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New
York story of ‘Silence light’
And then talking about the album, 'Silence
light', Nacho Arimany comments that “it reflects
the experience of an encounter between two worlds, like
a document I guide by proposing settings, roads to travel,
but leaving an open ending for each person to express
himself”. That’s the secret of the record,
the freshness of the moment: “The album has been
recorded live, after rehearsing just the previous afternoon.
With the premise of admiration and respect, we managed
to create a common world. That’s the magic of the
album”.
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Nacho Arimany (Photo:
Daniel Muñoz) |
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On the flamenco side, the Madrilenian
percussionist and composer had cantaor Antonio Campos,
pianist Pablo Suárez and bailaora Concha Jareño.
And it wasn’t an easy task, since he says “it
was hard to find flamenco artists who would fearlessly
get involved in the project, who were capable of admiring
the music of others and communicating with them”.
But he managed to. “Pablo Suárez played a
double role, since I knew that wherever the cante went
as far as harmony goes, the piano would be there, providing
the flamenco subjection. Moreover, he contributed feeling,
musicality and the bridge to unite us with the jazz players.
He even managed to get into the other side and reveal
his true self, coming with me both in the rhythm and the
timbre”, he explains. In the case of cantaor Antonio
Campos, “he was fearless from the beginning despite
the fact that the style I’d developed in my compositions
with Javier and Lionel was different for cante due to
the harmonies. I was seeking music and reliability. And
I found it. Moreover, complete understanding arose between
the guitarist, though he wasn’t flamenco, and the
cantaor, as well as respect and admiration”.
The baile was a different matter. He
admits that “Concha was the one most scared because
my aim was to make music out of baile. She has very sensitive
musicality in her feet, though improvising with her was
harder. Beyond playing and dancing, the entire recording
was like rolling up into a ball of energy. And in the
end she came in both with her feet and her clapping”.
To do so, he made a peculiar sketch of the septet’s
layout at the studio, so that everyone formed a circle
with the bailaora in the center: “You can hear the
baile on the album due to the footwork, but her movement
generated inspiration”. Just letting yourself go
with the flow of such intangible concepts could make the
experience flow: “Jazz means freedom and commitment
to music”, he judges.
-And doesn’t flamenco mean
that... or does it mean that in a different way?
-Flamenco does it differently. It’s
hard for flamenco to create live. All the shows are really
calculated now. There are new nuances because in each
performance there’s new energy. We’ll only
have the freedom to surprise ourselves when we’re
committed to music and when there’s no hierarchy.
In World Flamenco Septet, we’re seven bosses with
a crazy guide.
And the jazz ‘bosses’ understand
that perfectly. Nacho Arimany recalls that he met Javier
and Lionel at the Café Central following a concert
by Enrique Morente, whom he dedicates a song to on the
album: “They came to my place and told me, without
ever having heard me, to come the next day and play with
them”. It was an unforgettable experience for him,
since “at first I didn’t understand a thing,
but truth and honesty came to me which filled me with
fear. I tried to plunge in and I understood that the only
way was to look inside myself. I felt the same again as
when I’d started playing; that sensation of freedom,
strength, union with others”. And there he finds
a clear difference from flamenco, “which is like
always outwards; on very few occasions can you look inside
and give your truth”. And he’s constantly
surprised by who his colleagues are who made him look
inside. “Imagine, Lionel is Herbie Hancock’s
guitarist; he’s like the promise of jazz guitar.
And Vercher is the next Spanish saxophonist, of the following
generation to Jorge Pardo”. And also by the fact
that they “had to encourage me to make my own music
in New York”.
The idea of universality runs through
this project from beginning to end. Nacho Arimany argues
that “music is a universal language and flamenco
is music and is perfectly understandable for everyone.
You have to open up and share it and let yourself be surprised
by what there is out there”.
-And how do the musicians out there
react to flamenco?
-They react with respect, and starting
there, they go on to give their heart. So mixture is always
going to be permissible: with a noble heart, with a sound
from within and with musical wisdom. I remember that when
we met, I played the album by Ramón Jiménez
for them at my house and I’ve never seen anyone
listen to music so deeply. That’s why when a musician
is into the music there’s no mystery. That’s
why the bulería on the album was recorded in a
single take. Nothing was prepared; I just told Lionel
and Antonio, “go ahead”. And it all just happened,
even though it was the first time for both of them.
-And what did flamenco give to you
musically?
-Flamenco has given me really strong
rhythmic training which allows me to get myself across.
Flamenco rhythm helps me get myself across.
Philosophy of percussion
Nacho Arimany (Photo:
Daniel Muñoz) |
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It is now time to delve deeper and reflect
on the present and future of percussion in flamenco. Nacho
Arimany is convinced that “there’s still a
long road ahead, which I’m excited about”.
He adds that “as far as timbre goes, there’s
an entire world to be discovered, to color in, more than
to seek complex rhythms. Percussion gives colors”.
And with regards to rhythms, he explains that “there
are other really rich traditions which can be learnt,
especially the Iranian, North African and Sufi, which
can be added to flamenco”. And how? His answer is
clear: “A current of research on rhythm has to be
generated, since there are many ways to mark the beat”.
And he looks towards voice: “You don’t need
to make up new rhythms, but rather go on deciphering cante’s
rhythm and give it color. Of course, we’re going
to continue learning from each other”.
And then the magic word springs up in
the conversation: the box drum. “Percussion is young.
The reference is the box drum, but let’s not forget
that what Paco de Lucía did was to seek an instrument
he was interested in to support the music of his guitar.
Why don’t the rest of us use that same process?
When I play por bulerías, I play my bulería,
not the pattern that was useful to Paco for his guitar”.
But he isn’t against the box drum: “I love
it because it’s really powerful, but even with regards
to baile, the pumpkin’s sharper”. He argues
that “each percussionist should discover for himself
which instrument is good for him; each person should research
his own style”. And he makes a proposal: “To
keep on insisting on the language of clapping, since it
is its anthropological instrument and it’s always
going to be the best one, though it’s complicated
and really hard”. Looking ahead, he thinks about
the need “to create a more musical rhythm, for example,
like the zapateado with a score for clapping done by Manuel
Liñán. And there are already recorded sketches,
such as the beginning of the latest album by Tomatito.
The question is for the phrases to be richer, for there
to be a melody in the rhythm. There’s a lot of research
to be done in that way of musicalizing the rhythm”.
That’s where his thoughts lie while
he is getting ready to travel to the United States, where
he takes part in Flamenco Festival USA 2007, involved
in the Rafaela Carrasco Company. “Her show ‘Una
mirada del flamenco’ also sets out to share styles,
and I find that really nice”. So for the new show
by the Sevillian bailaora, ‘Del amor y otras cosas’
which premieres at Festival de Jerez 2007, he adds “and
I’ve done an entire percussion piece for it”.
They put it together right here, in the former wine cellar
in the basement where, after no small effort, he’s
set up his studio and his living ‘museum’
of instruments. Leafing through his agenda, he also has
upcoming engagements with Jorge Pardo, Enrique de Melchor...
though what he’s interested in is to make his World
Flamenco Septet known. Nacho Arimany and the world. Nacho
Arimany and flamenco “which keeps on feeding me
every day... and heals me. May the dialogue live on!”.
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