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the flamenco underground
cumbre flamenca festival 2007. madrid | spain
justine bayod espoz
+ all images copyright justine bayod espoz 2007 |
It’s 10PM on a Monday night, and people have crowded around the black and red tent, trying to peek past security and get a glimpse of what’s going on inside. These are the fans who have arrived just a little too late to pick up an invitation or maybe they’re just curious passersby. Inside the tent, the buzz of exited chatter is almost as overpowering as the humid heat of too many bodies in an enclosed space. Then a train whizzes by below, making the rails hum as José Mercé steps on stage with a wide smile, dressed in a pinstripe suit, ready to sing for an audience of 1,200 in-tent fans on folding chairs and up to 3,000 more standing in front of a giant screen TV one level down.
So began Madrid’s Cumbre Flamenca 2007, a five-night flamenco festival now in its third year. In 2005, the year of the festival’s inception, the five nightly events drew 15,000 spectators, while 2006 saw attendance rise to 20.000. There’s no doubt that this splendid and ever-increasing turnout is due in large part to the caliber of artists invited. Playbills of the first two festivals read like a Who’s Who of flamenco history. Manuela Carrasco, one of the best known female dancers from flamenco’s golden age; Tomatito, a world renowned flamenco guitarist who has recently made forays into flamenco-jazz; Niña Pastori, one of the fist singers to come to mind when speaking of flamenco-pop; and El Capullo de Jerez, quite possibly the most eccentric and entertaining singer-songwriters the flamenco world has ever seen, are just a smattering of the talent that has graced Cumbre Flamenca’s unconventional stage. The location of the festival may also play a big part in its appeal, as might the price of entry. For one euro, the cost of a single ride on Madrid’s metro—less with a monthly pass—anyone and everyone is welcome to enjoy world-class flamenco in the vestibule of the city’s largest metro stations, hosted in 2007 by the Chamartín “macro station."
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| José Mercé opened the 2007 Cumbre Flamenca on September 17th, attracting the largest and most varied audience of the fest. A lifelong gypsy cantaor (flamenco singer) from Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz), Mercé only became a familiar name amongst the general Spanish public about ten years ago, with the steady release of songs that can only be described as “light flamenco,” music that retains just enough orthodoxy to attract flamenco enthusiasts but weaves in a more modern, festive element that entices an audience not accustomed to heavier, more traditional songs. Songs such as “Aire” and “Mammy Blue” were the obvious favorites at Mercé’s Cumbre concert and had almost the entire audience singing along, a site rarely seen at a flamenco spectacle. There is no doubt that Merce’s catchy lyrics and warm yet powerful voice have been the secret to his success. |
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Tuesday brought the sole flamenco dance spectacle and the only native madrileño performer. El Güito is a legendary gypsy bailaor (flamenco dancer) who began his professional career at the tender age of 14 and played a very active role during the Flamenco Golden Age of the 1960’s and 70’s. Now 65 years-old, his two very brief solos make it evident that age is taking its toll. Thankfully, El Güito brought a small but talented selection of young bailaores to carry the rest of the show. Miguel Tellez, David Paniagua and Sergio Aranda, and guest performer María Juncal, stole a show that was either untitled or simply titled “El Güito.” The four dancers strung together lively, colorful dance numbers that were interrupted only by El Güito’s dark, somber and uninspired solos. The performance was an uncomfortable example of the “old” versus the “new,” in which legends must at some point relinquish the stage to younger blood.
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| The only non-gypsy performer in 2007 was one of the most famous cantaoras in flamenco history, Carmen Linares. A formidable singer and a favorite of flamencologists, Linares transforms flamenco into an erudite experience. Still considered by many a folkloric and unrefined art form derived from Spanish gypsy culture, Linares and others fight to elevate flamenco from its status of an oft overlooked and undervalued popular ethnic music. Always elegant and poised, Linares’ concerts are more serious and restrained than your average flamenco performance and rarely stray from the orthodox styles. A great proponent of the flamenco canon, Linares included a number of traditional songs compiled in the 1930’s by the Spanish writer and poet Federico García Lorca, such as “El café de Chinitas” and “Los Peregrinitos,” in her metro performance. |
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| Thursday evening brought 2007’s wildcard, Antonio Carmona. Son of famed flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela and front man of the flamenco-pop group Ketama, Carmona’s solo career is comprised of commercial love ballads that sound regularly on corporate radio. Carmona’s inclusion in the festival surely upset flamenco purists, as one can only find very fine traces of flamenco in his songs. Even though he seemed rather out of place in the festival line-up, Carmona was the only participant to praise his host, the Madrid Metro, explaining that the city’s underground is a truly multicultural space, where people of every race and religion can be found on a daily basis. True to his pop roots, Carmona’s performance not only differed in musical styling but also in presentation. Not only did he stand/dance through his entire performance—flamenco is generally sung sitting—he also played air-guitar and at one point jumped off the stage and walked around the tent singing and greeting fans. |
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Friday night, closed the festival with husband and wife cantaores Pansequito and Aurora Vargas. Yet another Golden Age of Flamenco veteran, Pansequito was described by the most lauded and legendary cantaor in history, Camarón de la Isla, as one of the only contemporary flamenco singers that really interested him. Pansequito’s warm and moving voice and soulful rendition were countered by wife Aurora Vargas’ raspier, confident voice and overwhelming stage presence. More than a cantaora, Aurora Vargas is a one woman show. Vargas sings with a power and emotion that leaves the viewer speechless, and her furious dancing only adds to the excitement of watching her perform. |
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Metro de Madrid outdoes itself each year, bringing bigger and better artists and attracting larger and more varied audiences. At an unbeatable price and in a very accessible location, Cumbre Flamenca is a promising endeavor that locals and lucky tourists hope to see continue far into the future.
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| Justine Bayod Espoz is the editor and founder of ToritoMedia, a Spain-based arts and culture content agency. With a BA in Spanish and English Lit from Smith College, Justine has worked as a journalist for Hot English Magazine , editor at BeTuitive Marketing and editor of the online magazine MAP. She is currently contributing to articles to a wide variety of publications in the US, UK and Spain, and is the assistant editor of the bilingual cultural publication Terra Incognita. |
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