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Ana Salazar (Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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One of the difficulties with this project has been to select the list of songs.
The main selection criterion was ease of adaptation: "When you translated
the songs into Spanish there was a big difference. Out of the songs that were
OK, we chose the ones I saw as most flamenco in terms of the language, and those
which had the most impact on me personally. And it was hard for us because she
has some truly amazing songs." She speaks of 'we' because she formed part
of a team led by percussionist Guillermo McGill, the album's producer. "My
experience working with Guillermo has been an incredible one, because I was a
novice and he helped me... I'd made that first recording, but like I said, it
was an amateurish affair. It was years since I'd been in a recording studio. And
he's a true professional who has come up with a magnificent end-product. He has
a great understanding of jazz and flamenco, and I think he was the right person
for the job. He worked his guts out in the studio."
And with them were guitarist Tito
Alcedo, violinist Ara Malikian, pianist Juan
Cortés... "He also chose the musicians, and I mean what can I
tell you about them? Amazing. I was in shock. They're so talented, there were
never any problems. It was 1, 2, 3, go! They came in, recorded, and that was it,
never a problem. Exquisite - a delight to work with them." And to the exclamations
of delight, you have to add all kinds of gesticulation - Ana Salazar uses every
part of her body to express herself, right down to the curls in her hair...
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"You get a really different feeling when you sing from
when you dance"
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And, of course, that voice and those feet. In the live performances of 'Ana
Salazar canta a Edith Piaf' her dual careers intertwine. "I dance because
I danced all my life, and I wouldn't be happy to leave the dancing aside. It's
just another form of self-expression. And there are songs I take a look at and
I say to myself "I'm standing still for this one." But in others the
guitar plays a falseta and I can't keep still, it just happens. 'Con este sol',
for example, is the most flamenco tune I think, and we put a dance to it, right
there in the studio." And the effect? "The dancing enriches the looser
numbers, the lighter ones, but others are dense, deep, and you say "I'm not
even going to move." Dance runs in my veins. You get a really different feeling
when you sing from when you dance. The language is different; I think you make
the show more thrilling. The audience will go away happier if I do everything
I know how to."
And looking to the future, how do you plan to direct your dual talents?
Well I'm not so sure. As a singer - I say 'cantante' and not 'cantaora' - it's
the first thing I've done professionally and it's a homage to Edith Piaf. This
has only just begun and I have to work on it. But I'll carry on dancing and I'll
interleave one with the other. That's the direction I'm taking at the moment.
The truth is I wonder what I'd do if I took on another album, after this amazing
production Guillermo McGill's done for me, and I don't know which way to go! I
feel like doing so many things… and to be honest what grabs my attention
isn't pure flamenco. I'm all about blending styles."
Ana Salazar (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
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