At the risk of losing his most loyal followers along the way, Rocio Marquez She has spent almost a decade in a process of self-discovery and reinvention that has already yielded undeniable results. At this point, it is pointless to revisit the much-discussed debate about the limits of... flamenco Or the equally much-debated controversy between orthodoxy and heterodoxy. It's time to turn the page once and for all and pay attention both to the faithful guardians of tradition, of whom there are many, and to those who consider this art for what it is, something living, and venture to explore it beyond its historical boundaries.
The woman from Huelva arrived in Cádiz. Aunt Norica's Theater on the closing day of Spanish Music Festival to present their latest album, Vertical anthemA kind of requiem that also aims to be a celebration of what begins and what flows. On a shadowy stage, in the first part of the show we barely make out the singer, lost in the shadows or even with her back to the audience. The aim is not to capture the viewer's attention, but to envelop them in a sensory, dreamlike haze, through which the repertoire gradually unfolds: after that overture in which Márquez explains how voices reach her "from within," she presents her credentials with a fandango, before giving way to the luminous, bouncy song The Wordand from there to the electric seguiriya Arde.
To reassure the more apprehensive, it is not necessary to go much further to confirm that el flamenco, understood as a set of palos recognizable, it's more than presentIt remains so in the atmospheric and subtle soleá, or in that malagueña that moves from calm to ecstasy, because it is the code that Márquez carries etched into his very being, however much he plays with sounds, however much he goes from a murmur or a babble to a shout, however much he whispers the rhythm or even introduces fragmented comments. One may like the timbre of his voice more or less—which is, moreover, already unmistakable—the sound resources may be stimulating or cacophonous to the ear, but the jondo He remains, impeccable, at the heart of his work.
"The abundance of gray hair and tonsures in the room belies the idea that these kinds of more or less avant-garde productions target young audiences. (...) Márquez and Rojas Ogáyar's Vertical Anthem is for people eager to share an experience, that of leaving the walled enclosure and looking out onto the other side."
It is also worth highlighting the merit of the lyrics, which range from the aphoristic (“All the sorrows that once afflicted me will be choices”, “Past sorrows weigh heavily”) to the poetic (“I know that the shadow is a fruit that has matured out of season"), where the writer has her place Carmen Camacho, and especially the fundamental contribution of Pedro Rojas OgáyarThey don't always understand the flamencoChoosing the right travel companions is a talent, and Rocío Márquez certainly possesses it. Presenting her cantes from an accompaniment that is not strictly flamenco But with a skilled guitarist capable of coaxing surprising rhythms and harmonies from the Spanish and electric guitar, it not only doesn't detract from the voice, but reinforces and challenges it in the best sense of the word.
But the metamorphosis continues, now with Rocío dressed in the crinoline frame and leather glitter to become the cheerful guajira and link it with the catchy tangos AirPerhaps the most commercially viable track on the album. An unexpected gift: the previously unreleased toná and seguiriya combined under the title Request, before culminating in powerful bulerías and with the final flourish final where, not without humor, he ends up asserting that “It doesn’t even matter if I understand it”.
To finally dispel any myths, we'll say that the abundance of gray hair and tonsures in the audience belies the idea that these kinds of more or less avant-garde productions target young audiences. In short, Let's not kid ourselves, we don't even know where young people are.. The Vertical anthem Márquez and Rojas Ogáyar's is, simply, for people who want to share an experience, that of leaving the walled enclosure and looking out onto the other side. Even if we return, we will do so transformed forever.
Credits
Vertical anthemby Rocío Márquez
Spanish Music Festival
Tía Norica Room in Cádiz
November 23th 2025
Rocío Márquez, cante
Pedro Rojas Ogáyar, guitar
