The Theater of Regions at the City of Culture hosted a flamenco evening on Saturday, December 6, organized by the Spanish Embassy in Tunisia with the assistance of the Cervantes Institute and Spanish International Cooperation. This evening was organized in partnership with the Théâtre de l’Opéra.
In front of a packed house, flamenco was in the spotlight for a show entitled “Vengo Jondo”, the latest work by Marco Flores presented as one of the most original voices of current flamenco.
National Flamenco Prize, Marco Flores stands out for his refined technique, a deep respect for tradition and a contemporary vision of this fundamentally Spanish art.
The arrival of Marco Flores in Tunisia was in itself an event as this artist embodies contemporary flamenco and the long tradition that irrigates it. With more than twenty years of career and distinctions such as El Ojo Crítico and the Max Prize 2020, Marco Flores has developed a personal, elegant and recognized choreographic language on the most prestigious international stages: Sadler’s Wells, Sydney Opera House, Teatros del Canal, among others.
In addition, the proposed show included a dive into the deep soul of flamenco. The title of the show is quite a program in itself. Because the expression “Vengo Jondo” translates the deep heart of this art and refers to “Cante Jondo”, the deep singing, the human sensitivity of flamenco and its sincerity.
From the title, Marco Flores’ show poses a question of principle, artistic authenticity and depth of emotion. What was on stage came from the “bottom”, from the bowels, from the heart and the soul, where the sources and origin of flamenco are found.
From the first moments, the promised musical journey enchanted the audience. A few chords on the guitar, dance steps in a dark atmosphere then a voice rising from the depths. There were three of them on stage between a state of grace and ritual trance. As if the music and the bodies revisited the deep roots of flamenco.
For an hour, with humor and emphasis, Marco Flores and his companions produced a very high level flamenco which in its approach evokes the work of the Tunisian choreographer and dancer Rochdi Belgasmi who also brilliantly attempts to free our traditional dance from folkloric constraints. With Marco Flores, it was a flamenco of fullness that was expressed, a cry from the heart carried by a luminous artistic project.
The public was not mistaken and reserved an ovation lasting several minutes for the breathless artists after a fantastic performance where each breath, each gesture and each arpeggio touched the limbo.
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