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There are a lot of ‘Capullistas’ in the world, aren't there?

Everywhere. From father to son. Even youths who like other kinds of music come and listen to me. One year, at the Espárrago Rock Festival held here in Jerez, I was surprised to see a lot of punks really into my cante. The same thing also happens with hippies, who feel and admire flamenco. I try to reach all audiences.

Do you feel recognized?

	Capullo de Jerez (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

A lot of doors have been closed to me. Imagine, one year at Espárrago Rock I drove over fifteen thousand people mad. The following year, they brought in Enrique Morente. What happened to what I managed to achieve? And now? I've been shaking things up wherever I go for two years now and you tell me how many times I've appeared on TV. I'm really respected among flamencos.

And why?

(He laughs). I imagine it must be because of money. If I go on TV I want to get paid. I'm 51 years old and I have a family to feed. But anyway, there's a lot of playback and a lot of hype there. Flamenco is a really important kind of music. You can't do playback in flamenco. Look at Falete; he's been on TV twice and now he's everywhere. TV works like that.

You recently recorded some bulerías with Paco de Lucía. How long have you known the maestro?

I've known Paco de Lucía for over twenty years. In fact, Paco didn't know how to play yet when I was already singing. That's the mistake people make; Paco wasn't anybody yet and I was already a flamenco cantaor. He used to come to Jerez a lot to the fair and the bullfights. He and Camarón used to get together with us a lot.

How did the recording go?

Paco de Lucía is a monster. He plays what I sing to him. He's number one. The recording went really well, really fast. I arrived at the studio and we recorded the song right away. Paco is first and foremost a person. He's idolized a lot. He's a guitarist and I'm a cantaor. It's that simple. There, Paco told me that La Tana was missing a few things to finish her album and I gave them to him. Several lyrics on her album are mine.

Do you think there are any gods in flamenco?

Well… there are some who even think they're inventors. I once heard a guy say he'd invented a soleá. Nobody can invent anything in flamenco because it's all been invented already. What you can say is that you have your own trademark. But you sing so-and-so's soleá and what's-his-name's seguiriya. This has existed for centuries. What people do here is reinvent. Everything comes from nature. There are a lot of people who've done a couple of things and think they're gods. You've got to knock off so much cockiness. Then there's the case of artists like Morente. Who's that guy? Does he know how to sing to be on a magazine cover? That guy hasn't got a clue about cante.

And monarchs?

Not nowadays. A kid can come along at any time and kill you on the spot. Cante has no borders, no end. Someone can come along any day now and send you to France.

Capullo de Jerez (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Is it hard to be personal?

And much more than hard. And moreover, if then you say you're going to sing Serna, you have to know how to do it. Because there are few imitators who do things well. A lot of imitating is done, but badly.

Why don't we hear Capullo doing other flamenco styles, for example the seguiriya?

I want to record a seguiriya on my next album. It's a style I have a lot of respect for. I've seen so many phenomena sing it such as Terremoto and Agujetas, that it's a wall for me. I've got three sets of lyrics of mine for seguiriyas that I want to record. One of them says: I called at your door / and you didn't open for me / it was because I knew something about you / and I didn't tell anyone / but I called at your door / and you didn't open for me. If I sing it, it has to be with certainty.

Did you have any relation with Camarón?

	"Flamenco is where it is today thanks to Camarón"

A lot. He used to come a lot to Santiago and we were at a lot of festivals together. I had a lot of experiences with him. Camarón was a nightingale. He could really sing. Flamenco is where it is today thanks to Camarón. He put flamenco up there where it belongs. Nowadays there are a lot of ‘Camaroneros’, and how many ‘Capullistas’?

What is it about the rhythm in Jerez?

That's given by the land. Clapping's done here like nowhere else in the world. That's what you get for being born here. It's the joy, the climate breathed in this land. Look for example at the Bulería Festival; the entire crowd starts clapping out the rhythm. That's something unbelievable. Then you go to other festivals out there and it's not the same. You could wipe everyone out with a few people from Jerez.

What projects do you have?

Well, I'm getting my next album ready now. I've already got about seven songs I've passed on to Javier Limón to see if I'll record them with Paco de Lucía. I want him to do two or three tracks for me. But if Paco doesn't do it, I'll make the record on my own.

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