Cross the door of The Buleria of Jerez It's a guarantee of a good time. Because the embrace of its people is only known in the conscience of the other. If they also program things like this, with these little touches, it gets your pulse racing. And the pulse of the festivals too. off, In And phew. Because to get your bag of snacks half full, this year's dates meant we had to spread the bites out all over Jerez. And that's what we're doing.
Por eso ExpoFlamenco He dropped by this sun-drenched house to rediscover the Lebrija flavor through the hands of Curro Vargas y John Requena, palmas de Juan Diego Valencia, Manuel Cantarote y Javi Peña and the cante de Anabel Valencia y Jose ValenciaWith these preparations, things got really wild, making for a night of cante One of the good ones, to rub in the chests of all the fans. The peña Packed to the brim, even the bedspread. And a fantastic atmosphere. flamenco which served as a warming syrup to soothe the throats of the singers and invite the duende to something more than just small sandwiches so that it could slip between the chairs of the stage.
The great friend and companion –in that order– Juan GarridoThe one who presents the best on the map served up the feast on a platter, taking care of the words. He opened the cage to Anabel Valencia's lament, who curled the salty melismas that her dark throat yearns for the air of the cantiñas. Curro began to be infected by the feeling and his soul was transfigured. And since his face is a faithful reflection, you could hear the cries looking into his eyes. What a way to feel it! And to top it off: What a way to play! Because yes, you can also play like a Gypsy. And Curro has a handful of doctorates in this, starting with sensitivity and ending with rhythm. Put whatever you want in between. But don't tell me he isn't overflowing with talent. Now let others come and spout whatever they please.
The rhythm was guaranteed, enough to make you slip and stray from the deep paths, whether in the alegrías, malagueña, tangos, seguiriya or in the bulerías of Lebrija, which were the palos which Anabel wove together for her repertoire. Juan Diego, Tarot and Peña They renamed the song after their surnames so there would be no doubt which direction to take. She went from less to more, from the subtle hints of traditional Spanish song to the powerful, resonant verses, revealing the nuances of her vocal range, spilling the spirit of Lebrija onto the stages of Jerez.
"With these supplies, things got really wild, making for a night of cante One of the good ones, to rub in the chests of all the fans. The peña Packed to the brim, even the bedspread. And a fantastic atmosphere. flamenco which served as a warming syrup to soothe the throats of the flamenco singers and to invite the spirit to something more than just small sandwiches so that it could slip between the chairs of the stage."
The women from Malaga, with two bodies and the abandolao of Peppermint Bottle They served to clear the salt from Anabel's throat, who showed herself to be a basket weaver and very gypsy-like through tangos, at ease and without stridency. She pinned the little pinches in the seguiriya, which she closed evoking the makings of Mairena After crying softly, rocking the wounds that heal with a mother's saliva. Everyone has their sorrows. Who knows! The bulerías for rage, forming it as she knows how.
A little wine and the break was over. José Valencia threw himself onto the wooden planks and it was a delight. Requena carried him aloft, playing the guitar to kiss his fingertips. With clean falsettos and jondoYes, round strums, heartfelt tremolos, and bell-like drones. José ordered a cultural review of his blood, digging into the Lebrija lands for the ways, paying tribute with his very personal way of singing to the legacy of the masters. When José sings, he carries within him centuries of Gypsy heritage and the wisdom of the old sages. He not only sings what he knows, but he knows what he sings.That's why he plays with the rhythm at will and improvises his blessed experiments on the fly, taking risks in his delivery because everything that comes out is true. El Lebrija is one of the best flamenco singers we enjoy today. And he hasn't needed a cup of chamomile tea or to grow his hair long to demonstrate, without even trying, that the cante It's something else entirely. These imitations are just for selling records and videos and flirting with 60-year-old girls.
José warmed up to the soleá, and his hair was already on high alert. He tackled a variety of variations, making them his own. Why dissect them pedantically? He could spend three days singing, his left hand heavy with emotion, stirring the very fabric of our hearts. He can also sing cantiñas, linking the verses like few others can, without losing his rhythm. From The Juanaca from Malaga to those of Pinini From Lebrija and Utrera, with their stroll through Cádiz, blurring the triangle and the train tracks. The creaking of the guitars thundered in the seguiriya style. how the firewood crackles, like bones crunching, like pine nuts crunching. And after finishing by throwing the asaúras, he bends the bodies and charges again, always remembering his land and that brown bread that he kneaded with bursts of genius The Lebrijano recreating the framework of Felix the PotajónTo cap off the experience, he continued dancing in Lebrija, surrendering to the plaintive echoes of Gaspar de Utrera, with which he flirted at will and which sounded glorious to him.
Anabel's friends and the whole group went up for the end of the party. Juan Diego showed off his dance moves and the revelry moved elsewhere. And Lebrija (and Jerez) are places to register as residents.
Credits
recital of cante by Anabel and José Valencia
IV Nights of the Jerez Festival 2026
Lebrija, territory flamenco in Jerez
Peña Flamenca The Bulería, Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
February 26th 2026
CanteAnabel Valencia and José Valencia
Guitars: Curro Vargas and Juan Requena
PalmasJuan Diego Valencia, Manuel Cantarote and Javi Peña
