When Tango Meets Flamenco: Martirio Enchants Denia Audience

As nan first notes of Astor Piazzolla’s Los Pájaros Perdidos echo into nan night, a haunting female sound rises complete nan sound of a piano, a bold bandoneon and a violin that seems to portion nan air. “A shade arrives from nan sea,” personification whispers. We are connected nan highest terrace of Denia Castle, a legendary tract that has hosted a bid of singular concerts this week, pinch nan port, nan oversea and nan stars forming a earthy stage.

It’s conscionable earlier midnight of Sunday July 27 erstwhile Martirio takes nan stage. An icon of Spanish and Latin music, she has spent decades blending flamenco pinch tango, bolero, jazz, stone and guaracha successful a unsocial philharmonic beingness of her own. On this night, dressed successful reddish and wearing her trademark acheronian glasses and comb, she performs pinch uncommon extent and wit.

Martirio is known for transforming classical genres pinch poetic emotion and theatrical flair. Since nan 1980s, she has been 1 of Spain’s astir unique voices, building bridges betwixt cultures and styles—from Andalusian copla to Argentine tango, from jazz to flamenco. Her capacity successful Denia is nary exception.

The scent of conifer trees drifts done nan aerial arsenic nan breeze carries nan euphony complete an assemblage of each ages—elderly couples, children, teenagers, families—silent and absorbed. When she sings a flamenco-infused type of Volver, a hush falls complete nan castle. This ancient stronghold, erstwhile Muslim, past Christian, erstwhile ruled by dukes and now a nationalist treasure, becomes a shared spot of emotion arsenic Martirio delivers nan unforgettable line: “las nieves del tiempo platearon mi sien” (“the snows of clip person silvered my temple”).

The evening flows betwixt joyousness and nostalgia, soleá and bulería, tango and copla. These philharmonic forms, each children of migration and resistance, calved successful nan ports of nan South and shaped by gypsy, Jewish, Muslim, Christian and African influences, resonate successful each building Martirio sings. Her sound is firm, but tender. Between songs, she jokes astir men who attraction much astir their quality than their thoughts, and women who take them anyway.

Perhaps nan only point much beautiful than euphony is sharing it. Feeling thing together, successful nan aforesaid abstraction and moment. Thanks to this publically funded taste initiative, thousands of group successful Denia person knowledgeable that uncommon relationship complete 4 magical nights.