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Does that mean that the maestro is going to pass the torch to the student in
Madrid?
Chano: There's no need for me to do that. Even Juan Habichuela told
me that I had to hear her sing cantiñas, which is one of the styles
that I'm famous for, and I was impressed. I don't have to make any kind of presentation
for her anywhere. She's earned her recognition. It's obvious in the way she sings
and the way she is. And with that beautiful face of hers! She's so pretty that
Miss Universe should have to give up her crown!
Marina Heredia (Photo: Anahí Cármody)
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Marina: Ole, Chano!
Marina, have you studied Chano's recordings?
Marina: I prefer seeing him perform. I try to capture that stage presence
of his.
Chano: You know all about that. The way you come onstage and address
the audience, you knock everyone out.
Marina: Now what do I say? I'm going to turn red!
Chano: That's no lie. It takes a lot of work to get used to the stage,
and I'll take my hat off for anyone who's done that, even if he sings as bad as
La Andonda.
Marina: Camarón used to say, "Either you do flamenco, or
you do something else." I've taken that to heart, and I try to do my best.
Flamenco can be a question of many different personalities, not many forms. Every
person in unique. If we were all the same, there wouldn't be much point in even
trying.
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Chano Lobato: "It takes a lot of work to
get used to the stage, and I'll take my hat off for anyone who's done that, even
if he sings as bad as La Andonda"
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Chano: What she said was perfect. The malagueña, the granaína,
the soleá and the seguiriya have already been created. We
have to add personality. I learned something from Antonio el Bailarín,
who was one of the world's best. During some footwork, he made a mistake with
one of his feet, so he did the same thing with the other foot, and everyone thought
it was a new step. That's the trick. They can take things as far as they want
to, but they shouldn't lose the essence. That's what I'm asking. Tomás
Pavón could do wonders stretching out the soleá. He kept
things in proportion. Parts of it are stretched out, but it's an amazing work
of art. You can't just throw something in that has nothing to do with what you're
singing. That means nothing.
Marina: The proof is there for anyone who wants to see it.
Marina, as a representative of your generation, do you think that you owe
much to the older generation that fought to improve conditions?
Marina: Yeah, because it makes us realize what we've got. These poor
guys spent all their lives having to put up with fools who decided when they would
sing, and when or if they'd toss them a few coins. But we sing in concert halls,
and we're treated the way they should have been treated. We owe it to people like
Chano.
Chano, the way you talk about flamenco, one gets the idea that artists are
all the best of friends, and that there are never any arguments.
Chano: Unfortunately, that's not the way things are. You have to be
humble. Vallejo could be a very difficult person, but he was also very humble.
It's important to be polite, because we can't be sweet-talking each other all
day long. Getting mad doesn't accomplish anything. But, I think we all get on
well, because, when somebody has a problem, everyone gets together to lend a hand.
I couldn't imagine you getting mad at Marina.
Chano: She's a great kid, and I admire her. That reminds me of something
I forgot to mention: Nowadays, you have to learn to sing all kinds of styles,
because performances last an hour and a half, and they used to be a lot shorter.
That's a hard thing to do.
Marina: It's true that it's hard to be up there for an hour and a half,
singing different styles. But I don't pay much attention to the kind of style
I'm singing, I just get up there to sing, and I'm not really aware of what's going
on. I just worry about putting soul into what I'm singing.
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Marina Heredia: "Flamenco can be a question
of many different personalities, not many forms"
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They say that both of you are festeros. Do you agree with that?
Chano: No, that's not right. I just told you about that concert in Alcobendas,
when she sang toná, seguiriya and cabal, which certainly
aren't festero styles. That's something that you have to have inside you,
and she's got it, because her father is a singer. Festera? No, I don't
think so. I've had to put up with that for a long time, and I know that it can
be irritating. She's a great singer.
Marina: We're festeros because we enjoy fiestas, but so does
everyone. Chano is a lot more than just that. I've seen him sing plenty of malagueñas,
seguiriyas, granaínas, soleás, everything. Maybe they call
us festeros because we look happy, but they've got no idea. If you go onstage
with a serious face, they'll say that you're a serious singer. But we go onstage
looking happy, and they call us festeros.
Chano: That's just one of those things that happens in flamenco.
Translation: Norman Paul Kliman
revista@flamenco-world.com
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