INTERVIEW WITH ENRIQUE EL EXTREMEÑO, CANTAOR:

"How do I learn so many shows?
By rehearsing a lot"

Alberto García Reyes. Seville, October 2002

Curiously enough, his name is Juan Antonio Santiago Salazar, so the only truth there is in his name is the geographical reference to Extremadura, since Enrique el Extremeño was born in Zafra. Even so, he grew up in Huelva and now lives in Utrera. How wasn't he going to be a cantaor? He's driving from there to the meeting point for the interview, the Barqueta Bridge in Seville. The cross look on his face conceals a terrible rage: "My car was broken into last night and was completely destroyed; I mean, it can't be fixed. You have to be a..." However, the gypsy from Badajoz, who always wears tailor-made shirts, ties for the season and suits of many different patterns, relaxes as soon as you talk to him about his sixth musical child: "I've brought the dummy for you here, kid. Let's listen to it and see how you like it". And with a cante in bulerías whose lyrics say "yo soy un pirata" (I'm a pirate) in the background, the conversation starts up.

Enrique el Extremeño
(Photo: Paco Sánchez)

Enrique, you're the "in" background cantaor. How can you get all the details of umpteen different shows into your head at the same time?

By rehearsing a lot. I've had days at this Bienal that I started singing at ten in the morning and finished at ten at night, going from one place to another. Keep in mind that I performed in five shows and I couldn't in the one by Yerbabuena because I happened to be in Japan during the rehearsals and besides, I had to sing for El Mistela that same day; if not, I'd have done it too.

Can we call you Enrique the Rogue now instead of Enrique el Extremeño?

(Laughing) Javier Latorre really hit the nail on the head with that role (of Monipodio) for me. When he planned on staging 'Rinconete y Cortadillo', he told me that he had something in mind that was perfect for me. And it's true, because I really like acting and besides dressing up as Monipodio and strutting around stage as if I were the top dog, giving me the chance to sing the cantes he gave me...

You started singing tonás in that show.

I was really comfortable because Javier said that I hardly had to act. Of course, I'm usually the life of the party, you know? So that was a piece of cake for me. That's why I was able to really concentrate on the cantes. That toná is by Mairena, though I did some arrangements, but it's a beautiful cante.

Just after the Bienal finished, you prepared another show to go on tour in the United States whose title says it all: 'Por derecho' (By Right). And what stars: Juana Amaya and Farruquito.

That's wonderful. Those two dance pure flamenco because it's they only thing they know how to do, and it's a pleasure to sing there. We're going to the United States on January to tour the whole country. Don't ask me all the names of the cities because they're in English, but I know that we're going to Washington, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Albuquerque. Ah, and we might also take this same number to Japan afterwards.

Listening to you, one draws the conclusion that there's no country in the world where Enrique el Extremeño hasn't sung.

There probably isn't; I don't know. Well, there must be some forsaken place where I haven't been, but I've been to all the major spots.

Some people have an apartment on the beach. Do you have one in Japan?

That's my home away from home. I go there at least twice a year because I have an agent in Japan by the name of Mr. Teruo Kabaya, who has put a lot of faith in me.

	"Japan is my home away from home"

After all this conversation it could seem that you are simply a background cantaor, but on the sly you've just recorded your sixth record, which will be released at Christmastime.

I'm very happy with what I've done because I listened to my children. I always used to record four or five rhythmic cantes and another four or five free versions, but this time I preferred to do less measuring out. There's even a salsa and I also have a couple of bulerías and tangos, a minera, a toná... I think it's very fresh, because when I put on this dummy I've brought for you it just glides on by me; it doesn't bog me down at all. The producer, Pedro Sierra, helped me out a lot there. I think he's one of the best there is in the world of flamenco.

And what about from now until the record comes out?

Oh, I have a lot of work. Right now I'm going all over Andalusia with Manuela Carrasco in the cycle 'Flamenco viene del Sur' (Flamenco comes from the South), then I have some gigs with Yerbabuena... I mean, I'm swamped.

Enrique el Extremeño as Monipodio
(Photo Daniel Muñoz)

And you do a party every now and then, don't you?

	"The peñas' ambience is what can't be lost, because we professionals also learn from those amateurs"

That's what I really like most. The other day I was at the Los Palacios' peña and I got Juanito el Distinguido to sing; he's an amateur there who's a real phenomenon.

He's one of the ones who best sing the fandangos by El Sevillano.

He sang them there. And they blew me away. That ambience is what can't be lost, because we professionals also learn from those amateurs. I really like Juanito a lot.

Well, Enrique, we're going to stop because we could go on talking all day and all of this won't fit in the article. Shall we stop here?

OK, but do you have Segundo Falcón's or Bobote's telephone number? My battery's run out and they were apparently going to give a lecture or I don't know what all tonight. Let's see whereabouts they are, OK?

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