By Julia Chacon
October 9, 2023
Alejandro Granados and la Casa Flamenca
On August 19 and 20, 2023, flamenco dancer Alejandro Granados returned to Phoenix to perform at the Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center. Appearing with Albuquerque-based la Casa Flamenca, the show was made possible by Carlos Montufar’s Phoenix World Arts Collective (PWAC) series “La Pinta Flamenca.” Directed by dancer Carmen Montes and guitarist Juani de la Isla, La Casa Flamenca brings Spanish flamenco masters to perform annually in Albuquerque. This was the second time la Casa Flamenca brought their performance to Phoenix through PWAC, and the first time a master artist joined them. The event included two nights of performance and a workshop with Granados, who was raised in the flamenco tradition.
Granados has a long-standing connection to the Phoenix flamenco community because his parents toured with Jose Greco in the same years that Phoenix-based American flamenco pioneer Lydia Torea partnered with Greco. On one of Alejandro’s previous visits, it was a treat to hear them share stories and to learn more about Granados’ flamenco roots and ties to flamenco icons such as Manolo Marin, Greco, and others. Alejandro has other connections to the Southwest, having performed with Maria Benitez in 2003 with his former wife, Yolanda Heredia.
A master of improvisation, Granados is known for his unpredictable interpretations and virtuosic interaction with flamenco cante and musicality. The show on August 19 proved to be no exception. Playfully exchanging rhythmic and melodic footwork with Juani de la Isla on guitar and Sebastian Sanchez on vocals, Granados’ solo, alegrías was a delight. Granados, while always grounded, alternates between light and heavy energies, seeming to leverage gravity itself as he harnesses the power of his body and instinctively responds to the other artists, demonstrating both power and grace in unquestioned control over the cuadro. Playing to the crowd, Granados captures the audience with vibrant facial expression that fluctuates between internal and external focus. Montes was an enthusiastic and powerful partner to Granados, the joy of her performance shining through whenever she was on stage.
The musicians also shone in this performance. Sanchez’ voice was both powerful and tender, and de la Isla held the show together with virtuosic guitar. On August 19, the program included sevillanas as the musical vocal feature. An unusual choice, the selection left those more familiar with flamenco wanting something more substantial and expressive from Sanchez. According to other sources, the August 20th show offered an alternative program, with Granados performing cana and eliminating sevillanas as the featured vocal number.
The workshop offered by Granados was well attended. He mounted a slow bulerias for a multi-level class; the stylistic depth of his choreography and teaching methods offered rich material for students of all levels.
Diego el Cigala
On September 24th, Diego el Cigala performed at the Orpheum Theater, bringing flamenco and Latin music aficionados together in a fusion that celebrated the intersections of Spanish and Latin musical aesthetics. Enthusiastically received, one couple could hardly remain seated, as they waved a large Cuban flag near the front row. Steeped in the vocal traditions of flamenco, el Cigala crosses cultural boundaries through his music, finding intersections with Latin music from across the Americas. In doing so, he traces threads of continuity in the aesthetics of Spanish and Latin idioms that share common roots. Without disrupting the divergent influences of the musical genres he traverses, Cigala rather celebrates these diverse manifestations of human expression by bringing the distinct vocal qualities of flamenco to Argentine tango, Nuevayorkino jazz, and the amalgam that is salsa. This network of connections and interlacing musical traditions that have influenced each other, renders an analysis somewhat less than the sum of its parts. Suffice to say that it works—well enough for this cross-over flamenco artist to have a following throughout the world.
Accompanied by two skilled percussionists, a bassist, and pianist, Cigala gave each artist ample focus throughout the concert. Pianist Jaime Calabuch, “Jumitus,” was a stellar performer, bringing cheers from the crowds throughout the evening. His role is a tough one to fill, given that Cigala’s breakthrough album “Lagrimas Negras” (2003) featured the legendary pianist and band leader Bebo Valdes (1918-2013). At the time of writing, names for the other musicians are unavailable, but the percussion section actively engaged the audience by inviting the crowd to clap along in certain sections and by dancing actively to the music.
Inspiracion Flamenca 