Flamenco is currently on a stage where, as it has the attention of tens of thousands of people around the world, it demands a special treatment by the specialized media. I\u2019ve read things that have shocked me, not to mention what people say in the social networks, where there is a bit of everything, but mostly rubbish. And confusion. At this time and age, it\u2019s beyond belief that some critics of this art don\u2019t quite know what flamenco is or isn\u2019t. If a\u00a0cantaor<\/i>\u00a0who normally performs\u00a0cante<\/i>\u00a0decides to sing La Traviata, then this opera ends up being reviewed in a flamenco publication, effectively pushing flamenco aside to give space for another art that is promoted elsewhere.<\/p>\n
I have also found peculiar the type of review that has become increasingly popular: the review where anything goes and everything is yay. On occasion of the Festival de Jerez, I\u2019ve been reading some reviews of this kind. A few days ago, I read one about La Tremendita and her last CD,\u00a0Delirium Tremens<\/i>, where the review\u2019s author doesn\u2019t question anything at all about this controversial album, which is far removed from flamenco\u2019s essence. So, according to this professional critic, it\u2019s perfect, a masterpiece, comparable with the very best of its kind. I\u2019m highly respectful with my colleagues in this profession, but I\u2019m taken aback by this way of reviewing flamenco.<\/p>\n
In this new stage for ExpoFlamenco, which starts tomorrow, we will never sideline any trend in flamenco, because this would not make sense. Yet, that doesn\u2019t mean that we\u2019ll give a space to ridiculous monstrosities, productions devoid of any flamenco value or artists who disrespect this ancient art. ExpoFlamenco is not a business, it\u2019s an idea of a flamenco space, and it doesn\u2019t make any money. We\u2019ll figure out a way for it to break even, but it won\u2019t be by giving up our commitment to be responsible and serious about flamenco.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure that by now, some \u201cmoderns\u201d are already saying that we\u2019ll bring back the Inquisition. That\u2019s not it. Yet, we will defend flamenco with all its trends and varieties, all its schools and styles, without any complexes and without fearing the criticism by purists or innovators alike. A new cathedral can be built, totally different than the cathedrals of Seville or Burgos, yet it doesn\u2019t mean that those two need to be demolished. The three of them can exist in perfect Harmony.<\/p>\n
Applying that analogy to flamenco, to\u00a0cante<\/i>, it\u2019s possible to create a new\u00a0malague\u00f1a<\/i>, but not by destroying the\u00a0malague\u00f1as<\/i>\u00a0of Chac\u00f3n or La Trini. These days when El Ni\u00f1o de Elche is so trendy, I confess that there are a few things about this musician that intrigue me, among them his rebellious attitude, which reminds me other ground-breaking artists. I don\u2019t quite like the way he sings, to be sincere, but in his case that\u2019s the least important thing. It\u2019s his music, the whole package, that matters.<\/p>\n
If you give us time, you will find in ExpoFlamenco an space that will become indispensable for this art. Tomorrow we start our new journey and I hope you stay with us. And don\u2019t stop visiting other flamenco websites, as some are quite good. Yet, be demanding.<\/p>\n
Translated by P. Young<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Flamenco is currently on a stage where, as it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-archivo"],"yoast_head":"\n