The mastery of Paco de lucia, the genius of the six strings, has been showed once again on the Tablas of the Axerquía Theatre on Saturday night. Once again, in Córdoba, we could enjoy the best artist that the flamenco gave until now.

While we wait for the release of his new album, which will probably be available in early summer, Paco de Lucía's new tour has begun. A tour that is still adding dates and cities to the already impressive list of performance locations.

On this occasion, the maestro has surrounded himself with Niño Josele in order to incorporate new and interesting additions, the singer from Almeria Cristo Heredia, and the singer from Granada (from Motril) David de Jacoba, whose major stage debut was with the Joven Generación (Young Generation) project in May 2008. Farru is the dancer on this tour, which will include musicians that have toured with Paco in the past, such as Antonio Serrano (harmonica), Alain Pérez (bass) and Piraña (percussion).

Although dates still have to be confirmed, here's the schedule that has been confirmed up to now:

 

Apart from filling the spanish capital of shows for a whole month, "Suma Flamenca" also takes the "Flamenco" to other towns less known

where there are lots of fans. For the occassion of the 25th anniversary of the Museum Picasso-Collection, Eugenio Arias of the Community of Madrid, the tow where the close friend and barbe of Picasso, Eugenio Arias, was born and died after his french exile, Buitrago de Lozoya, accomodates a museum as a tribute to this wonderful friendship as an initiative and administration of the regional Governement 25 years ago.

Hoy se presentó el avance de programación de la V edición del Festival Flamenco de la Comunidad de Madrid Suma Flamenca, cuya oferta incluye más de 33 espectáculos, que se representarán en una quincena de espacios de la capital y de otros diez ayuntamientos de la región. Todos los aficionados al arte jondo podrán disfrutar del 4 de junio al 2 de julio de la mayor calidad y tonalidades del cante, danza y toque a través de figuras indiscutibles del flamenco.

El festival mantiene la esencia que le ha convertido en una cita ineludible para aficionados y curiosos desde hace cuatro años: acercar a grandes figuras consagradas y jóvenes valores del flamenco hasta escenarios de municipios ubicados por la geografía de toda la Comunidad.

Una vez cerrados los presupuestos del festival Flamencos por Haití, en el que David Morales reunió a grandes artistas del flamenco actual, se ha determinado la recaudación de 25.125 euros. Este dinero esta destinado para las labores humanitarias que Ana Rosa Quintana está desarrollando junto a Infancia sin Fronteras y Mensajeros de la Paz, creando una residencia para niños huérfanos haitianos en Santo Domingo, y proyectos asistenciales en campamentos de Puerto Príncipe.

Aunque ahora se han convertido en clásicos de este arte, en los años 70, cuando la pareja comenzó su andadura profesional, fueron precursores del conocido como ‘nuevo flamenco’. Su toque y su cante comenzaban a expandirse más allá de los aficionados estrictamente al flamenco, abarcando un público más heterogéneo. Iniciaron la senda del flamenco fusión que luego otros muchos seguirían alcanzando grandes éxitos. Los aires hippies que llegaban desde Estados Unidos y recorrían Europa fueron una de las mayores influencias para esta pareja, afectando tanto a la música como a las letras. De hecho, las letras dejaban de lado la amargura y la pena que caracterizan a numerosos palos flamencos, dedicándose a la paz, las flores y el amor. Todo ello de la mano del poeta Juan Manuel Flores. Lole (Dolores Montoya Rodríguez) procede de familia de gran arraigo y tradición flamenca, hija de La Negra, comenzó en el baile hasta dedicarse al cante junto a Manuel. Por su parte Manuel Molina llevaba desde niño en el mundo del flamenco y a los doce años ya formaba parte del trío ‘Los gitanillos del Tardón’ junto a Chiquetete y El Rubio.

It’s a landmark in maestro guitarist Paco de Lucía’s personal history, and also for flamenco history. On May 8th, this internationally renowned artist will be vested as Doctor Honoris Causa by the Berklee Collage of Music, a private university in Boston, Massachussets (USA). Those responsible for awarding this great academic distinction believe that “his music and artistic vision has influenced several generations of musicians and have contributed to the transmission of flamenco to an international public”. Francisco Sánchez Gómes, known artistically as Paco de Lucía, was born in Algeciras (Cádiz) in 1947, where his internationally renowned career began decades ago, when flamenco was no longer a music for private parties and began to be performed in tablaos around Spain and throughout the world. Paco de Lucía’s tremendous success isn’t due solely to his work as a flamenco guitarist, but also because he has influenced other styles of music, and this award in particular has expanded his sphere of influence from the purely musical and comercial to the academic, wrapping this flamenco musician’s work in a nimbus of respect even more grandiose than before. The son of a Spanish father and a Portuguese mother, this is not the first distinction De Lucía has received. In Spain, he has received every award an artista could deesire: National Flamenco Art Prize for Guitar, Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, Honorary Distinction in the Music Awards, Prince of Asturias Prize for the Arts and Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Cádiz.

The singer Luis Fernández Soto “El Zambo” has a prodigious ancestral voice and haunting moan. An absolute master of song and the singing styles typical of Jerez, Luis’ manner of interpreting flamenco song is an excellent example for young artists. The Conciertos de Palacio cycle offered attendees of all ages the best possible opportunity to see the singer from Jerez, face to face and without a microphone.

The dancer and choreographer from Seville Fernando Romero challenged himself by making a flamenco version of a classic: Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” written in 1918. Romero plays the role of a soldier who makes a deal with the devil, embodied by Manolo Marín. The other characters are the singers Juan José Amador and Miguel Ortega, who act as the narrators, and Isabel Bayón in the role of the princess.

“Historia de un soldado” follows in the footsteps of theatrical flamenco dance. It was at the beginning of last century when this artistic style began with artists like Antonia Mercé “La Argentina,” a style also interpreted by grand masters, such as José Granero and Mario Maya, who without a doubt influenced Romero.

Guitarist Manuel Valencia and singer Kina Méndez, both from Jerez, vindicated the value of the most recent generations of flamenco artists in the Los Conciertos de Palacio cycle. Valencia is representative of the most primordial of guitar playing, but still preserves a contemporary apex. He has absorbed the knowledge of older flamenco guitarists, such as Manuel Morao, and current guitarists, such as Gerardo Núñez, in equal parts...

Silvia Durán, another legend of dance, was the third protagonist of the Con Nombre Propio: Vivencias cycle. Silvia Durán, whose interview was moderated by the journalist Rosalía Gómez, is an internationally renowned artist who was trained by the best...

José Luis Balao headlined the Con Nombre Propio: Vivencias cycle on the eighth of the Jerez Festival. At 71 years old, he is one of the great maestros of the guitar. He has taught for over 30 years in Jerez, his hometown, and his students include such exceptional guitarists as Javier Patino, Alfredo Lagos, Santiago Lara, Juan Diego, Pascual de Lorca and Bolita.

The eighth day also marked the end of the choreography workshop taught by Javier Latorre. Latorre has taught countless dance classes in other editions of the festival, and it was his idea to recover in some way the choreography competition aspect that existed during the Jerez Festival’s origins.

 

On the seventh day of the festival, the Mexican Dancer Karen Lugo and the dancer from Jerez Saray García graced the stage of Jerez’s Sala Compañía as part of the Los Novismos cycle. Lugo began studying flamenco in her home country and later perfected her craft in Madrid with the teachers at the famed Amor de Dios academy. García began dancing at seven years of age and studied at the Academia de Ana María López. Both dancers offered festival goers two solo numbers each. Of the two, Lugo’s elegance and style was most impressive, although García had such powerful footwork that it is worthy of mention.

On the stage of the Villamarta Theatre, the legendary dancer from Seville Antonio Canales and the Japanese pianist Mie Matsumura collaborated in the presentation of “Serenata Andaluza” (Andalusian Serenade) with a musical score by Falla, Albéniz and Granados. The show wasn’t an exercise in flamenco fusion, but rather “a true and respectful meeting of the flamenco world – dance, song and guitar – with the music composed by these geniuses of Spanish classical music history.”

 

Matilde Coral began a new cycle at the Jerez Festival: Con Nombre Propio/Vivencias. This cycle, which is open to the public and free, presents interviews with flamenco legends.

This event is similar to when maestro Juan de la Plata interviewed Matilde Coral at La Compañía on the 50th anniversary of the Cátedra de Flamencología, but this time, the legendary dancer from Seville and the “godmother” of the festival was interviewed by Jesús Vigorra...

When Mayte Martin’s concert ended on the second night of the XVIII Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival, the Flamenco Calle de Alcalá 2010 Award was presented to the maestro guitarist Enrique de Melchor, whose concert ended the evening.

The son of Melchor de Marchena brought with him a large group of artists. Among those who shared the stage with Melchor, the most impressive were the excellent flamenco flutist Juan Parrilla and singer Chato de Vélez. I’d seen Juan Parrilla on several other occasions and admired his talent for a long time, but Vélez was a discovery. With a clear and strong voice, he soon won me over, becoming in a single night one of my favorite backing singers...