«Intelligent and human. Simple, good person. To me, like a brother. He has great knowledge. And he lives with the truth. God punish me if I lie. Diego is almost perfect. Within his own purpose. And even retired from cante, remains the most complete artist. He signs it Manuel Martin Martin».
This is how our friend and colleague Manuel began emotionally, portraying in a few words the personal and artistic dimension of Diego Clavel, honoree of this edition. Martín presented the closing day of the 35th Cultural Week of Flamenco Activities in Paradas (Seville) which seemed weak and bland in terms of transmission and pellizco. Due to their absence, with a few exceptions. He carried the evening on his wings with short, concrete, and to-the-point presentations, linking the milestones of Diego's artistic career with important dates of the Moriscos who composed the lineup. And he emphasized in the praise for the honoree that after the intermission that split the evening in two, he fulfilled with ease the protocolary part in which the authorities, artists, and members of the board of the peña They also expressed their gratitude to everyone who made this Week possible, in addition to giving gifts and offering kind words to the veteran singer.
Manuel Jesus Carrillo y Antonio Carrion They shone with their sonantas, both in the solo with which they opened the first, combining the airs of taranta and bulerías, and in the accompaniment to the singers, pointing out the dialogue and the ideal appoggiatura for the brilliance of their voices, something that did not occur on too many occasions. palmas were poor. Manuel Vinaza y Joaquin Gonzalez They played a listless rhythm, with little substance.
The draw gave first place in the order of intervention to The Yippee, who although he fought the cante to deliver to the respectable, the effect did not correspond to his intentions. He remembered Pastora by bamberas. And in the tangos that followed after the tientos that Carrión's guitar perfumed with Menesian tints and in which Ana made winks to Mairena and Diego Carrasco placeholder image. The exit, two bodies and the male of Manuel Molina They searched in the seguiriya for the painful moment that never came, despite Ana being a great singer and a great seguiriya singer who has scratched me until I bled in the past. During her performance she swallowed the cante Without projecting too much, he faltered in several final touches and flourished in the thirds where he couldn't find any embellishment. The lament didn't quite gel. Despite his flamenco voice and the fact that I'm a renowned yiyero, when things aren't right, they aren't right. It wasn't his best performance, nor anyone's.
"María Jesús Bernal was the highlight of the night. (…) She sang seguiriyas until her voice cracked, eliciting a few oles from me with Paco La Luz and Tío José de Paula, and in a macho mood, she wallowed in complaint."
Raul Montesinos demonstrated knowledge and good execution by diversifying the range of cantes. It was tempered with the malagueña of the trinity, from Ronda Dying y cantes of Juan Breva. Then he worked hard on the petenera, dignifying it, and ended by strolling through a series of well-sung soleá variants, starting with Alcalá and finishing with poise in the one from BeansFew complaints. And the ones I attribute to him are down to personal taste, since when he pushes his tone, his voice sounds hopelessly stilted, something that's not his fault and he can do little to prevent it from falling into flat registers.
Something similar happens to the throat of Rubito son, who knows the cloth and defends it cante with wisdom, but in the brave thirds he 'attenuates' his voice. And of course he sings well, but the whims of nature make each one have what he has on his neck. Of course, everyone put their heart into it. And they gave it to Diego, who was the architect of La Puebla closing the Cultural Week of Parades, not out of demand, but as a request to which they gladly acceded from the Peña Flamenca Miguel VargasRubito displayed his wisdom in the soleá and was effective in the tanguillos of Cádiz. He also sang seguiriya, paying tribute to Mairena or Paco The Light, among others. But it was reflected in the warmth that does not raise eyebrows with which everyone had trod the woods of The Regional paraeña.
With "a voice ready to offer a thousand scents to the sense of taste" María Jesús Bernal It was the best of the night. To the accompaniment of Carrillo's guitar, he began to warm up with the bulería to listen to, pointing to the Jerez echoes of The Moreno o Maria Bala. He played seguiriyas until his voice broke, getting me some oles with Paco La Luz or Uncle Jose de Paula and in a macho he felt in which he wallowed in complaint. To ease his pain he culminated in bulerías, tempering some full and melodic basses, driving in well-timed attacks in memory of Aurora Vargas, Perrate, Lebrija…
The thing locked up like it is done in the Meeting of Cante Jondo from Puebla: with a round of tonás. Here they were correct, to say the least. Certainly tasty.
And so as not to go on too long or dissect too vigorously, it is necessary to add that I do not intend to hurt, but to be faithful to my judgment and ear, despite the fact that this critic, increasingly, finds it difficult to spill ink in an unfavorable way about those who leave their skin on the stage and with whom, to top it all off, one is lucky enough to maintain friendships despite these sticks, in my opinion necessary from a critical perspective, which are always devoid of bitterness and malice. I do not want to be a well-wisher, It's about commitment flamenco without being a bad person either. That's how I experienced it.
Credits
Closing of the 35th Cultural Week of Flamenco Activities in Paradas
The Regional, Paradas, Seville
April 5th 2025
Cante: La Yiya, Raúl Montesinos, Rubito Jr. and María Jesús Bernal
Guitar: Antonio Carrión and Manuel Jesús Carrillo
Palmas: Manuel Vinaza and Joaquín González
Presenter: Manuel Martín Martín
What a mania some commentators or critics have when they hear a singer making comparisons in the cantesuch and such an old singer, always wanting to put an origin to the cante that is interpreted. In my humble opinion and respecting the tastes and traditions, each artist in touch, cante or dance, has its personality, and when it comes to interpreting, I don't think they are singing for this or that creator, but here is the eternal problem of wanting to search or compare with this or that one, I sincerely believe that this is an error or vice on the part of the commentator.
My cordial greetings from Valladolid.