At this point, there's little or very little that can be said about the great flamenco singer that he is that we don't already know. Antonio ReyesI went to see him on Saturday. The Silversmith (Grenade), peña The oldest in the world. This peña It's also his home, as he's performed there numerous times in the last two decades. The novelty was that he came with Vicente Santiago, the new squire of the man from Chiclana, or at least less known as a companion in the peñaAntonio's. His touch stands out because it's pure Jerez flavor. In his hands, the entire repertoire of Jerez breathes. The Moraos, both Moraito as of his son Diego...in that futuristic and avant-garde evolution that reflects his father's style. Everywhere he looked, he exuded the air of Jerez, unconditionally, from... Xavier Molina a Rafael del Aguila and their heirs. However, more strength must be given to those who make use of that school. When you acquire it, it should serve to carry the singer to new heights and maximize everything that is... cante and not the other way around. That swing (others call it zoniquete) It is a license to plunder and should boost the artist.
Antonio Reyes is always remarkably high. Take the canteWhatever he chooses, there is always a lot of him and a lot of his teachers, easily recognizable even though they are always the same, or at most, with hardly any outstanding additions.
Reyes began with a tremendous set of soleares. More than ten minutes using traditional verses served to establish his solid credentials. In the taranto, the first more with an Almerian feel and the second in the forms of Manuel Torres, he remembered those creations in which Chocolate he sang that song The mayor of Guadix To finish, he performed a classic cartagenera. He also gave a masterclass in flamenco artistry and knowledge with the tientos, as well as with the soleá. He let loose with gusto, delivering long, measured passages and entering outside the ordinary time signature, yet still capturing the essence perfectly, leaving a false impression that something was amiss. But nothing could have been further from the truth. He nailed every single detail. canteIt was meticulous, without shadows or gaps that would suggest he didn't know what he was doing. Quite the opposite. He finished with tangos, those of Pastora and snail-themed fandangos in time binary.
He gave his all with cantiñas and alegrías. Few can rival him. He carries his land like a banner and handles it with ease. Depth in the upper thirds, swaying them to his will and with complicity to the foundations of the cante.
"In the tientos, he also gave a lesson in flamenco artistry and knowledge, just as he did in the soleá. He let loose with gusto, with long, measured passages, entering outside the ordinary time but gathering where it should, leaving a false impression that something was off. But nothing could be further from the truth. He got everything right." cante"millimeter-wise"
It is true that with her honeyed and syrupy voice she chose the canteHis voice is more comfortable in his vocal range, but it's also true that his vocal filter allows everything to be sweetened and sound beautiful. That's why, when Vicente's touch sounded, we eagerly awaited it, hoping to find that connection. At least I did.
The accompaniment was basic, very basic, though not easy, in the falsetas, but perfectly executed with precision. Everything had a Jerez flavor and was adapted to the canteAnd he came, and he came cante big. It brought us to Juan Mojama in that cante by Manuel Torres I've slept so much It seems like a gem from the old discography, one that almost no one remembers or uses. And yet there it is. l'esenciaAll of it. That's why he also wisely rescued the cantes of Joaquin Lacherna in the version of Thomas PavonA treat for the ears, as is the ending, with a clear echo of Camarón.
After almost an hour, she closed with bulerías, adapted to her voice, in a clear tribute to her teachers. Juan Villar, Pansequito, El Caracola magnificent adaptation of the theme Love and roulette de The ticksand even a nod to Porrinas de Badajoz.
The planned grand finale was a fandanga dance. Some in the audience were dissenting, warning in the subsequent discussion that the dances were drawn out too long. But then again, cante It is not measured with a ruler and set square, the cante It's free, it's felt, it comes from within, and when you know it and internalize it, you can freely create and recreate it as you wish, respecting the melodic framework. That's why, when he took on the responsibility of creating cantes propitious, which I would say Fernando de la MorenaHe kindly remembered it with that lyric we always heard from him: Don't ask me to love you like the first time, because I'm not the man I used to be, and you're not the same woman, because time changes everyone. He remembered Antonio of the Calzá and finished with a flourish, concluding with a classic fandango that he had already sung Corruco of Algeciras in the 30s and that Dying He revived it in 1973 by singing it at the San Juan Evangelista University Residence in Madrid, coinciding with the assassination of Carrero Blanco. Antonio Reyes covered it with patches to the lyrics that he borrowed from Manuel Agujetas.
Credits
recital of cante by Antonio Reyes
Peña The Silversmiths, Granada
March 14th 2026
Cante: Antonio Reyes
Guitar: Vicente Santiago
