We were eager to see the guitarist again David Carmona on stage after a considerable time away. We know that these have been difficult times, in which the weight and burden of his status as a leading figure and renowned guitarist have played a part, but to be able to enjoy him so close, on the stage of the Peña The Silversmith It is a joy for the senses. His meticulous touch, his conceptual beauty, his use of harmonies, his avoidance of any foreign influence, make him an immeasurable figure. It is true that his source was in Sanlúcar, where the salt water mixes with chamomile and with the spirit and genius of Manolo SanlucarBut it is in the process of maturation and evolution that the distances are marked and one makes oneself.
David is an eminent composer as well as a wise accompanist to cante who can discern in the blink of an eye when his discourse stands alone and when he is a faithful squire of cante and the flamenco singer. That's why, in his recital, he was accompanied by two great voices from flamenco Granadan, Antonio Campos y Juan Ángel Tirado.
You can tell he likes it cante Especially since, despite composing several pieces on his own, his face lit up when the flamenco singers joined him. A broad smile would appear whenever Campos and Tirado took the stage. It was only natural.
However, once on stage, beneath that charming shyness she exudes, the brilliance of her hands and her creative talent shines through. She played soleá, giving free rein to her imagination, letting the guitar sing, speak, and convey emotion. It wasn't a mere sequence of falsetas, but a story told through music. With tientos, she recounted a different but equally personal tale.
Before the singers were introduced, they took to the stage. They were eager to accompany the star, and it was one of those unforgettable moments on stage: when there's a connection, everything is left to the winners' luck. Antonio Campos found his rhythm with the alegrías. From Sanlúcar to Tesorillo facing several refrains amidst Carmona's musical sketches. He continued solo with the marked rhythm of palmas of the singers with the tangos Thresh and the voice of Juan Ángel Tirado. He surprised everyone with a nuanced minera, with a precise and solid use of the drone and with a tremolo full of sensitivity.
"David Carmona is an eminent composer as well as a wise accompanist to the cante who can discern in the blink of an eye when his discourse stands alone and when he is a faithful squire of cante and the flamenco singer. That's why, in his recital, he was accompanied by two great voices from flamenco Granada: Antonio Campos and Juan Ángel Tirado
In the second part of the recital, although without a break, the cante He took center stage. Antonio Campos performed a very personal soleá; at times it was difficult to know where to look to locate the cante until the spark appeared and led us back to each part of Andalusia, mainly strolling through Triana and its styles.
The ecstasy came with the seguiriya of Juan Ángel Tirado, the flamenco singer with the most pellizco From Granada. David Carmona stopped thinking about playing in order to listen to and enjoy the styles of cante de Uncle Jose de Paula Tirado added, short, spoken, straight to the heart, in flashes, point-blank and finished off with the light toná.
They were so comfortable that there was a verbal sparring match in the romances between Antonio and Juan Ángel, each one better than the last. If the first one was about to take his turn with the other... Bernardo el CarpioThe second one responded with the one from Count Lily (or the child Count). If the first one faced off with bulerías from Utrera, the second one responded by remembering Antonio Mairena And his remedies for all ills. If the first sang an alboreá, the second responded however he pleased, with no other argument than to enjoy it together. And the one who enjoyed it most was David, with an accompaniment perfectly suited to the aesthetics of the romance and the other styles. Pure guitar-playing wisdom.
They didn't want to leave the stage. In fact, Antonio commented afterward that if the audience had left, the three of them would have stayed on stage alone all night. And they closed with tangos, playing the guitar in a style unknown to most: the way it's played in Íllora, with a speed and use of the right hand unlike anything else. They remembered the cantes of Uncle William and of native styles from Íllora as well as those of Sacromonte.
The always magnificent images of La Platería's official photographer help to fully understand what is contained in this text. Gilberto González, who with his eye captures the essence of flamenco and who generously gives us his work.
Credits
Guitar recital by David Carmona
Peña The Silversmith, Granada
20 June, 2026
Guitar: David Carmona
CanteAntonio Campos, Juan Ángel Tirado
