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farruquito, baile, flamenco, entrevista
José Parra, cantaor.
Interview
"In cante flamenco you have to outdo
yourself
and evolve, without ever losing the roots"
S.C.O., January 2004
'Luna mora' has been, like every new album, a challenge for José
Parra, his fourth professional and personal dare. With his sights set on the
past and the future at the same time, he assures that "you have to outdo
yourself and evolve, without ever losing flamenco's roots". This is the statement
of intention of a cantaor who openly defines himself as a follower of Camarón
de la Isla: "It's obvious that not only I, but also many colleagues, have
the great maestro as a reference. The way he tuned his singing in particular has
called my attention. Camarón is a genius".
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José Parra |
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Peering at himself in that mirror, he has shaped an album prevailed by tangos,
"since it's a good reference point to draw the young crowd, that's why I
insist on this flamenco style. Each of the ones I do on this album is different
in style and performance". 'Quédate conmigo', 'Tiene tu corazón',
Remedios no tengo', 'El aire' and 'Al melocotón' are their titles. Besides
the tangos, the album includes the bulerías 'Al maestro Finito' and 'Que
no, que no', "which give me the rhythm"; the soleá 'Como si fuera
mi sombra', "which, as a style, is majestic"; the fandangos 'Que no
me quieras querer', "which are all strength"; and the Levante cante
'En la mina tengo mi corazón', "which expresses the language of a
people in the face of injustice".
The Málaga-born cantaor has been well-accompanied on this record. Taking
part in the bulería he dedicates to bullfighter Finito de Córdoba
is Tomatito,
"who I owe a great deal to: his devotion, his friendship, his encouragement
for us to triumph... Very few people have all that. He has a great heart. And
I thank him for having been at my side". And precisely in a tune tightening
the bonds between flamenco and bullfighting, "since art is present in both".
Moreover, he adds that "Finito de Córdoba deserved this song, which
I've done with all my loving care, since he's a great matador, inside and outside
the ring".
Apart from that special collaboration, the guitar he has been side by side
with on this fourth album is that of Pedro
Sierra. "For things to work out well, there has to be a mutual understanding
with the people you're working with; that's the case with Pedro Sierra, since
we've understood each other perfectly. This great artist has contributed artistic
and creative quality to this record".
A voice and heel tapping
José Parra |
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A woman's voice and a bailaor's feet are also heard on 'Luna mora'. It is,
on the one hand, that of La Tobala, who sings in the tangos opening the album.
In José Parra's view, "La Tobala is undoubtedly one of today's best
flamenco voices". On the other hand, the one tapping his heels in the bulerías
'Que no, que no' is El Junco - the lead bailaor of Cristina Hoyos' company - who
the cantaor considers "is all rhythm".
Together with all of them, plus bass player Manuel Nieto, percussionist Paquito
González and other musicians 'in the cast', he shapes an album completely
inspired by love. "Love is always present in lyrics when composing a record.
I believe there's nothing more beautiful than singing about love". The album,
written almost entirely by José Parra himself (except for the soleá,
the fandangos and the minera, authored by Talet and José Luis Domínguez),
is full of examples, of verses with lines saying things like "mi corazón
se amarga si no estoy contigo" ("my heart becomes bitter if I'm
not with you").
José Parra is going to tour the world with these cantes of love and
coldness. "We're organizing a tour that we'll start in the month of March
in Holland, France and Germany, then to return in April to perform on many stages
in Spain". The tour's name, like that of the album, will be 'Luna mora',
"a very, very flamenco title".
magazine@flamenco-world.com
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