There is no doubt that at this point the Catalan artist has little left to prove. Mayte MartínAnd when I say demonstrate, I don't mean propose. Because although the proposal, in concept, didn't offer anything we could define as new in terms of creations, everything that passes through her throat and heart tastes and smells new, even though she announced a recital of cante and a touch that pays tribute to the old, to the vintage in the broadest sense. And so it was, because it began with cantes from the east, with a mining taranta, cartageneras and again tarantas from the I'm lame from Malaga. He was accompanied on the guitar by an experienced musician José Gálvez With fierce skill, he adapts to Mayte's temperament. It's not easy to accompany that sweetness without the guitar stealing the show. That's why, when the guitarist from Jerez hits the perfect note, he doesn't hit the right note.
He doesn't really play the guitar; he converses with it, gives it its space, and it is his hands that respond to the singer's needs. The introductory opening of the guitar playing was invisible, an intelligent, almost imperceptible musical thread that announced the arrival of the singer from Málaga. Mayte performed the one attributed to Manuel Torres very rocked, protected and cared for in each melisma, searching within her inner self with that of Baldomero Pacheco rescued by The Pena over a century ago. He finished with rondeñas from The Chicken, Lucentino fandangos of Dolores de la Huerta, from Ronda Hyacinth Almaden and fandango of Peppermint BottleNaming these styles is nothing less than to reflect the wide range that Mayte uses to embellish her malagueñas and to acknowledge her sensitivity and generosity in having many teachers.
Halfway through the recital, the guitar, on its own and without permission, struck a note, a consequence of the change in temperature, and struggled with José to tune it and share the long series of soleares that the protagonist sang. I found it odd that she brought several sheets of paper as a cheat sheet, which she placed on a low table; I imagine with the canteand some letters. I consulted her frequently and timidly, but she marked the script. I especially liked how she approached the soleá of Juan Ramirez, in that singing style that he bequeathed to us Old Man Sock-Aids With a stale, broken, and worn voice, which she treated in a way that departed from rigid conventions but remained true to the melodic framework. That's where Mayte navigates best. And she doesn't navigate alone, because José knew how to frame the notes and approach each verse with enormous flamenco essence.
"The best tradition is respecting the present based on the past, so that we know there will be a future. And in the cante This has come to pass. Mayte Martín is the architect of this feat, which will become a tradition for future generations of students. canteA fountain where you can get wet, soaked, and relaxed. That's what it is.
He was grieving over seguiriyas. And let others come and say that it's cante of a select few chosen by their origins. Many would love to feel the pain she feels. cante es pellizco And transmission without the need for pliers or motors, because wisdom, sensitivity, and sweetness are also here. And few, very few, exist that encompass the depth of the seguiriya of Manuel Molina o Paco the Light with a high, melodious timbre. And if we add as an ingredient the distinctive sound of the Jerez guitar playing Xavier Molina...the source from which all guitarists, and especially those from Jerez, draw their inspiration. Then we equate the equation, and the result will always be exact, without decimals. With sensitivity. The brave Mayte dared to... I deny de Thomas finishing it off with The Red Jar and letter of Manuel Machado, that's it.
Next came short tientos and all sorts of 'pastorao' tangos. It closed with an extensive round of bulerías. The guitar made its mark, both in Mayte's Cadiz-style melody and in the short Jerez styles, or in the reminiscence of Fernanda from Utrera, Antonio the Blacksmith and countless styles perfectly interwoven. Because the concatenation of a well-chosen style might seem unimportant at first glance, but it's not. It's necessary to give meaning to a musical line that doesn't clash.
Mayte knows this and takes care of it. Her expressiveness is an invisible, dynamic stillness that allows her to expand the boundaries of what is traditionally called jondo associated with a specific aesthetic. Let them come and say otherwise. Then I'll send them to listen to one of his recitals and let that cognitive dissonance turn against whoever is classist or traditional.
The best tradition is respecting the present and the past to know that there will be a future. And in the cante This has come to pass. Mayte is the architect of this feat, which will become a tradition for future generations of students. canteA fountain where you can get wet, soaked, and relax. That's what it is.
Credits
recital of cante by Mayte Martín
Andalusia Cycle Flamenco
Alhambra Theatre, Granada
May 21th 2026
Cante: Mayte Martín
Touch: José Gálvez
