Art of Believing is a truly memorable evening, filled with the authenticity of Andalucia, as Daniel Martinez brings some home grown talents into the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His group have an infectious talents in abundance and their audience lapped them all up – the singing, the rhythmical clapping, exciting flamenco dancing but most of all the sheer brilliance of the musicians and in particular, that of Daniel Martinez. He is a man who can communicate what it is to believe and if you give yourself to the evening you will understand the passion behind Flamenco.
Martinez, composer and expert Flamenco guitarist, displays an array of styles that captures a range of emotions – giving us an authentic feel for Spain. Most of all he allows us to access not only the rich beauty of the music, in song and dance, but to also to feel the searing love or pain of a piece. His generosity of spirit shines through all of his performance, whether with intricate finger picking or in strumming that is can be delicate or robust – whatever the style of play Martinez captures our attention and holds our emotions tight through to the end where we too somehow feel released from the drama.
The drama is wonderfully captured by the Flamenco dancer who commands respect as she circumscribes the floor with her heel-tapping shoes and intensely unfolds her narrative. With shawl or fan or with hands that gesture open or curled, welcoming or rejecting, she points, claps and stamps and absorbs the room and the players into her story. She is dynamic and poetic, enticing and dismissive in turn. She is rigid yet fluent and in releasing her story she tells us something of love and desire of hope and disappointment. She is a performer who may be intense yet she is inclusive as she nods and gestures to the musicians and responds to the singer’s calls and cries and we never feel excluded as she wraps us up in her storytelling. She and Martinez have a particularly strong connection and this adds to the intensity of the piece as she seems to be both challenging his music while at the same time being at one with it.
The accompanying singers wail, call and cry out to be heard. Their supportive vocals are wonderfully enticing to the listeners as we witness their rhythmical harmony with Martinez and his musicians.
Martinez links are a delight, honest and endearing as he explains the nature of the programme or introduces his group of performers. He does so with oodles of charm and Edinburgh is lucky to have him play at the festival. it’s Glasgow’s turn next ,so if for some crazy reason you missed them at the fringe rush through to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall next month, it’s a performance that makes the sun shine, whatever the weather! Art of Believing is captivating and believe me you will will love it!
Martinez is a somewhat unique dignified talent and should not be missed. Its’ a talent he shares with great equanimity and as his group dance and sing along with exciting guitar and fiddle playing – you well be swept along with a true taste of Andalucia.
Venue 38
theSpaceTriplex – Big
21:15 Aug 21-24
Tickets: tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/art-of-believing-flamenco
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