Carlos Saura captures flamenco on celluloid once more. Ten years after the universal ‘Flamenco’, he has wanted the genre's main artists to go with the flow of ‘Suite Iberia’ by Isaac Albéniz, one of the main Spanish composers of the nationalist movement. The wonderful thing about the Aragonese filmmaker's work is that together with the footage, it favors musical creation. And the group of flamenco artists it gathers, completely up to the task of the tribute, makes the film's soundtrack an album worthy of interest.
It is true that flamenco does not take up the entire album, which leaves room for classical music and even the Aragonese jota... though always oozing certain flamenco style. But it includes genuine jewels of today's jondo. The first one appearing on CD 1 is the version of ‘Cádiz’ done by Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent and Tino di Geraldo. Sax, electric bass and drums recreate the score of ‘Suite española’ with few tricks and tremendous taste, according to the adaptation authored by Jorge Pardo. Fun to listen to. On that same album, it is then time for the guitar twice over. Manolo Sanlúcar performs ‘Torre Bermeja’, a composition belonging to ‘12 piezas características’, with all the substance of his toque, brainy and sentimental at the same time. Something serious. Gerardo Núñez closes this block with ‘Almería’, played together with José Manuel León, now more of a colleague than a disciple. He offers an interesting, intelligent journey full of nuances and escape routes.
‘Corpus en Sevilla’, a saeta sung by Estrella Morente, opens CD 2. The cantaora devotes herself to the intimacy and depth which gave so much renown to her idolized Niña de los Peines. Flamenco returns in the third cut with the version of ‘El Albaicín’ done by bailaora Sara Baras. Flying over the seguiriya and flanked by the winged guitars of her company, José María Bandera and Miguel de la Tolea, she gives free rein to her delicious heel tapping. Less to more. After a Basque section, Chano Domínguez takes back up flamenco. With his piano, he gives Spanish jazz flavor to ‘El Puerto’, a piece concentrating all the Atlantic's light. Tomasito provides the compás for these rhythmic bulerías which might be able to recreate an afternoon at the bay. And from there to inland Andalusia. Enrique Morente and guitarist Alfredo Lagos weave a minimal version of ‘Granada’, which goes through the soleá of Manuel Torre and leads to Albéniz's original melody. Worthy of attention. José Antonio Rodríguez provides the final touch with ‘Sevilla’, turned, of course, into sevillanas, a style that Saura feels a predilection for. The music, which Aida Gómez and Paco Mora dance in the film surrounded by boys and girls dressed in street clothes, is lively, imaginative... despite the aim of preserving the common thread of the original melody.
It's worthwhile.
