Interview with José Mercé, cantaor:

"If doing modern flamenco is a sin,
I'm going to Hell"

Silvia Calado Olivo. Madrid, November 2002
Translation: Joseph Kopec

"Everyday life messes me up. I think getting up every day itself is already a mess... and how". But José Mercé takes existence with a sort of philosophy. The Jerez-born cantaor takes being the most illegally-copied artist on the streets of Seville with a sense of humor and, with neither a smile nor sarcasm, leaves those who question his way of creating flamenco since 'Del amanecer' without a leg to stand on. That album marked a turning point in his long-term career: from the fear of flamencólicos, to the absolute freedom of doing a fresh flamenco aimed at the young crowd. 'Lío' is the approval of José Mercé big hits formula as well as of the artist's purest will, understanding purity as feeling: "Now I'm doing what I like, what I feel, what I think a flamenco artist has to do in this era".

What does 'Lío' offer?

'Lío' is an album in which we wanted to plumb the depths of the different styles of flamenco, always keeping in mind the young people who are really the ones who buy records. Following 'Del amanecer' and 'Aire', we decided to offer a kind of flamenco that goes deeper into styles such as the seguiriya, malagueña, alegría, soleá... And they're songs that can last forever. We also put on some tunes por bulerías and por tangos, which are more accessible to people who are not so adept at flamenco yet. 'Lío' is an album where I'm more myself, with a lot more personality and more maturity.

In the more flamenco songs, you take a certain didactic attitude. Live, you don't forget to explain if it is Manuel Torre, El Mellizo or El Manijero who inspires you. Do you keep seeing yourself in the oldies?

	"Flamenco is eternal, and therefore can be renewed; everyday lyrics can be done as on this album, but it's made up"

You have to have tremendous respect for the foundation and the root of flamenco. Flamenco is eternal, and therefore can be renewed; everyday lyrics can be done as on this album, but it's made up. Flamenco has a very strong foundation and the only thing you can do is to make it more accessible to people, with lyrics that people today understand. For instance, lyrics like "you don't know how I feel, oh what I lost for not finding a parking spot" talk about thing that normally happen to us. They're lyrics with messages that young people understand, that connect. I can't sing lyrics from fifty years ago that young people have neither lived through, nor know, nor understand.

And it's also nice to make history known. 'Te recuerdo Amanda' is a small homage I pay to the singer-songwriter Víctor Jara, a man for whom little justice has been done with all the fight he put up for freedom. He was killed, because that's the truth, and it's good that when people listen to this song in José Mercé's voice they find out that it's a tune by Víctor Jara... and they'll find out who Víctor Jara was soon enough. Selling albums is what makes people draw closer to flamenco. And the wonderful thing about it is that seventy percent of those at my concerts are the young crowd. What greater satisfaction for me!

The way they came down on you about the alkaline batteries...

They said that they weren't flamenco lyrics. And what are flamenco lyrics? I come riding on a donkey and the police have smacked me around a bit? Come off it. That's out now. There are alkaline batteries, so what? So "pilas alcalinas pa mi corazón cansao" (alkaline batteries for my tired heart). I don't know why they find it so strange. When they talk about orthodoxy, purity... The one who makes a cante big or small is the performer. If you start singing por seguiriyas and you do it really badly, where's the greatness of the cante? It'll be in the performer, who's the one who makes it orthodox or pure. And pure is everything you feel, everything your heart tells you when you're singing. There's no reason for there to be a judge to say it has to be a certain way. I won't accept that at this point in my career.

Then do you think there's a possible way to do modern flamenco without betraying it?

Of course. Without giving up your roots or your foundation, you can do modern, open, fresh flamenco. If that's a sin, then I'm going to Hell.

José Mercé's eyes

But when you sing songs by Manuel Torre or El Mellizo, everything that's behind you can be made out...

I didn't start yesterday; I'm not from 'Operación Triunfo' (a popular Spanish TV contest for singers). I've been singing since I was thirteen, I'm forty-seven and I think that I've built my career, that nobody has given me anything. By the sweat of my brow, I've earned what little I am by myself. And I'm happy because I think that earning something by yourself is the nicest thing in the world.

'Del amanecer' marks a turning point. What was the José Mercé like prior to that album and what is that José Mercé like who now sells records like the Boss?

	"Now I do what I like, what I feel, what I think a flamenco artist has to do in this era"

I used to be intimidated. I was afraid of the reviews. It was always the same. If you got away from that... That's all about immaturity; not yet being established. There comes a time when you start to wonder why you have to pay attention to everyone and you decide to make your own music and let people enjoy it. And that's what I've done. I respect everyone a great deal, but I can't trust in the reviews; it would be too much at this point. Now I do what I like, what I feel, what I think a flamenco artist has to do in this era. And if I'm wrong? Since I'm taking risks, well, you learn a lot by making mistakes. The easy thing is to do the same old thing that has been done all your life. For a review to say that José Mercé was very good as always means nothing to me. That doesn't do it for me; I'd rather it said that he has a lot of drums and then he does flamenco... since it says something more.

The problem is that the flamencólicos say it's really good when there's only one guitar and as soon as other types of instruments are added, it's easy to say that here come the drums. Analyze what that guy's playing; if it's a percussion instrument, if it's a string instrument, if it's a keyboard! They have to say if that's OK for flamenco or not, never just saying that here come the drums. That means nothing to me. It's like when you have a really big problem and you decide to load up on joints and whisky... it's the easiest way to get rid of a problem.

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