Antonio "El Pipa"
1999

- Antonio "El Pipa" has staged two shows acclaimed by critics and the public: "Vivencias" and "Generaciones." Many consider him to be the best at this time, due to his combining technique and study with the knowledge of flamenco dance gained through his family and environment, in Jerez de la Frontera.

I think that one thing that is happening in my life is that everything is going slowly, steadily, and easily. And it's going places, which is what counts. "Vivencias" and the premiere of "Generaciones" came along nice and slow, at a good pace. Nothing too fast, nothing overnight, nothing falling out of the sky... But I do believe in that, that it always comes from the sky. I know that God's up there; that much I know.

- Antonio "El Pipa" has staged two shows acclaimed by critics and the public: "Vivencias" and "Generaciones." Many consider him to be the best at this time, due to his combining technique and study with the knowledge of flamenco dance gained through his family and environment, in Jerez de la Frontera.

I think that one thing that is happening in my life is that everything is going slowly, steadily, and easily. And it's going places, which is what counts. "Vivencias" and the premiere of "Generaciones" came along nice and slow, at a good pace. Nothing too fast, nothing overnight, nothing falling out of the sky... But I do believe in that, that it always comes from the sky. I know that God's up there; that much I know.

- When I stage "Vivencias," maybe I'm looking at it as a challenge, even though I've been working for a while now. There was a show I did called "Sentido Flamenco" for a German producer. I was touring for a month through Germany, and that's where I started to direct and choreograph. But when I started to get...well, not serious, but just looking at it as a challenge, since I premiered in Seville, was in "Vivencias." I let the imagination of Antonio "El Pipa" take over, working as a choreographer; although my arrangements as a flamenco dancer have always been my own. But I think that "Vivencias" was a real challenge; it was when I took on the challenge of doing this.

My goal is to dance; my goal is to sell out theaters and my goal is to bring down the house. Appearing in the media is important, obviously, but I'd rather appear in the media when the media needs to talk about someone that brings down the house, and dances well, or at least dances, and dances with every bit of his soul. When the media wants that, I'll be here for them, but for anything else, to be chosen out of so many others for stardom, for the general public, for marketing... that's not part of my plan, at least not for now. If someone is interested in Antonio "El Pipa" it should only be because he dances, he brings down the house, and because he expresses something. And what Antonio "El Pipa" wants to express is flamenco dancing; nothing but flamenco dancing, from here, from Jerez de la Frontera, from a gitano area, a gitano family, and a flamenco artist. Just that.

- Who do you think has contributed more to flamenco, Antonio Gades or Antonio Ruiz?

That's a tough question because I think they're both maestros that have contributed a lot to our art. Antonio Ruiz Soler was innovative and a creator, and so was Gades. Both of them made flamenco dancing more prestigious. I wouldn't place one above the other. I think that they both deserve my full respect and admiration. I'm not the one to qualify such great artists, anyway.

- What do you most admire in Güito?

His head.

- And Farruco?

His gitano essence.

- And Joaquín Cortés?

His charisma.

- And Mario Maya.

His elegance.

- What's more important for you when you perform, a singer, a guitarist, or a good partner?

It's all a combination of beauty and good work, you know? Because a dancer wouldn't be good without good guitar and good singing. I have to have good singing and playing; they have to be very flamenco. If we're talking about choreography and putting on a good show, a good partner is like the reflection, the mirror of what you want to do.

- You've had international success with a premiere in Paris and an unforgettable tour of the US with groups of Romani (Gypsy) musicians from other countries.

It was great; a unique experience in my career because it was so fulfilling. It made me feel proud of my race. I was able to share the stage with five other companies from different parts of the world like Russia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, India, and we represented Spain. We shared the stage with Romani companies from other parts of the world and each of us expressed what we feel inside, and the vision of our culture. Sharing the stage with other Roma who are respected artists in their countries, giving each other our different kinds of music and our sense of rhythm, our sound and our appreciation of that music... It was very fulfilling and, over all, it made me feel proud to see how musically skilled our race is.

- Of course there's a great amount of variety, that's clear from the many years of wandering that have led a people all over the world. But as far as creativity is concerned, how do you think that flamenco compares to other kinds of music that you've heard?

It's very creative. I think that if we had to single out one quality in flamenco it'd be that vitality that makes you feel something. It brings out your feelings at that moment and you express them to the public. So for exactly that reason I think it's very creative. In flamenco we can be creative with compositions, and maybe through anything that generates sensations. So each sensation that we artists feel can be creative, as a part of reaching the public. Maybe that's the big difference between flamenco and other kinds of music.

By Alfonso Eduardo Pérez, from the video-magazine "Flamenco Hoy." 1999

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