Vicente Amigo's: The Future of Flamenco

November, 2002

Vicente Amigo’s “The Future of Flamenco” tour was received with standing ovations at the Herbst Theater. The matured depth of Vicente Amigo’s flamenco showed, as he and his troupe reached out into new areas of expression. Vicente’s precise and subtle work starts from traditional flamenco guitar and when it transitions into explorative realms, one can hear a new essential sound.

The tour, hosted by the SF Jazz Festival, came through on November 8 and took the audience like the storm the Bay Area just weathered. The audience was invigorated and subdued by the darkness, the gales, flashes, and silences in the concert of sounds from Vicente and troupe. The evening ranged from amazing solos, to baile (dance) and cante (singing) accompaniment to new expressive flamenco and dabbled in jazz-fusion.

The live performance Friday night, in support of Vicente’s “City of Ideas” brought a spirit across the audience. His musical ideas not only populate, but are like avenues and architecture, plazas and fields that build the city. Vicente evoked the intensity in his concert to show us that city at night, weathering a storm. His songs, even when on the outskirts of traditional flamenco, were based on traditional elements. They began with a blustering wind of solo flamenco guitar and the troupe would fade in with the pounding, subtle energy of a driving rain. The troupe then sustained that intro and gave a strong accompaniment to Vicente’s transition into wonderful, innovative new sounds.

The concert showed proof of his innovation, interesting song structures with surprising transitions, compositions and orchestration. Vicente has explained his use of non-linear style: “I love flamenco music as a foundation because it allows me to tell a story in a very different, non-linear fashion,” he says. “The organization of that tale is less important than the feeling of it. I can start at the end of the beginning and explore and insert many themes upon the main theme, adding little messages along the way. There can be many hidden meanings within the main storyline as I change melody and harmony. There doesn’t have to be a specific ending. It’s just a matter of following my soul when I find something good to express in the song."

The show also explored new expressive flamenco sounds with the help of the troupe consisting of Jose Manuel Hierro on second guitar, Patricio Camara on percussion and voice, Francisco Gonzalez, percussion and Jose Perez Cucurella on bass guitar. In other songs the whole troupe meshed to explore flamenco inspired jazz. The non-traditional sounds are also something of a phenomena in the perplexed situation of flamenco on stage, let only for the U.S.A. concert hall. There is a problem we face with the stage, and the blending of different audiences’ cultural styles and expectations. A traditional flamenco fiesta is intimate and might end through the exorcism of the audience’s grief. Creating that intimacy with the audience, from the stage is a challenge for today’s flamenco artists. From the shouts, and lively dialogue between the audience and Vicente and troupe, we saw that challenge surpassed.

Calling out to us through the night, was the voice of cantaor, Blas Cordoba. The grit and quality of Cordoba’s voice carries a spirit that drives us through the melancholia of the storm. And the dancer, whose name I can’t find (someone send it to me) had intensity, expression and presence to match. These two star performers were like towers and flags in the gales of the evening. I still have the haunting sound of Blas’ voice rustling through my memory. He carries that quality which tells of flamenco in a visceral way. The audience can hear the sand and rocks in the horizons of his fields around the city, and through that he carries the soul of flamenco’s heartland.

We all could see the purity and happiness during Vicente’s playing. It’s obvious that he deeply loves flamenco, from his smile and wide eye while accompanying the dancer, singer and troupe. Vicente’s composure, skill and talent easily weather feedback from stage, critic, and creative pressures and also brings an audience of ecstatic fans to listen. His fourth album and first domestic release “City of Ideas” released in the states by Windham Hill/RCA records, winning the 2001 Latin Grammy Best Flamenco album.

Tour Sponsors:

SF JAZZ : www.sfjazz.org/
TED KURLAND ASSOCIATES: http://www.tedkurland.com

ANDALUCIA www.andalucia.org/enghomepage.jsp
JUNTA DE ANDALUCIA www.junta-andalucia.es
MINISTERIO DE EDUCACION www.mec.es