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The fact is that by managing this way he was
able to become not only an essential member of the sextet, but an essential flamenco
musician. "It was like starting at the end". He admits that he was very
lucky, that he has always been so, both in life and in music. "I've always
come across people who knew more than me, who are the ones that pull you upwards".
Carles Benavent
Naming all the cantaores, tocaores and bailaores who have counted on Carles
Benavent both for recordings and live shows would be a huge task. He is the first
to refuse to do so, in order not to leave many unnamed. "Even with Lauren
Postigo!", he says jokingly. Of course, besides Paco de Lucía, you
have to point out Camarón
de la Isla, with whom he recorded, among others, 'Calle Real', 'Viviré'
and 'Soy gitano'. The cantaor was really the key for him. Carles Benavent sums
it up with an anecdote:
"The first year that I was with Paco de Lucía one of the first
concerts was in Oporto. There were some flamencos there who started shouting,
"Get rid of the guy on the Chinese guitar!" when we came out to do the
colombiana. I was an undesirable back then, with that strange plugged-in guitar.
Even though I was very young, I didn't care. But it didn't last long. As soon
as I recorded a bulería with Camarón in 'Calle Real', Paco called
me and told me: "Carlos, it's done". I don't know who had smiled, who
were the ones who had to smile, and it was like I'd already joined the brotherhood,
I was now a brother. We're going to let the Catalan play, they'd say. Playing
with Camarón was an endorsement, it was like playing with Miles Davis for
a jazz player. Since then, compliments. That was considerate. I knew it wasn't
that the purists were attacking me, it's that they were attacking Paco, as you
know. And they have to be there, there has to be a bit of everything. Sometimes
things are maintained by this balance provided by poles apart, but what's clear
is that things have to move".
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"I have a lot of faults, but also the virtue of being
adaptable, of being elastic... you learn a lot that way"
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And Tomatito, Enrique Morente, Remedios Amaya, Duquende, Carmen
Linares, Pepe Habichuela, Cañizares, Ramón el Portugués,
Pepe de Lucía... few of the greats have ignored him. He says he has learned
from all of them, "going with the flow. I have a lot of faults, but also
the virtue of being adaptable, of being elastic... you learn a lot that way".
And not only within flamenco, but also outside. "One collaboration that marked
me a lot was the year I was with Chick Corea, twenty-five years ago. I arrived
there not knowing any English and I had to face a huge job; I had to really get
on the ball". Now - in May and June 2004 - he is going to repeat the experience
with the American pianist, forming a triad with saxophonist Jorge Pardo and percussionist
Rubem Dantas, all members of the now broken-up sextet. "And once again on
the ball". The bass player affirms that he even has sore legs, "it'd
never happened to me in all my life". He knows that many people, admirers
of Paco de Lucía's nearly legendary group, have interpreted the call by
Chick Corea as proof of the mistake made by the guitarist in doing without his
usual musicians. "It was a coincidence, the thing is that it's in a situation
where it can lead to a ton of rumors. We're not angry with Paco or anything like
that; the door's open and who knows if down the line we'll work together on another
project".
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One thing Carles Benavent doesn't lack are projects. With the trio he forms
together with Jorge Pardo and Tino
di Geraldo he is now finishing off the album 'Sin precedentes'. Before year's
end he also wants to have ready "an album with Josemi
Carmona that is half-finished, which I'm also really excited about. Years
ago we'd promised to each other that we had to make an album together. And one
of these years we made a pledge and we're doing it. It has to be flamenco-style,
swearing. They're our stories, our tunes. I like his stuff and he likes mine.
We pass things on to each other: I pass a song of mine on to him with the bass
and he passes another one on to me with his guitars. At the end we'll decide who'll
come and collaborate; if we need a voice, some other instruments, percussion or
whatever we think of".
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"I see that people are restless, things are going well,
but I'm telling you this and I'm not an expert"
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And the thing is that the important thing for Carles Benavent is to go on surprising
himself with the sound coming out of his instrument. "That's what encourages
you to spend time on these projects". He affirms that it happens to him especially
with music in a trio, a road he considers to be unexplored... like so many others.
But he doesn't want to talk about the rest. Now that he's a maestro - which seems
natural to him -, he's asked about the, shall we say, more "heterodox"
flamenco music scene... and he dodges it claiming that "I don't consider
myself an expert". Come on, take a bit of a stand. "Of course there
are people that I really like. There are a lot of good people; really good guitarists,
really good percussionists... And the proliferation of singers and cantaoras over
the past few years does seem interesting to me". And in general, he thinks
that "people move; for example, Miguel Poveda is brave doing things with
an orchestra. I see that people are restless, things are going well, but I'm telling
you this and I'm not an expert".
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