The starting gun has been fired for the fifth edition of a festival that is establishing itself among the best of the so-called "frivolous festivals," in the words of its organizer and presenter. Pedro LopezA group of friends united in the flamenco They prepare annually the festivities of an event that was conceived from the search for a format different from traditional festivals. A weekend of community and activities centered around the flamenco which brings together a loyal audience that eagerly awaits the event, knowing that the result will be an experience with a common denominator: the cante.
Each year the event overcomes the minor obstacles identified through experience, striving for higher quality and the greatest possible organizational rigor. The altruism with which the team members work, purely for the love of it, is truly admirable.
After two years of celebration in Espiel (Cordoba)This edition is the second to be held in MarinadeThe team doesn't just focus on the artistic and stage aspects. They also consider accommodation options, venues for parallel activities, a gastronomic get-together, a market, talks, courses, parking and camping areas, and some social activities such as the proceeds from the refreshment stand, which this year will be donated to... Sahrawi people“Everything is designed to make the weekend as comfortable as possible for everyone,” as its director states. In this way, one feels welcome to enjoy this shared experience in a pleasant atmosphere. flamenco “Where we get to know each other, meet, and let loose. Because having fun means being in agreement. We go from escapism to condescension. In this unredeemed Sicily that is Marinaleda.” With these and other words, Pedro López launches his cultured dissertation, seasoned with a carefully considered selection of social, political, cultural, philosophical, and activist arguments. In short, his words flow along the borders where the flamenco and the human element. An inseparable cultural symbiosis.
He also offered words of remembrance for the death of José Domínguez 'el Cabrero' with one of his fandangos about social injustice: The Tartessians with blows / and the barbarians with bites / The Tartessians with blows. / Civilized man / by force of cannon fire / has us terrified.
And with his plea he opened “the cage of the scream of the V fever of cante".
"The team from the Fever Festival Cante It doesn't just focus on the artistic and stage aspects. It also considers accommodation options, venues for parallel activities, a gastronomic gathering, a market, talks, courses, parking and camping areas, and some social activities such as the proceeds from the refreshment stand, which this year will be donated to the Sahrawi people.
Friday, May 15th and Saturday, May 16th are the dates for the two flamenco events that will light up the night at the Marinal sports center. Each day's program is divided into three recitals featuring prominent figures from the current artistic scene, with a short break between performances.
The first day began with the classic Malaga-style dress. Delia Membrive, who arrived accompanied by the guitarist John Requena and palmeros Alberto Parraguilla y Richard GutierrezThe young flamenco singer was tempered by canteLevante songs very suited to her voice, soleá, as well as tangos, malagueña and bulerías.
Next up was the man from Cádiz. David PaloMar, who drank from the cauldron of Chano Lobato and Mariana Cornejo, whom he remembered in his performance, painting the night with the rhythm of the coastal music and the salty taste of the cantes from Cádiz. He came accompanied by Oscar Lagos and of the same palmerosAnd he charmed the audience with comments that brought smiles to their faces: “The wind has stopped, how beautiful!” Before beginning, he confessed that he likes “singing live because it makes you feel free.” He started with alegrías from Cádiz, with his characteristic frenzy, before moving on to the intimacy of the siguiriya, which he introduced with a heartfelt prologue: “With a world without reason, things have gotten out of hand, humanity is doomed. I told my wife to take down the television and put another washing machine in its place.” This was followed by some long tanguillos from Cádiz in which the singer immersed himself in his carnival world and revived a murga from Alcalá de Guadaíra. Joaquin from PaulaDavid's voice must sing the soleá. Palosea and a good ending with bulerías.
And to close this first day, which is starting to get cold due to the falling dew, the scene takes over Raúl Rodríguez —a musician and anthropologist, because that's how the presenter says he should be understood— with a proposal for a fusion of cultures, instruments, and forms that consciously departs from the classical molds of canteand which is very well received by the audience in the stands. He begins his performance accompanied by a Cuban tres, an instrument that, unlike the guitar, differs in its anatomical shape and in the arrangement of its strings, resulting in three double strings. With this different instrument, he introduced his performance by playing and singing the rhythms flamencoAmong the pieces, a seguiriya stood out. Well into the performance, he picked up his flamenco guitar to offer us his personal soleá and other original compositions, made “the way things shouldn’t be done,” as he himself argued. We wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the man who was a leader in his day of They are from the Border, is today the singer-songwriter of the jondo.
The second night, on the Saturday that divides May in two, will be graced by the voices of the Mairena native Manuel Castulo accompanied by Manuel Herrera. Then Eli de los Santos (Utrera) with David PeñaAnd the flamenco singer from Badajoz will bring it to a close. The Dog with the guitar of Ruben LevaniegosThe lineup promises a good night of cante and to know. ♦
