Las Migas (live set - 28/10/10 - Copenhagen)

Tagged with: Las Migas Flamenco Spain Copenhagen Womex Koncerthuset Silvia Perez Cruz Marta Robles Crespo Carlos Cortes Bustamente Isabelle Laudenbach Lisa Bause La Nota Glyn Phillips World Music worldmusic.co.uk Review

 The following is part of a larger review of the first night of the world music expo, Womex 10, held in the DR Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, Denmark on 28 Oct 2010:

"I made sure I was well in place for the multinational Barcelonian flamenco band Las Migas. This was definitely one of my highlights of Womex: four beautiful - and extremely talented - women on violin/accordion, two Spanish guitars and cajon/vocals (accompanied by Andalucian percussionist Carlos Cortés Bustamante).

a voice that could floor a man at a hundred paces . . .

The musicianship evident on-stage would be enough to make it to my highlights list on its own, but what really catapults them above other similarly talented bands is the stage presence of their lead singer, the cantaora Silvia Pérez Cruz. Seated upon her cajón centrestage, she is like a magnet to the eyes and ears - no mean feat considering the skills and charisma of her compañeras - and certainly for me that night she had the elusive duende so sought after in flamenco. Posture, grace, facial expression, delicate hand-movements and a voice that could floor a man at a hundred paces . . .

She effortlessly travels between flamenco and jazz in the most subtle nuances of her voice.Offstage she is tiny compared to the brilliant guitarist (and curvaceously statuesque beauty!) Marta Robles Crespo, but onstage Silvia is like a queen holding court. As you can tell, she ruled my head, ears and heart that night.

The reality is that the whole band were stupendous, the playful Lisa Bause (from Germany) swapping between violin and accordion, the slightly more serious Isabelle Laudenbach (France) on guitar, the effortless fluidity of Marta Robles and not forgetting the sympathetically subtle percussion of Carlos Cortes. I came not knowing at all what to expect - I left utterly converted. ¡Viva Las Migas! (www.lasmigas.com)

Glyn Phillips
WorldMusic.co.u
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