Niña Pastori, flamenco cantaora. Interview

“Fans in America
know a lot about flamenco”

Silvia Calado. Madrid, September 2006

Niña Pastori finally crossed the Atlantic. She borrowed the most popular latin pop songs, translated them into her special way of understanding flamenco... she came, she saw and she conquered. The Cádiz-born cantaora is gaining followers all over Latin America, a land where she has not only come across good enthusiasts, but also genuine fans. While she is continuing the international tour of ‘Joyas prestadas’, she keeps on working together with Chaboli on the composition of songs of her own which in time will give rise to a new album: “We’re always trying to bring out something different, something new”.

	Niña Pastori (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Niña Pastori makes a stop in Madrid to attend a special event: Cumbre Flamenca Metro de Madrid. How does this city treat you?

Most artists come from Andalusia thinking that in Madrid... And I remember back when I came to the Café del Foro at the age of fifteen, I was surprised in a really big way. There were a lot of young people, it was a really small place and the truth is that they loved it. There were a lot of enthusiasts not of an open flamenco like the kind I might do, but of the purest, most traditional flamenco. There’s a big following in Madrid.

Is an upcoming album with new songs already underway?

You know Chaboli. Composing isn’t something you stop doing, either; it’s something you always have inside. It’s not even in your head, it just comes out on its own. We’ve got a lot of little things as usual; we’re always trying to bring out something different, something new.

Although ‘Joyas prestadas’, an album of new song versions, is virtually a new release. How do you feel in the skin of other singers?

Good, because they’re all really nice songs with a lot of history which I like a lot and which have been well adapted to the style of music I do.

What was the process of choosing the repertoire like?

Really hard, because there are really nice songs with a lot of styles. In the end we decided on these which turned out well and were naturally and easily passed on to our style.

Is it easier to go into America with this repertoire?

It might be easier with this repertoire and more doors are opened to you.

Why an album with versions?

It came about through the collaboration I did on an album paying tribute to Sabina. The version turned out well, there were a lot of people who liked it, they proposed for me to do an entire album with versions and I liked the idea. It’s also true that it was an open door to Latin America and going abroad.

How has this repertoire been worked on? What’s the difference with regards to working on your own songs?

Well, you choose the repertoire in such a way that by trying it out with a guitar, you know if it’s going to adapt well. And if not, then you toss out the song and choose another. Actually, the business of versions is delicate because it can turn out forced. You want to do such-and-such a song and by insisting on it, you can screw up. It was easy because we’d choose the song, try it out, it would turn out OK and we’d include it in the repertoire. So we’d seek, try, toss out and stick in new things. Actually, the work is similar to that of a normal album, but with the difference that you save yourself the composing. Ha ha ha. You’re getting out of six months to a year of closing yourself in to compose. But then it’s hard to place the repertoire. There are things we have which are unreleased that didn’t fit in the repertoire of the previous album and you save them in case they fit in the concept of the next one. And it’s the same with the versions, with the difference that you have to do a sort of puzzle with the songs; place them.

Niña Pastori (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Is it hard to forget those artists’ personality and give yours?

No, because I don’t have anything to do with them; they’re far-off people. If they’d been people closer to flamenco or from flamenco itself, then you have to shape it differently. Actually, I don’t have anything to do with Juan Luis Guerra, so when I sing it I’m already giving it another air and another style.

What role does flamenco play on this album?

The role flamenco plays on ‘Joyas prestadas’ is in the flamenco guitars, which never leave; and in my way of performing and in my voice, which are flamenco.

Have you gotten any comments from those whose songs you’ve done new versions of?

Oh yeah, and good ones, really. But if they’d been bad, it’d have been OK; it’d be very respectable and logical for someone not to like it.

How did the audience welcome you in America?

Good, great. Now we’re going back again to Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Colombia... Little by little, they’re getting to know Niña Pastori. Though the surprise has been that there are a lot of people who, undoubtedly through Internet, know a lot about some things. And the thing is that the audience which is there, which are fans and they like it, know a lot about flamenco. There’s a bit of everything. Most of them are new people who didn’t use to know me, but there were also some people there who knew a little about me.