SONS OF THE COMPAS, 21ST CENTURY

The cast was made up of eleven young people between 16 and 21 years old, heirs of the flamenco heritage of important lineages of Jerez de la Frontera, a handful of kids who make up part of the canteFrom the Santiago and San Miguel neighborhoods. They carry the surnames Rubichi, Agujetas, Morao, Soto, Valencia, Remendao, Montoya, Junquera, Pantoja, Jiménez, or belong to the Los Pipa family. And they are destined for the future of Jerez in the 21st century, forging their deep-rooted flamenco personalities with slow, steady fire. The Sala Compañía hosted, as part of the Jerez Festival program, a recital by a passionate young flamenco group brimming with dreams. Under the name Hijos del Compás (Children of the Rhythm), the singers Bernardo Rubichi, Manuel Junquera, and Luis Montoya Chanquita joined the stage, accompanied by the guitars of Manuel Rubichi, Antonio Morao, and Curro Carrasco Jr., and embellished by the dance of Antonio El Pipa Jr. and Coral de La Manuela. The sounds of flamenco filled the air. palmas by Curro del Londro and Curro de Remendao, with percussion by Juan Diego Valencia. I'm not exaggerating when it comes to veterans and children. Although it wasn't a flawless performance, some of them have talent, and I know they can do better. They weren't having a good day. That said, they gave it their all with zeal and passion, wanting to perform with dignity. Bernardo began under the spotlight with the ballad of young knights and good men, his voice straining with broken metal. Coral de la Manuela, with her cane, offered her first glimpse of dance in the light. Luis showed real grit with a brave cartagenera. El del Pipa presented some classic steps, walks, and poses. A bit green, as is normal at this age. Manuel delivered a powerful fandanga, recalling the melodies of Manuel Torre and Agujetas – the life of the woman I loved most was ending. The guitars emerged, somewhat out of tune, playing alegrías and bulerías from Cádiz. Coral danced more than decently, with flamenco flair and rhythm. The next transition left two empty chairs sitting for a while in the center of the stage, unoccupied, much to the audience's bewilderment. The Rubichi brothers played, searching for the right coordination for the cante Bernardo's performance while the microphones remained open and conversations and firecrackers could be heard. The throats remained semi-toned for most of the performance, leading to a number that was at least average.