Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca
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Cal Performances Presents Friday, January 23, 2009, 8pm Saturday, January 24, 2009, 8pm Zellerbach Hall Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca La Plaza Made possible, in part, through funding from the Western States Arts Federation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Cal Performances’ 2008–2009 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank. CAL PERFORMANCES 5 Program Cast Soledad Barrio Noche Flamenca in La Plaza Artistic Director & Producer Martín Santangelo Choreography Martín Santangelo, Company members with featured guest artist Music Salva de Maria, Amir Haddad Antonio Jimenez (“El Chupete”) Vocal Arrangements Manuel Gago, Emilio Florido Bailaores Soledad Barrio, Antonio Jimenez & (“El Chupete”) Manuel Gago Sol La Argentinita, Rebeca Tomás Emilio Florido Cantaores Manuel Gago, Emilio Florido Salva de Maria Guitarristas Salva de Maria, Amir Haddad Amir Haddad Lighting Designer & Technical Director Ben Ferrar Sol La Argentinita Production Assistant Rhadley Oliveira de Souza Rebeca Tomás Representation Laura Colby, Elsie Management (718) 797-4577 PROGRAM [email protected] www.nocheflamenca.com La Plaza The Company Choreography by Martín Santangelo and the Company Solo de Cante Manuel Gago or Emilio Florido Solea por Bulerias or Siguiriya Antonio Jimenez (“El Chupete”) INTERMISSION Solea or Siguiriya Soledad Barrio Choreography by Soledad Barrio Solo de Guitarra Salva de Maria or Amir Haddad Alegrías Soledad Barrio and Antonio Jimenez (“El Chupete”) Choreography by Soledad Barrio Fin de Fiesta The Company Program is subject to change. 6 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 7 Program Notes Program Notes A Brief History of Flamenco Franconetti, an Andaluz of Italian origin and an appeared throughout Andalucia and beyond, dedi- exceptional singer of Gypsy styles, was the first to cated wholly to the performance of flamenco. They bring these two styles together. This integration of came to be known as cafes cantantes, coffee theatres, HE PRECARIOUS CONDITIONS of the both forms resulted in the cante flamenco as it has where refreshment could be enjoyed while watch- T Andalucian singer of the past made it inevi- come to us—the end product being without ques- ing the performance. Although some of them sur- table that he or she should dwell on the more tragic tion greater than the sum of its parts. vived until the middle of the 20th century, their aspects of existence. Even though conditions are The wail of the cante jondo (deep song) resem- heyday was past by the 1920s. Generally they were now incomparably better, the feelings inherent in bles the mournful chant of the exiled Sephardic like cabaret theaters, with as many as four shows the cante are universal and timeless and represent a Jews. Its poetry has the existentialist angst and a day. link between past and present. philosophical questioning common in Arabic poet- Dance has always been associated with fla- Andalucia, the region of southern Spain which ry. The dance which evolved slowly, fully blossom- menco. It is difficult to imagine this music without is flamenco’s home, has a strong musical tradition ing in the 1840s suggests the repetitive key symbol movement. While sophisticated flamenco dance documented from ancient times and flamenco cer- prevalent in Islam, the trance inducing rhythms of companies have been touring the world for more tainly takes its place in that heritage. Throughout Africa, and the stubborn search of Jewish music. than 50 years, it is the raw, unchoreographed danc- the centuries, Andalucia absorbed peoples of Flamenco developed rapidly, gaining in artis- es of Andalucian Gypsies that has maintained the different cultures and backgrounds, including tic stature as well as popularity. Establishments art form in its most creative essence. Romans, Jews and Moors. For flamenco, the most significant arrival was in the 15th century when tribes of nomadic Gypsies settled in southern Spain. Their arrival coincided with Ferdinand and Isabella’s conquest of Granada, the last bastion of the Moors, and the subsequent expulsion of Jews and Arabs from Spain. Historian Felix Grande, writing about life in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries stated: “The compás is less apparent, but the singer may break Jews were massacred, the Gypsies humiliated and into an established rhythm which the guitarist persecuted, the Arabs exterminated, the Moriscos then has to follow. Indeed, the singer is at liberty (converted Arabs) expelled, and the Andalucians to improvise, whether the toque (guitar playing) is generally exploited...if we do not relate the music... free or in compás, and the guitarist may not know to brutality, repression, hunger, fear, menace, in- beforehand what is to be expected of him. feriority, resistance and secrecy, then we shall not There is no evidence that the guitar was initially find the reality of cante flamenco...it is a storm of used to accompany the cante, and even today some exasperation and grief.” It was against this back- of the most dramatic forms of cante are invariably ground that flamenco evolved. performed unaccompanied. However, it was cer- While earlier records suggest that flamenco tainly in regular use by the end of the 19th century was at one time unaccompanied, it is hard for us and the guitar has an exceptionally long history today to imagine flamenco without a guitar. In ef- in Spain, an early version probably being brought fect, the guitar forms an integral part of the song; by the Romans. The lute was extremely popular singer and guitarist are one creating the cante. The in the rest of Europe during the Renaissance, but different types of cante provide the basis for all fla- was rejected in Spain as a foreign intrusion since it menco guitars playing. Most of the cante has an un- was of Arab origin. Furthermore, the vihuela (the derlying rhythmic structure which must be strictly guitar’s predecessor) was more suited to the accom- adhered to—the compás. One of flamenco’s chief paniment of ballads by strumming, since the lute characteristics is the complex syncopation against requires notes to be picked more delicately. It was the compás, with the cante being sung almost en- also cheaper to produce and more robust. tirely off the beat and the guitarist maintaining In the 19th century, there were two types the rhythm, adding further to the syncopation. of singing in Andalucia—the cante gitano of In some forms, like the cante libre (free song), the the Gypsies and the cante andaluz. Silverio 8 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 9 About the Artists About the Artists Martín Santangelo (Artistic Director) founded of Spain and has shared the stage with Carmen Noche Flamenca. He studied with Ciro, Paco Ledesma in the National Opera of Tokyo. He Romero, El Guito, Manolete and Alejandro has also choreographed for Yoko Komatsubara. Granados. He has performed throughout Spain, Jimenez has toured extensively as a featured soloist Japan and North and South America, appear- in Italy, Germany, Holland, Brazil, Japan, Mexico ing with Maria Benitez’s Teatro Flamenco, the and New York. He continues to dance in tablaos in Lincoln Center Festival of the Arts and Paco Sevilla and Granada. This is his fourth season with Romero’s Ballet Español. He also appeared in Julie Noche Flamenca. Taymor’s Juan Darien at Lincoln Center. He cho- reographed and performed in Eduardo Machado’s Born in Cadiz to a family of flamenco singers, Deep Song, directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett. He Manuel Gago (singer) began singing at the age of choreographed a production of Romeo and Juliet five. By age 14, he was singing in flamenco festivals at the Denver Theater Center. He has directed and with such well-known singers as Juan Villar, Charo choreographed Bodas de Sangre, The Lower Depths, Lobato and Rancapino. Later, he began singing for La Celestina and A Streetcar Named Desire among dancers, including Joaquin Cortez, Isabel Bayón, many other productions in Spain and Buenos Sara Varas, Rafaela Carrasco, Domingo Ortega, Aires. He has collaborated with many artists, but Adrian Galia, El Guito, Manolete, Javier Baron his most fulfilling collaboration has been with his and Cristobal Reyes. Mr. Gago has traveled the wife, Soledad Barrio, and his two wild daughters, world, singing in Europe, Asia, South America Gabriela and Stella. and the United States. This is his ninth season with ZarmikMoqtaderi Noche Flamenca. Soledad Barrio (dancer) was born in Madrid. NDER THE DIRECTION of Martín Santangelo, of flamenco—dance, song and music—are inter- She has appeared as soloist with Manuela Vargas, Emilio Florido (singer) was born in Cadiz, Spain. U the award-winning Noche Flamenca has related and given equal weight in the presentations Blanca del Rey, Luisillo, El Guito, Manolete, He began singing as a child and began to work become Spain’s most successful touring flamenco of Noche Flamenca, creating a true communal Cristobal Reyes and El Toleo, Ballet Español de professionally in Jerez, Cadiz and Sevilla. In ad- company. Formed in 1993 by Santangelo and his spirit within the company—the very heart and Paco Romero, Festival Flamenco and many other dition to giving recitals as a vocal soloist, he has Bessie award-winning wife, Soledad Barrio, the soul of flamenco. companies. She has performed throughout Europe, sung in accompaniment to such dancers as Adrian company regularly tours throughout the globe. In the 2008–2009 season, the company will Japan and North and South America with such Galia, Alejando Granados, Domingo Ortega, Luis Performance highlights in North America include premiere a new work specifically for family audi- artists as Alejandro Granados, Isabel Bayón, Jesus Ortega, Rocio Molina, Sara Varas, Isabel Bayón, Berkeley’s Cal Performances, Jacob’s Pillow Dance ences inspired by Spanish folklore for New York’s Torres, Miguel Perez, Belen Maya, Manolo Marin, Rafaela Carrasco, Yolanda Heredia and Miguel Festival, the Ravinia Festival, the American Dance New Victory Theater, April 22–May 3, 2009.