When the sea sings, it has a special echo in Rincón de la Victoria. One of the singing styles considered native from Málaga is the jabegotes. On this border of the Paradise City, these ground fandangos taste like saltpetre and anchovies and sardines.
It is not topical to talk about the sea in flamenco. it is in its guts since Silverio Franconetti, from his succession in Juan Breva and that brave cante, “se me mojaron las velas…“, a slowed down verdial from this coast. In the history of cante, the name of Rincón de la Victoria appears in capital letters due to the men of the sea; the marengos already sang coplillas while they worked. That’s why today there are hymns that give names to the most famous fish in the Province.
Sea, fishing and marengos were in those lyrics from the most famous and unforgettable flamenco that resided in Rincón; Cándido de Málaga (1928-2011). An authentic man made by himself along with a thousand personal stories of overcoming behind his back; like that party-day with the cantaor Canalejas de Puerto Real that prevented him from passing his military service, just to mention one. The man who sang for saetas with Camarónwaiting in a van to hear him every Easter.
‘Que tira de la tralla, tira marinero. Tira poco a poco. Que viene el dinero. Tira de la tralla. Y sigue tirando. Chanquetes y rayas. Se van escapando’. Those lyrics are what Candido sang to you with his honey voice, from Ingenio, the same cante por jabegotes that he recorded for the first time in the 60s. That one was the historical man for the cante of Málaga who decided to dedicate the proximity of the sea of Rincón de la Victoria his last years. A name stamped in gold in the local flamenco history.
But he’s not the only one. Rincón, as a city of accommodation of many artists from years gone, has nowadays two illustrious citizens living in its streets daily, or at least during their time away from world tours. José Antonio Conejo Vida, known by Chaparro de Málaga (Málaga, 1971) is one of them. An authentic institution of the guitar world at national level and that treasures some of the main flamenco prizes that can be obtained in this discipline. He has played to genius such as El Chino, Remedios Amaya and Duquende – to name but a few. Also, he has recently been a regular companion of singers such as Antonia Contreras and Alfredo Tejada; one of the latest stars of Cante. His touch of accompanying guitar is a classic that overwhelms. Another figure from Rincón. Marengo de Honor a few years ago.
This burnish of melodies, which Paco de Lucía and other great guitar players respected, currently has a guitar shop in Córdoba 19, where wood and six strings are pure engineering in their hands. It is the best place to listen and buy this instrument from the hand of the bestseller, a true genius of the bajañí that attracts guitarists from half the world to the most sonorous showcase of the city.
It is not the only big name that lives in our streets, since Susana Lupiañez ‘La Lupi’ has been living here for a few years, in the upper area of Añoreta where the verdial sounds are closed along with Benagalbón sights on the balcony. There, this wonderful woman from Málaga who is conquering scenarios around the planet almost every year, seeks the tranquillity of the mountain looking at the sea. Shelter of peace where she can find rest in her hips, those hips that dance like just a few in the flamenco world by tangos of Málaga.
Her partner, Curro de María, is another flamenco artist who walks under our sun. Guitarist with an exquisite taste an a sweet and plastic touch. He has been at the Festival de Jerez and at very important arenas thanks to Miguel Poveda, a regular visitor of the town.
It would not be fair to talk about flamenco in Rincón de la Victoria and not mention the amazing work that Peña Flamenca El Piyayo is carrying out every year. An authentic group of brave and dedicated fans who continue to attract good ‘chanelaores’ to their facilities at Las Pedrizas. They are a radiant spotlight that not only get first-rate artists the months of least tourist influx in the city, with an interesting cultural attraction along with its pedagogical activity, but also they organize the Puerta de la Axarquía Festival. One of the most powerful festivals in the province.
There are many more. There are names that do not stop acting here and there carrying the Torre de Benalgalbón flag with them, such as Carmelo de Carmen, guitarist of a thousand scenarios and a thousand versions. We have seen him many times together with the Hermanos Ballesteros. Diana Navarro always pulled the great Carmelo when he had to find the best flamenco echo at her side. Raquel Martín, bailaora who now tries her luck in the capital. La Cala is also a place where we can easy come across with a six-string maestro like José Luis Lastre, tireless inventor of flamenco music. As in the summer of La Cala, it is easy to encounter the best flamenco photos from the hands of an illustrious summer visitor like Paco Lobato.
It’s Rincón del Flamenco. Rincón de la Victoria, the place where there is a lot of sea to be heard by jabegotes or any cante.
Francis Mármol
Journalist and music researcher
