at the gates of Candelaria Bastion A queue of spectators from Cadiz gathered this Thursday, stretching all the way to the Alameda. For lovers of the jondoIt's a beautiful sight to see the public responding massively to the demands of art. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen, but on this occasion, as part of the series Flamencad, the house was completely full. The breeze from the bay refreshing the courtyard of the 17th century fortification, the tall palm trees pointing at the almost full moon and a very flamenco They invited enjoyment from the first moment.
The master of ceremonies recalled David Montes Thursdays Flamencothat captained the longed-for Antonio Benitez, the precursor to this new program that was going to feature two well-established artists for the occasion, Tana y farru, who have in common the not inconsiderable circumstance of having accompanied the teacher Paco de Lucía on their tours, but who also have enough standing to defend their careers on their own. From dance to cante was the headline of the show, and that was the round trip that was proposed, although, as will be seen, the guitar also ended up claiming its prominence.
We start with Victoria Santiago Borja, La Tana, a singer from Seville who twenty years ago recorded an album with clear commercial ambitions, that one You, come to me produced by Paco de Lucía himself, but I think we enjoyed it more without too much instrumental dressing, with his gypsy voice accompanied only by the strings of the sonanta and, perhaps, some palmas.
"The flamenco "You don't just sing with your vocal cords: you do it with what you've lived, what you've suffered, and what you've enjoyed. And La Tana de 2025 is a voice steeped in experience, who knows how to explore the soleá, suspend time in the tientos, and expand on the tangos, not just those from Triana, in which she is an accomplished master and a worthy daughter of her mother, the great Herminia Borja."
Thus we saw her begin, intensely focused, her recital of taranta, before moving on to some well-received cantiñas by the salt flats of the Bay. La Tana's voice has perhaps seen better days, but the flamenco You don't just sing with your vocal cords: you do it with what you've lived, what you've suffered, and what you've enjoyed. And in that sense, La Tana de 2025 is a voice thick with experience, who knows how to search for herself in the soleá, suspend time in the tientos, and expand on the tangos, not only those from Triana, in which she is an accomplished master and worthy daughter of her mother, the great Herminia Borja.
The kind reader will allow me to delay a bit to address the guitar accompaniment. Because the lesson that the Sevillian gave with Tana Raul The Pearl deserves to live on in the memory of viewers. With its revealing touch of a true aficionado cante, typical of someone who has accompanied idols such as Antonio El Chocolate, Fernanda and Bernarda, La Paquera or Remedios Amaya, the musician of La Macarena was a prodigy of rhythm and good taste throughout. He is one of those guitarists who raise the bar, who prevent the singer from resting on his laurels and at the same time bring out the best in him or, in this case, in her. Both culminated with some bulerías in which, among other nods, they recalled the lyrics of Juan Manuel Flores and the touch of Manuel Molina.
Interestingly, both La Tana and El Perla have been professionally linked to the family of the second artist of the evening, El Farru. Their performance could be summed up as a display of their many talents, which include dancing, guitar playing, and cante, without leaving aside a marked compositional facet, as is the case with his brother Juan, Farruquito. Although he was absent from the stage more often than necessary to show off his singers, and he was excessively modest ("not an artist, but a fan of flamenco yes I am”), Farru still has the most powerful feet among the heirs of Maestro Farruco, a beautiful and virile plant and a remarkable ability to connect with the audience, which he brought to its feet several times, without apparent effort.
Credits
Farru and La Tana
Flamenco Cycle
Bastion of Candelaria, Cadiz
August 7th, 2025
David Montes, presenter
The Tana, cante
Raúl El Perla, guitar
Naim Real, palmas
Edu Gómez, palmas
Farru, dance
Juan Anguita, guitar
Ezequiel Montoya, cante
Antonio Villar, cante
El Lolo, percussion
