Diego del Morao, guitarist. Interview

“Three years ago I was buying albums
by the artists I'm now playing with”

Carlos Sánchez. Jerez, January 2005

Diego del Morao, who comes from one of the most important tocaor families out of Jerez, has become a much sought-after guitarist on the current flamenco scene. You simply have to take a quick look at the new records he has out on the market to see the presence of the guitar of this young tocaor, the son of Moraíto Chico. In 2004 he did recordings with José Mercé, Niña Pastori, Montse Cortés, La Tana and Potito. Following a crucial year in his artistic career, in which he had such unforgettable moments as having been able to work in a studio with Paco de Lucía himself, he is thinking about recording his first album.

Diego del Morao (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Is belonging to a family of great tocaores a stroke of luck or a responsibility?

For me it's been a stroke of luck in every sense. Everything I've learned from my father - Moraíto Chico -, with a view to my profession, has been good things. I've never found cases where I've been compared with someone in the family. I've always benefited from the name I have. But that doesn't mean it doesn't demand a certain amount of responsibility.

When did you decide you wanted to be a guitarist?

I'd played since I was a little boy. But my decision was made when I left the institute, where I studied to become an administrative assistant. Then I began to do some things with La Macanita. At the beginning I used to play guitar and bass. At that time my father didn't want me to dedicate myself to this. He used to tell me it was a very complicated world. But after performing a few times with La Macanita, I decided I wanted to dedicate myself to this. If I'd done something else, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt satisfied. My father wanted me to devote myself to playing another instrument or to do some other kind of work. But when he saw that I wanted to be a guitarist, he backed me in everything.

Do you remember the first time you ever played a guitar?

My father took me to El Carbonero's school for me to learn the basic technique there, to position my hands. I remember once my father sat me down in front of him and gave me a little thing through tientos with a Ramírez guitar he'd won in a contest. Everyone who begins starts off by playing tientos.

And the first time you got up on stage?

The first time I felt that responsibility and those nerves when you see the people was with La Macanita. I remember that we did two shows that day. We were in Viso del Alcor and in Morón de la Frontera. I was about sixteen years old then.

Diego del Morao with Diego Carrasco in Jerez
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

What is your father to you?

My idol. As a person and as a musician. He's a very big reference for me. Nearly everything I know as a musician, I've learned from him. I've always wanted to be like him. He's a person who's admired and much-loved by a lot of people. Being by his side is a stroke of luck. You learn a lot from him. I feed on that. I ask him and he gives me advice.

Have you had other maestros?

I like a lot of guitarists. You have to learn from all of them. Everyone takes things from the rest. We guitarists are constantly learning. At the beginning, my father's toque is easy to absorb and that's helped me. But as you go on playing, you start to investigate new things. I even listen to other types of music. I really like jazz; it stirs up a lot of restlessness in me.

They say guitarists are usually frustrated cantaores...

That's not my case. I've heard that a ton of times. I've been a guitarist since I was a boy. I don't want to be a cantaor or a bailaor. What I can tell you is that I'm a great cante fan. There are a lot of people my age who don't give importance to old cante. If anyone says he's a frustrated cantaor it's because he's lived more Camarón's time forward than Camarón and earlier.

The truth is that you're living at a very good time, aren't you?

	"I've been a guitarist since I was a boy. I don't want to be a cantaor or a bailaor"

That's really true. I really like the guitarists there are now. Though I think it's more complicated to play the guitar now because there are a lot of guitar enthusiasts and great tocaores. That creates really big competition. You have to be very special to be there and have your place.

But are they all good?

The truth is that time puts everyone in their place. Someone who really has a message to offer will stay there. There are a lot of people playing the guitar very well.

Do you think it's necessary to leave Jerez to be able to make it big nowadays?

More than leaving, it's about receiving what's out there and worrying about what's out there. There's a very nice way of playing here, but that doesn't take away the need to receive influences from other places in order to progress personally and musically. What usually happens in Jerez is that the people limit themselves to our way and don't worry about what's out there. You have to bear in mind that each place has its product and it may come in handy for the artist. They sing tangos really well in Extremadura; they play taranto really well in Almería... You have to take things from each place.

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