Taste of Spain (2) – Cuadro Pena de Camaron: 27th&28th May 2008
Taste of Spain Festival also offered a real live flamenco show brought over from Spain. I suppose they are normally working at a tablao or restaurant somewhere in Spain. I saw quite a few Spanish people, either tourists or residents in the UK, enjoying the performance.
The open-air stage was set in a restaurant square off Regent Street, where the show kept going on with some breaks between. There were 2 female dancers, a guitarist, a cajon player and a female singer who chose to wear a suit like a man. As female flamenco singers normally wear dresses like dancers, she looked quite outstanding. But it wasn’t only one outstanding feature of her. Her voice, compas, palmas, energy, passion! Her Rumbas and Bulerias were absolutely excellent. The audience continuously cheered for her more than for the dancers. Only to see and listen to her again, did I go back to the place next day.
Bailaoras were good as well, but I noticed that at least one of them reproduced the same choreography for Alegrias instead of improvising. Their style seemed to be from Madrid or Barcelona rather than Andalusia. I think most of flamenco dancers follow this urbanised style nowadays. Anyway I was impressed to see how nicely they danced flamenco, especially Sevillanas, which they performed with some different formations and choreographies.
For 27th, 2 old ladies from the audience joined dancing Sevillanas, by which the show was concluded. They could be Spanish themselves. It was as if they couldn’t stand being spectators anymore, and burst into a dancing spree. It was fun to watch them, but I hadn’t known that I was going to witness even more exciting thing on 28th.
When the group was performing Bulerias, a skinhead man suddenly appeared between the stage and the audience. He started off dancing to the tune, and it was so professional. I believe he is, but don’t even know if he is British or Spanish or other. The best thing, however, happened later. The show was going to finish off by Sevillanas, just like the previous day. The same guy, before the music started, gestured at one of the dancers on the stage, and she gestured back ‘OK’. Then, he went onto the stage and started dancing Sevillanas with her. I have never seen such a wonderful Sevillanas dance by a male dancer before. His dance was masculine but elegant, as if he was escorting her. It was a pity I couldn’t recognise him, but he must be professional somewhere in the UK or Spain.
Cuadro Pena de Camaron - thank you for the unforgettable evenings.
Taste of Spain Festival also offered a real live flamenco show brought over from Spain. I suppose they are normally working at a tablao or restaurant somewhere in Spain. I saw quite a few Spanish people, either tourists or residents in the UK, enjoying the performance.
The open-air stage was set in a restaurant square off Regent Street, where the show kept going on with some breaks between. There were 2 female dancers, a guitarist, a cajon player and a female singer who chose to wear a suit like a man. As female flamenco singers normally wear dresses like dancers, she looked quite outstanding. But it wasn’t only one outstanding feature of her. Her voice, compas, palmas, energy, passion! Her Rumbas and Bulerias were absolutely excellent. The audience continuously cheered for her more than for the dancers. Only to see and listen to her again, did I go back to the place next day.
Bailaoras were good as well, but I noticed that at least one of them reproduced the same choreography for Alegrias instead of improvising. Their style seemed to be from Madrid or Barcelona rather than Andalusia. I think most of flamenco dancers follow this urbanised style nowadays. Anyway I was impressed to see how nicely they danced flamenco, especially Sevillanas, which they performed with some different formations and choreographies.
For 27th, 2 old ladies from the audience joined dancing Sevillanas, by which the show was concluded. They could be Spanish themselves. It was as if they couldn’t stand being spectators anymore, and burst into a dancing spree. It was fun to watch them, but I hadn’t known that I was going to witness even more exciting thing on 28th.
When the group was performing Bulerias, a skinhead man suddenly appeared between the stage and the audience. He started off dancing to the tune, and it was so professional. I believe he is, but don’t even know if he is British or Spanish or other. The best thing, however, happened later. The show was going to finish off by Sevillanas, just like the previous day. The same guy, before the music started, gestured at one of the dancers on the stage, and she gestured back ‘OK’. Then, he went onto the stage and started dancing Sevillanas with her. I have never seen such a wonderful Sevillanas dance by a male dancer before. His dance was masculine but elegant, as if he was escorting her. It was a pity I couldn’t recognise him, but he must be professional somewhere in the UK or Spain.
Cuadro Pena de Camaron - thank you for the unforgettable evenings.
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