Festival Flamenco Gitano

Imagine a time before the kaleidoscopic wonder of world music was available at the click of a mouse . Then imagine witnessing the multi-sensory spectacle of live flamenco exploding into your life. This re-release attempts to capture something of that impact, with two of the earliest live performances of flamenco in 1960s Germany. The performers are all good, without including anyone of especial renown, and the shows were built around a wide range of different styles or palos showcasing the three fundamental elements of flamenco: cante (voice), toque (guitar) and baile (dance). The first CD was recorded at night after a show in Berlin in 1965 and the players’ tiredness is evident. To their credit they still produce some emotional performances, most audibly in Ramón Moreno's voice on ‘Fandangos Naturales’; and the last drops of energy are wrung out on ‘Por Fiesta’.

As if to compensate, the second CD, recorded in Stuttgart the following year, is overflowing with vigour. So much so that, with several unrestrained rumbas, they sound at times like a slightly inebriated Gipsy Kings. The sense of celebration is contagious but the lack of light and shade is wearying. Whether these recordings really merit a 50th anniversary re-release is doubtful. While there is some historical interest here, it is more of a milestone in Germany's awareness of flamenco than in the story of flamenco itself.