A flamenco performance in the peña El Morato, Almería. The young cantaora María José Pérez offered an outstanding recital in the cueva –cave- of this peña. 

I think I am not wrong when I say that nobody, no one, expected what happened last Friday in the cueva of the flamenco peña El Morato. The young woman María José Pérez was singing for all of us who already knew her we expected the best, but what we experienced was beyond all expectation. María José sang as well as the great flamenco stars, singing in a way that grips you to the extent that you want more and more. Her performance was a lesson in how to sing well. She used her wonderful throat like never before, creating some sublime parts which made us feel over the moon. The guitarist Antonio García, nicknamed Niño de las Cuevas, who was playing with her, was enthusiastic about her performance.

When she went on stage she was talkative and humble. Then, suddenly, she started to sing some tientos, in the best possible way. And she continued like that during the whole performance. After the tientos, she sang some typical gypsy tangos; I do not know where her talent comes from but thanks you God! Later on she played a soleá, slowly, masterly; then a petenera, which made the audience weep with emotion; she sang some alegrías and a verse of an alegría de Córdoba introducing some innovations but without leaving the cante puro. She, who loves Granada so much, also performed some granaínas very softly, some tarantas from Almería and Linares and the beautiful milonga of Baladilla de los tres ríos, which is adapted from a poem by Federico García Lorca. She carried on singing seguiriyas and fandangos, which she did so well that everybody applauded enthusiastically.

So, I think that all the flamenco enthusiasts from Almería have a reason to celebrate. Fortunately, we have more and more important flamenco singers. We all want more, as it is said in a rumba.