Sadler’s Wells, London
April 17, 2024
Two years on almost to the day, Paco Peña returned to fill Sadler’s Wells for a second outing of Solera. The just post-Covid-19 audience of 2022 was in stark contrast to the packed house, albeit sans the Spanish community that presumably returned home following Brexit. But, in a way, it is reassuring that flamenco can pull in a domestic audience of non-aficionados too.
The cante jondo was just as jondo, especially from the amazing Inmmaculada Rivero. The staged rehearsal worked best as it recreated the fluid sense of spontaneity that suits traditional flamenco better than the slickly choreographed second act of nuevo flamenco.
That is not to detract from the power of the baile, this time from the whip thin Adriana Bilbao, revised by Angel Muñoz and Iván Carpio. As previously, Muñoz offered a thoughtful solea which segued into Bilbao and a reflective dance in a light bata de cola which no doubt presented challenges just as great as the more heavier traditional version. The tanguillo provided the relative light relief before we moved back into jondo with the seguiriya.
Photo Elliott Franks
Peña and Dani de Morón gave us a fascinating insight into the trajectory of the farruca in a version based on one by the great Sabicas who fled the Civil War with the equally great Carmen Amaya. Picados and arpeggii positively flew along, but not at the expense of delicacy where required.
Julio Alcocer provided an array of percussion including a virtuoso solo in the second act.
One familiar compliant is that it was unnecessarily loud, which creates discomfort for the ears and distortions in the music. It is also irritating to hear scraping flamenco nails instead of being able to concentrate on the zapteado.
The second act produced an allegrias, first as cante and then as baile and finished with a joyous bulerías and some colourful costumes for Bilbao. For all her enviable technique, she doesn’t quite travel over the footlights, although she had some mighty competition the shape of the personality that is Rivero. There is much fluidity in her braceo but not enough sense of weight and power as a contrast. As the senior member of the company Muñoz was a steadying influence with well-judged potency in his solos that never strayed into the ostentatious.
What a long way we have come since the first flamenco festival in 2003. The level of sophistication that has evolved as flamenco has founded an identity as a theatre art may not please all, but it has established a home-grown audience as this evening clearly showed. A very pleasing prelude to this year’s festival in a couple of months.