The tenth edition of the Bienal de Arte Flamenco ('biennial of the flamenco art') took place last September in Seville. The biennial has grown into a prestigious and international important event in the area of flamenco. The program was extensive and impressive, a good selection from the best performances of all disciplines of flamenco: singing, dancing and guitar.
Aficionao's correspondent in Seville, José Carlos Morales, reports in two parts. Here is the first part, an introduction and a piece about the singing. In the next Aficionao the rest of his story will follow.

El Chocolate

The biennial lasted a month, from September 4th till October 3rd. There were daily performances. The organisation took great joy in having to put up a "sold-out" sign at a considerable number of performances, because of the names on the posters, each and everyone of them great names in the flamenco world. The number of theaters where performances were scheduled has grown in comparison to earlier editions. A number of new atmospheric locations, like the royal Reales Alcazáres for open air performances and the various Peñas Flamencas, were added to the list of theaters like the Maestranza, Lope de Vega, Central and the Tirana Hotel. Other news is that the organisation of the Biennial organised courses of flamenco dancing, singing and percussion and that for the first time a 'Feria Comercial de Flamenco' was held, where several companies showed the public what they have to offer in the area of flamenco. It was a browbeating program with something for everyone. Flamenco dancing was represented most and the offer of guitar and singing was scanty measured. Dancing predominated, and with this the Biennial is a reflection of what is taking place in the flamenco. The reappraisal of the dancing that is currently going on, is herewith confirmed, which was mostly noticeable by the number of larger performances.

The opening
The biennial was opened with the performance that also opened the last edition, at the time in the Teatro de la Maestranza: 'Carmen' by the Sevillian dramatist Salvador Távora. Since then this performance has traveled all over the world and was the opening piece of the opera season in Hamburg. The location is special this time, the Plaza de Toros of Seville. It was opera and flamenco at the same time, horns, drums, bullfighting, a bull was killed by 'rejonadores' (= mounted persons that stab the bull with the 'rejón') and of course Carmen. It couldn't be more Sevillian, an overcrowded Plaza de Toros, a warm, sultry night, full moon, bulls and flamenco ...

Reales Alcazares, Cenador de Alcaoba
The day after the opening in the Reales Alcazares, Cenador de la Alcaoba, three days of singing and a choice of dancers, was ushered in. However, only for them, who had bought tickets on the first day. It was full up at 'Pozo Dulce', a piece of Jerez in Sevilla with Fernando de la Morena, Manuel Agujetas, accompanied by the guitar performance of Moraito Chico and dancer La Paquera with her inseparable guitarist Manuel Parilla. Ana Parilla dotted her i's and crossed her t's where it concerned dancing. The performances of Fernando de La Morena and Agujetas were incredibly fast, so fast that the end came as a surprise. La Paquera burst of temperament, flamenco, power and she had the audience in her grip. They
asked for more. El Pozo Dulce was not enough. It was the starting shot of two Biennials, of two sides of flamenco, that of the extrovert and that of the deeper, of the heart.
The second performance at the Alcázar was 'Mujeres de Arte', five gypsy women who showed flamenco in its purest form. Inés Bacán, full and deep in her 'cantes por Seguirillas' and 'Soleá por Bulería', leaves the public saturated and departs with 'Bulería Jerez-Lebrija', an ensemble of her singing and the guitar performance of Moraito. Juana la del Revuelo is something else, she sings 'por Bulería'. She is flamenco, it is in her, she sings with, and without microphone, her feet dance and she has both power and elegance. Juana la del Revuelo dances with her people, like a family. Martín accompanies her with his 'cantecitos', Martín Chico with his guitar and to finish Torombo did some 'pataítas'.
To welcome la Macanita, Moraito dropped his capo till 7. Accompanied by his guitar she dances 'Tientos de Antología' and sings two cantes without Moraito having to touch his capo. When she draws herself up, and dances 'por Bulerías' the publics stands up, emotionally. Juana Amaya dances, she dances with power, the audience is caught by her 'remates'. She
is pure flamenco, gypsy and above all is accompanied by the best singers of the moment.
Juan José Amador and Enrique el Extremeño. The finish of this first evening is Aurora Vargas, 'cantaora de raza'. She is being accompanied by her regular guitarist, Niño de Pura, and by the two palmeros who have given 'compas' at the Biennial more often, Bobote and Eléctrico. She finishes with Bulerías and rounds off the night of 'Mujeres de Arte'.

The goodbye of the Alcázar is announced on the poster with a group of 'Maestros del Cante'. They are Fosforito, Manuel Mairena, José de la Tomasa, Chocolate together with dancer Milagros Menjíbar. An enormous repertory has been recorded of Fosforito. During his performance it appeared that his singing qualities are waning. He did what he could and stole the hearts of the audience. An audience that has followed him closely for forty years. The accompaniment of Manuel Silveria was magisterial. Manuel Mairena  showed his singing arts ostentatiously and the accompaniment of Antonio Carrión's guitar, one of the connoisseurs of the deeper in the singing of the family Los Mairena, was great class. José, el de la Tomasa, a great singer, showed to be a great connoisseur of the deep flamenco singing. Above all he's one of the few singers who writes his own lyrics. The sensation to hear Chocolate sing, the essence of flamenco and the man from Jerez, is great. Moreover,
because of his age and the flamenco he represents, he is an item in flamenco singing. The perfect and delicate guitar performance of Ramón Amador brings him to unknown hights. With dancing the night in the Alcázar is ended. The essence of Triana, 'Baile Sevillano', Milagros Menjíbar closes of this 'Noche de Clásicos'.

Enrique Morente

The singing in the Biennial
Looking for the offer of singing, 'las islas cantaoras' in the program, we end up in the Lope de Vega theater. It has been sold out and is filled till the rafters. The performance of Enrique Morente consists of two parts. The 'Poema de Cante Jondo', a classical flamenco piece and a part that has been dedicated to Federico García Lorca. Enrique Morente is back in the
program of the Biennial to add his contribution to flamenco, to the modern singing and the traditional singing. When you hear and see him, you get the feeling that he could give even more. He is without a doubt one of the important singers of this century, although something in his singing predicts the oncoming twentyfirst century.
The next performance of singer Manuel de Paula is in the Teatro de la Maestranza. The performance 'Majarí Calí' (virgin gypsy) is being played for the first time. It shows the worshipping of the virgin by the gypsies. The choir and the string orchestra accompany the singing of Manuel de Paula. The guitar performance is by Joselito de Lebrija and Martín Chico and the virgin is being danced by Inmaculada Aguilar. The accompaniment of the singers Joselito de Lebrija and Manuel de Paula with the dance of the virgin is excellent. This day of the Biennial has got the feeling of a lottery and Manuel de Paula was purely having some bad luck. The festival  'Fiesta de Bulerías' was celebrated in Jerez that day, and because of this the number of visitors was moderate. The people of Jerez were most likely enjoying open air flamenco.
The next performance with singing was only two weeks after 'Majarí Calí'. On the play-bill 'La veleda de los Angeles' is announced with Juan de Valderrama. In the theater he tells the public: "In 1940 I could sing with the Pavones family in the Calatravastreet" and full of devotion he starts to sing 'por derecho'. At the second song he indicates that he's enjoying
himself. He ends 'por tonás'. He's 82 years old and has been singing 58 years of them.
The program includes Calixto Sánchez, who - as usual - is being accompanied by Manolo Franco. The perform at the Lope de Vega theater and both appear to be in excellent shape. This performance is a wonderful closing of a summerlong program of performing at festivals in almost every corner of Andalucía. And finally the performance of Luis de Córdoba. His 'cantes' were extremely well structured and he managed to let his singing join with the guitar of Manuel Silveria.

Exactly a month after the start of the Biennial, the chapter 'Cante' was finished with singing accompanied by an orchestra (without dance). It was the voices of two gypsies, the singers Esperanza Fernández and  José Mercé, who both performed the deep song, the 'Cante Jondo'. It was the composition for choir and string orchestra 'Misterio des Santo Rosario' of
the composer José Miguel Evora. To make the string section of the orchestra sound best, José Evora used the bronze sound of two of the best gypsy singers, Esperanza Fernandéz and José Mercé. Close to the end of 'Los Misterios' José Mercé discharged, without accompaniment, in 'cantes por seguirillas'. He sings them of his ancestor Paco de la Luz: During the third song percussion mixes in gently and the violins make the sound full and powerful. This is Evora. And yes, Bartok has dark sounds as well.

José Carlos Morales
(Taller Flamenco Sevilla)
photos:Uwe Ehrich

(English translation Carmen Morilla, 13 April, 1999)