First you must understand the family history that makes this event so special. Los Farruco considers itself the first family of Flamenco, creating a dynasty to keep the art alive and thriving beyond 50 years. It began with El Farruco, the grandfather, who died in 1997, and trickles down through his children and grandchildren of names so similar it's hard to keep them straight! There's El Farruquito (the grandson), Farruco/Farru (Farruquito's brother), La Farruca (their mother), La Faraona (La Farruca's sister), and Barullo (Faraona's son/cousin to Farru/Farruquito). Confusing, right? There will be a quiz on this later!
The show started with a stage set for 6 - a row of chairs horizontally waiting to be filled . . . except one, which held guitarist Antonio Rey, who lured us into the entrancing mood of flamenco right away . . . with the help of a spotlight, smoke, and cool lighting . . . I was truly impressed with the guitarist and soon to emerge singers, almost more than the dancing at first! The guitar could lull you to sleep or inspire you to breathe fire with his amazing style and quick fingers. The flamenco "voice" is so raw and beautiful. It reminds me of a coyote howling against a starlit sky!
Eventually we saw Barullo and Farruco battling it out with the fanciest of footwork, ( I can't really explain it to the person who has never seen this- picture Irish step dancing mixed with Stomp the Yard with a lot of Spanish flair thrown in there), chest slapping, pirouetting, chest puffing, long hair dropping and cascading over the face . . . the works! The way they danced was truly like being on a roller coaster ride . . . while pressing fast forward and pause whenever you pleased! They would start off slow, build, build, and build until the audience went crazy and screamed out in amazement! Then they would suddenly just stop and collect their applause. There was a lot of applause collecting going on, actually. Farruco would walk from one side of the stage to the other bowing and opening his arms as if he had just won the Oscar.
My favorite was La Farruca, who was born in 1960 and commands the stage just by showing up. No excess fluff needed. You respected her, and were amazed by her innate flamenco prowess. As she danced between her two sons, flailing and stomping, I couldn't help but think what an amazing adventure this must be for a small family . . . sharing the art of Spanish Gypsy dance with the biggest city in the world! Definitely something different than the usual dance show, but full of culture, music, life, and the bonds of family.
Photography by Dean Thomas
IDANZ Critix Corner
Offical Dance Review by Sheena DiMatteo
Performance: Los Farruco, 2009 Flamenco Festival
Venue: City Center, New York City
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009
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