On the positive side, Javier Cruz and company put on an excellent (if somewhat briskly realised - 2 X 45 mins. on the dot!)show with an outstanding solea' por buleras by the man himself, an excellent sole from Adela Lujn and first-class toque and cante from Miguel Serrano, El Gago and El Maera. Unfortunately the proceedings were marred by the kind of offstage prima donna-ism more associated with Oasis on a bender than flamencos. Never mind, the audience had a good time.

Jaleo's show was the last of their current tour and boy did they have a party! Everything went into the mixture: tangos, garrotn, soleares, martinete, alegras, tangos, buleras and sevillanas. They have had a record tour and it showed in the tightness of the routines and the impressively crisp guitars and palmas which drove the baile. Antonio's mairenista cante, although a touch sharp in places, had a spine-tingling rajo which set a real flamenco tone while new member Carmen's voice has graduated away from her initial 'Lole'-esque sound to a much more flamenco voz afill (she's also started to partipate in the baile showing good hands and body line). Guitarists Carlos and Peter "El Ingls" followed every change in the cante and baile without hesitation and also displayed an impressive range of falsetas which had the guitarists in the audience thinking "must get them to show me that at the next workshop". Ana Mara Blanco's baile showed a heightened purity of technique compared to previous shows but still retains that raunchy touch that really grabs her audience. The star of the though was, as always, Silverio. From the moment he cockily struts on to the stage, you know this is a man who is going to make things happen. His participation in the ensemble numbers drew roars of appreciation but he really came into his own in the martinete (finely sung by Antonio) which adapted the dance of the bastones from "Carmen" and in his final alegras where he moved off the stage right down to the first circle of tables demonstrating an amazing variety and depth of technique - finger-snapping, taconeo, zapateado and whirling turns - to a hushed audience who rose to their feet at the end of the unaccompanied solo section. The final buleras, in which "El Ingls", as usual, demonstrated his dance technique (to roars of appreciative laughter!), showed such humour and vitality it was difficult to believe the cuadro had been travelling since 5 a.m. No clockwatching for Jaleo - they were onstage for a total of 2hrs 15 minutes! Jaleo always give a good tight show in their theatre gigs but the peña really seems to bring out something special in them. They will be back!

P.S. We are trying to persuade Silverio (who is a lovely wee guy) to come and do an intensive course for our dance students in February - watch this space.

Page editor: Amal Chatterjee
Page last updated: 14 January 1998.