Eva Yerbabuena, Juan Amaya…
– And bad moments, do you remember?
– Quite a few! [laughs] But I'd better not talk about them. There are many risks in this job, sometimes you go through difficult times, but my mother, a strong and resilient woman, taught us a lot about how to overcome them.
– If I could resurrect any great figure from flamencoWho would it be?
– It's very difficult… Paco de Lucía. Enrique Morente. Porrina. Angelita Montoya. Ramón el Portugués. Look, I've always wanted to bring Guadiana, who's still alive, but he doesn't travel that far. And I understand, because it's like a twenty-hour journey. Oh, and I'd also resurrect… Camarón, Clear.
– Finally, how would you invite readers of expoflamenco to visit the Albuquerque Film Festival?
– It's a different kind of festival, but a very good one. Many artists are fond of it; they know everything we've done over the years. José María Velázquez-Gaztelu came once and said, “This isn't a festival, it's a revolution!” And I think that, indeed, it's an event that could have an impact on the readers of your magazine. There are many indigenous people here, adobe houses, and you can see the flamenco As a human expression, it connects us to the earth. Many people are surprised to discover that it's a tradition that didn't appear overnight. In other places, you see the flamenco as something exotic, not in Albuquerque: they've made of flamenco It's something of their own; they've been studying it as amateurs for years, and it's already part of their lives. ♦
