Paco de Lucia
once again
captivates Havana
After having loved you so much,
having regaled you my nights of love,
here you have me again…
(Entre Dos Aguas)
Mireya Castañeda
INTRODUCING the Paco de Lucía
concert, part of the 5th Leo Brouwer Chamber Music
Festival, the maestro himself advised, "This is an
experience which will never be repeated, because he
is always evolving. He is a genius who transforms
flamenco without losing its tradition or magic."
These words were sufficient. With
the rising of the curtain of the huge Karl Marx
Theater, its 5,000 seating capacity filled to
overflowing, the lights went down, and there, right
in the center, was Paco de Lucía (alone?) with his
prodigious guitar.
Restrained, with an impact even
before he began to play "as if he had 100 fingers,"
he dominated the stage and reached out to everyone
with his exceptional solos.
The concert on October 2 was
announced to begin at 9:00pm and Leo Brouwer himself
spoke of "two hours of music with De Lucía’s
extraordinary ensemble," but the public was still
calling for more at the stroke of midnight.
The audience had heard pure flamenco
through to the most contemporary sounds, jazz,
tango, son montuno, and fusion from the
exceptional guitar of Spaniard De Lucía and the
musicians accompanying him: Antonio Sánchez
(guitar), Antonio Serrano (keyboard and harmonica),
Antonio Flores "Rubio de Pruna" (flamenco singer),
David Maldonado "David de Jacoba" (flamenco singer),
Alain Pérez (bass), and Israel Suárez (percussion).
Composer and guitarist Leo Brouwer
had emphasized in a press conference, "If Alain
Pérez of Cuba has been playing with this group for
nine years, it is for something," but also recalled
that the Peruvian cajón, now an essential
part of flamenco, was introduced by Paco de Lucía,
like the piano, "the only thing he has inserted."
As if the music which brought the
public to its feet in applause was not enough, the
flamenco group was completed by a dancer, and not
just anyone, but the prodigious Antonio Fernández
(Farru), whose tap shoes were electrifying.
The performance of this genius
guitarist, magisterial as a soloist or with his
group, and the prolonged dancing of Farru was coming
to an end. De Lucía was still playing, and in a
brilliant improvisation, Alain Pérez’ base could be
heard behind the flamenco sounds, playing a theme
that any Cuban could immediately identify: "Sandungera,"
among the greatest hits of Juan Formell and his
group Los Van Van. No need to say, pandemonium in
the theater.
Paco de Lucía left the stage and the
public kept up its applause and calls for an encore
for more than 15 minutes.
The maestro responded to reiterated
petitions and played some unfamiliar notes, and
suddenly, a sensational theme, among those most
preferred throughout the world, "Entre dos aguas"
was born.
It was the farewell of Paco de
Lucía, without any doubt the flamenco guitarist of
greatest international prestige at the present time.
After 26 years without performing on
Cuban stages, Paco de Lucía gave a memorable concert
in which the public recognized and recompensed his
mastery.
