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And what role does cante play on the album?

Well, I recorded a bulería with three cantaores. Miguel de la Tolea, Saúl Quirós and my cousin David Jiménez, who has always sung very well since he was a little boy, and the truth is that he sang on my Uncle Ramón Jiménez's album and stopped there. And I had to have him on my album. Each one's done his lyrics, his entrance. I planned it out a different way. Each freely does the intonation he wants, which isn't very usual. And when the lyrics come in, there's a tinaja (earthen vat) by Cepillo and it gives the bulería nice color.

Jesús de Rosario (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

I played the other bulería with my Uncle Ramón, who did the second guitars. There's footwork by Miguel Toleo; that kid dances really well. Personally, he's one of the ones I like best because he's got a very rich, very fresh sense of rhythm. The truth is that he has to get on the go because he's been put a little bit on hold. The truth is that he danced incredibly on my album; it's what's surprised me the most.

And you've certainly played for enough bailaores...

I really have; I've been lucky enough to play with Sara Baras, Antonio Canales, Joaquín Cortés, El Güito, Merche Esmeralda... with everyone. This kid's different because he has a personal sense of rhythm all his own.

Who are your favorites?

The bailaores I've always enjoyed the most are Miguel Toleo, Sara Baras and Juan de Juan. They're bailaores who you're playing for and they do things that you necessarily have to say olé to.

What can you say about the rest of the songs on the album?

In the soleá through bulería sung by Guadiana, he's done two lovely sets of lyrics. We've always been together, since we put together ‘Sensaciones’ by Sara Baras. She dances there, with really nice footwork. The truth is that the record is brimming over with people on all sides. I'd intended to do a guitar album the way the first one's usually done, with clapping and a box drum and that's it. But I'd see someone and they'd ask if they could collaborate, then I'd see someone else, and it was the same thing. And I just had to do without Diego Amador playing, since I wanted him to play the piano in that soleá. But there wasn't enough time; I had to finish up. In the end, despite Gerardo Núñez's advice, I spent four hundred hours recording. I think I've set a record.

Did Sara Baras also ask to collaborate with you?

Of course. She told me she'd get angry with me if I didn't call her. The thing is that I was on tour with Sara for seven years. We put together the music for ‘Sensaciones’, ‘Sueños’, ‘Juana la Loca’ and ‘Cádiz, la isla’; four shows. And there were really nice moments. I recently saw the revival of ‘Sueños’ and the truth is I felt a little bad because the group has changed and it's very weak. In 1997 there was Guadiana, Juañares, Piraña... it was a group of musicians and we were like a clan on stage and I swear that it sounded surprising. I don't think there was another group at that time that sounded with such strength. She used to say so herself, that she enjoyed it a lot. The great baile companies have to have the best in the back. Look at Paco de Lucía and Tomatito; they have the best. And bailaores who are the ones who work the most should worry more about the groups they have behind them and give them their place. Sometimes you get the sensation of having wasted your time after so much work. I had my songs ready, and when I used them for dancing, I couldn't plan out my first album sooner. I gave up my music to ‘Juana la Loca’, ‘Sensaciones’... and I stopped. Your head can't handle more; it needs its time to rest and relax in order to refresh itself and feed.

There's a zambra too, isn't there?

Yeah, there's a zambra like through tientos, with really nice strings by Raúl Márquez, a violinist from Saragossa who used to come with the Sara Baras Company. And in the hotel rooms, since we never stopped playing, something nice came out to record. Also playing there is my friend Mario Montoya, who's done some really nice stuff. And I finished the album singing. I'm the type who sings, but differently. What I wanted to express was the lyrics, because I sing dreadfully, but oh well.

Jesús de Rosario (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Since Paco de Lucía has opened the way...

Ha ha ha ha. I wanted to show the meaning of the lyrics, which I sing to God so that people listen and know that there's a person helping you, protecting you and giving you confidence, and especially, that you're not alone.

What role did Gerardo Núñez play in this album and in promoting young guitarists?

He's always backed me a lot. First, he called me to do the album ‘The New School of Flamenco Guitar’; he told me his idea about each of us playing two or three songs to introduce ourselves. It sounded like a great idea to me, especially coming from a guitarist like Gerardo, who's a tremendous guitarist. I quickly went to the studio, recorded two songs and he also saw my way, which I think he might like. Afterwards I explained to him my need to record my album and he backed me at all times. I thank him with all my heart; he's been great to me, personally and artistically. There are very few guitarists at such a high level who devote themselves like that to someone. That's what Paco de Lucía should have done with him and the guitarists from his generation, for example. I'm not criticizing anybody, but it's true. When he was up there (and he's still there) at the top, there were a series of young guitarists who could really play: Riqueni, Gerardo, Cañizares... They're tremendous guitarists and nobody gave them a hand.

Is it hard to stand out from other guitarists?

It's hard and easy. I think the most important thing there is in a guitarist is that you like what you're playing; if it doesn't come from the heart, it's no good to me at all. Guitarists have to worry about the guitar sounding; the sound is very important. The two most important things are the sound and heart, and if you can have personality, it's much better; many people don't have that gift. I think we stand out a bit in the sound and we open up more; we don't settle for few resources. We seek out Brazilian harmonies, which we love; I love listening to Guinga, Rafael Ravelo... and that opens up a lot of things to you, though I also listen to Sabicas and Ramón Montoya. Look at the gap there is there. Then I pull out a phrase and I grab a chord from the other and things that come to me... That's how I like to compose, from listening.

Manolo Sanlúcar warns of the danger that young people are forgetting tradition...

It's not good to overdo it, but there's nothing bad about listening to other types of music. I listen to Beethoven, Vivaldi, Chopin... Juan Antonio Salazar, Riqueni, everyone. And Manolo is a guitar maestro, but in my point of view he's also forgotten the ground he broke with ‘Tauromagia’, which is an unbearably beautiful, impressive album from beginning to end, a very complete album... it's awesome. And I think he should have continued along those lines, because he has a lot to give to us young people there.

What are the difficulties and facilities the guitarists from your generation come across?

There are great changes with regards to previous generations. The guitar is very complicated, though what's done simply and with heart is what I can use. And there are guitarists who started thirty years before me and they might not say much to you as far as technique, but all of a sudden, they do some little thing... and you say, damn, that's what it's all about and I didn't even realize it. And the facilities? Personally, I have to be very grateful to my father; I swear he loves teaching how to play the guitar. He's been a maestro to a lot of us. I was born listening to my father study.

I also come across a small setback in that we're guitarists who are pushed aside. I'm talking about recording albums nowadays, for example. We know that the one in charge now is Javier Limón, and the truth is he's never called me. This is like cliques. And I don't know why, because when playing flamenco, the music is universal and there's no reason to be afraid, hold a grudge, or... If someone plays faster than you, listen to him; everyone does what he can. And I don't know, three guitarists have been chosen and the ones along the lines of Viejín, Ramón and me, either they don't want to include us, or they don't understand us, but we've been deserted. It makes you livid because we're young and if we don't help each other...

What are your plans? Are you going to present ‘Sin tanto’ live?

Right now I feel like grabbing four or give musicians and getting into it with them, to have the album heard out there as much as possible and for the organizers to lend us a hand. With all their insisting on me putting out an album, well here it is. What I am considering is recording another one quickly, I swear, not out of selfishness, but because I need to bring things out and go again to the studio. I'd like to do some things by Sabicas and by Mario Escudero, but with an orchestra, performing their stuff but with an orchestra. And I'm looking into it.

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