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On Sunday, March 30, we attended the Teatro Cervantes thinking that we would only hear the Cuban flamenco fusion that Argentina has recorded on his latest album, My love affair with Havana, but we found something that far exceeded expectations.
Years ago this singer decided to take another step in her professional career and become a singer of great events and stages, leaving small formats such as the ones for some special occasions peñaflamencos. In the last recital we were able to see how Argentina has become, through hard work and enthusiasm, a true lady of the cante, filling the stage not only with his voice, but with the poise and naturalness that the stage provides, leading with ease a band of up to ten musicians who worked together to show off.
The show consisted of two distinct parts. First, a flamenco show, where Argentina claims that above all she is a singer of flamenco, as it is written and evident on the screen that closes the background of the stage. It began with tonas, showing off his voice, powerful but knowing how to gather in the low notes, tuning perfectly. At the end, The dawn to record Mairena en The warmth of my memories, perhaps there was a lack of depth, that breaking that this demands palo, but we had just started and there was still a lot of spectacle ahead. De Mairena went on to pay tribute to Juan the Lebrijan, with its theme Give me freedom.
She continued with guajiras, once again showing off her exquisite intonation, enjoying herself and gradually winning over the audience. She said she felt very comfortable in Málaga, supported and loved, so, to reciprocate, she sang a little malagueñas for us, specifically The Canary, and finished with a series of abandolaos where, thanks to his privileged faculties, the cantes of Juan Breva and the jabegotes. José Quevedo 'Bolita', first flamenco guitar, gave us a delicious introduction that preluded Cantes of Piyayo, that scoundrel from Malaga who knew how to create this mixture of guajira, carcelera and tangos. Yes, Argentina sang to us for Piyayo but, alas!, leaning towards the version that Mairena recorded in strict tango time during one of his recreation licenses of the canteAnd those, I will never tire of saying it, are not the real ones. Cantes –and not tangos, mind you– by El Piyayo.
"Argentina has become, through hard work and enthusiasm, a true lady of the cante, filling the stage not only with his voice, but with the poise and naturalness that the stage provides, leading with ease a band of up to ten musicians who worked together to show off.
The bad taste in my mouth didn't last long because Argentina went to Cadiz, scoring some magnificent joys, saying the cante with grace, little clippings the thirds, playing with the beat, his torrent of voice contained at the service of the cante. Without a doubt, the best of the recital flamencoBy now, the audience was more than devoted and couldn't stop complimenting her.
He left the rush chair and stood up, performing a version of The Habaneras of Cadiz de Carlos cano, with tanguillo arrangements in the chorus that served as a transition to the second part of the show.
This began with the introduction of the quartet They are from Cuba and Co., who accompanied Argentina in their performance of several songs from their album My love affair with Havana, as well as classics like Idyll o black tears, where the vocal power of the singer blended perfectly with the delicious rhythm of the Cuban musicians. The entire Teatro Cervantes danced and enjoyed the Caribbean sounds, but many kept asking Argentina to start off with fandangos. Making themselves difficult – among other things because the order was well scripted, it must be said – surprisingly, because it is not flamenco nor is it Cuban, Argentina had the pleasure –and I say pleasure because we could truly feel how much he enjoyed the performance, making us shudder– of remembering Dew Sworn and sing to us at the piano Jose Carra two of his songs composed by Manuel Alejandro, With You I Vibrate y My loving friend, with which he filled the stage and brought the audience to its feet.
And now yes, he came cante with fandangos from his land that excited the audience even more, making them sing the fandango cané de Alosno, earning applause to the beat of bulerías.
With Maria the Portuguese by Carlos Cano, introducing the chorus by bulerías, made a move to leave, but Son de Cuba y Cía entered and, with the sounds of Idyll Argentina took advantage of the opportunity to introduce us to all the musicians, a total of ten among them flamencoand Cubans, a team of great professionals who gave their all so that Argentina –two and a quarter hours of non-stop singing and without lowering the level– lived up to its name and shone with flashes of silver.
Credits
My love affair with Havana, from Argentina
Cervantes Theatre in Malaga
March 30th 2025
Capacity: Full
Cante: Argentina
Guitars: José Quevedo 'Bolita' and Javier Ibáñez
Palmas: Roberto Jaén and Jorge Bautista
Percussion: Jose Carrasco
Piano: Jose Carra
Guest artists: Son de Cuba Quartet and Co.
