Flamenco Dancing at the Apex
Barrull, A Flamenco Legacy
Recently we attended the performance “Barrull, A Flamenco Legacy” at the Apex in Bury St. Edmunds. The featured performer Jairo Barrull was amazing. His footwork during the performance was almost unbelievable but we were sitting there watching it. Female dancer Manuela Vargas also performed as Jairo’s counterpart. Her style was definitely more feminine than Jairo’s, but equally as intense. It was interesting that there was only one song where they performed together.
I was struck by the demeanor of the dancers. Stoic, intense, and maybe even haughty would be how I would describe their expressions as they danced. They both definitely commanded your attention as they performed.
The performance had two vocalists, Moi de Moron and David El Galli, who provided an often soulful and dramatic sound to the performance. Flamenco song often is more about conveying an emotion than simply singing the notes.
Guitarist Eugenio Iglesias was tremendous. During the intermission I was lucky enough to sidle up to Eugenio and ask him a few questions about his guitar playing. He was very polite and told me that he grew up playing the guitar on the streets with no formal training. His also told me his guitar was 30 years old and was hand-made especially for him (and he uses nylon strings). He said that the “Barrull, A Flamenco Legacy” was doing well enough currently that he was able to make a living on tour.
All in all a pleasurable 2-1/2 hour evening watching A Flamenco Legacy.
Two Digital Gypsies Rating – 4 Stars
