Oscar Herrero, Guitarist
April 1999 ­ Madrid

Oscar Herrero is an author known to many aficionados of the guitar from his teaching methods.
Recently he released "Hechizo," a flamenco guitar recording impregnated with the raw flavor of traditional guitar and no concession to commercialism or exhibitionist flash. "Hechizo" is an essential work for lovers of the flamenco guitar.

Why did you call your record "Hechizo"? (captivated or bewitched)

It is something that refers to flamenco generally, music that in principle is complex but once you get into it, it produces a type of enchantment, you get hooked on it, that's what I want to happen to those who listen to this record.

So, you want those who listen to your record to get interested in other flamenco recordings.

I always say that one begins by listening to Ramón Montoya, Niño Ricardo, Sabicas and after that, all the rest. You have to begin with Ramón Montoya, I believe he is the foundation.

Could a record by Ketama get somebody interested in more traditional flamenco?

It could be a first step, a way to get in touch with flamenco, these guys don't play flamenco, but they could lead you to it.

They use the melodies and rhythms of flamenco.

Yes, since all of them are flamenco musicians and, while later they did other things, almost always there's a flamenco character to it.

Many of our readers know you through your teaching methods, the video series "El flamenco paso a paso" and the Claude Worms books. How has this been for you?

All my life I've been dedicated to teaching. My father was a guitar teacher in my hometown, Tomelloso. I started out helping him; at the same time I was learning, I was also giving classes. My father wasn't a professional guitarist, he played in his spare time. He had another job but, because there were always more people who wanted to learn the guitar, I was 10 years old and sometimes when I came home at lunchtime my father would say to me, "Learn this scale, so and so is coming and you are going to teach it to him in a few minutes." That's how I learned, I never stopped teaching and later I was obliged to study guitar to be able to explain things well to the students.

You've played with many prestigious artists like Serranito, Carmen Linares, Enrique de Melchor, Menese...

Enrique de Melchor is the first professional I worked with in Madrid. We both played a festival they had in my part of the country, in La Mancha. He came with Fosforito, saw me play and asked me why didn't I come and play with him in Madrid. I was amazed because he was an idol of mine. So I went straight to his house and right away he began to teach me things so that I could play with him in concerts. We played together 10 or 12 years. What can I say? I learned a lot.

Serranito is a guitarist who is not terribly well known outside of flamenco circles. You have also played with him many times.

Serranito is part of that trio of very important artists formed by Serranito, Paco de Lucía and Manolo Sanlucar. They've taken the place of Montoya, Sabicas and Ricardo, they're the first to complete this evolution of the guitar. He isn't very well-known because of marketing or commercial issues, his music is complex, in addition, you have to be lucky.

For me there is an important first stage for the guitar with Sabicas, Ricardo and Montoya.

Then came an important moment headed, according to age, by Serranito and Manolo Sanlucar and finally Paco de Lucía, who gave the definitive impulse.

There are a lot of people from other cultures who study flamenco guitar to be culturally enriched and to learn new techniques and new music, but not to become flamenco solo performers. As a guitar teacher, do you notice any different attitudes between Spanish and foreign students?

Its all of this. There are professional musicians from other styles who want to learn flamenco, others simply take it up as a hobby. Now there is a lot of interest in learning the rhythms and certain techniques. The right hand technique is very detailed, and we have some exclusive techniques like the alzapua and the tremolo, which are different from the classical techniques.

What do you think of the Contests?

In my experience, they were good. I found them rather encouraging and people would start to talk about you, though afterwards you have to show that you know what you're doing.

Why have you recorded so few records after so many years as a professional?

In my case its something I've never talked about, my first record is "Torrente," which is out of print. It contains themes from a while back, I had a problem with lesions, operations, I was out of the public eye and I focused more on teaching.

In "Hechizo" you've recorded many palos that, with each passing day, you see less and less on new flamenco recordings.

I wanted to make a record featuring different palos from the earlier records. To only repeat the bulería, there are many rhythms in flamenco, there is no need for so much repetition.

Why isn't there more variety in the palos on flamenco records?

It could be ignorance, it could be because the record company is asking you for more commercial numbers, or because you always sing the same thing and its easy to be recognized that way.
Some are satisfied with knowing how to play only a few palos.

On this CD you have a "farruca" with a Galician bagpipe.

Yes. The farruca comes from Galician folk music. Boudiño begins the song with a popular theme and then plays the vocal line on the Galician bagpipe.

This is the first time this has been done.

No, the traditional lyrics of the "farruca" mention the bagpipe.

Do you believe that there are still many things to be done in flamenco.

Yes, I think so.

After so long teaching, was it difficult for you not to be too analytical with your own playing?

I'm very demanding, too much I sometimes think. In the end I tried to get beyond this a bit, but honestly I think I wore out the sound technicians.

Now it looks like flamenco guitar is going to be featured at the conservatories. There has been a movement afoot for some time now, though there hasn't been anywhere to go to study this instrument. I believe it will start in Andalusia, there is an announcement, and in Holland flamenco guitar is featured at the conservatory, while here, nothing.

You are not from Andalucía..

Everyday there are more professional flamencos who aren't from Andalusia, though it's easier to play flamenco living in a flamenco atmosphere. I remember when I went to the contest in Jerez; the first year I came in second and the next year I was first. The participants were all from Andalusia, and then I was announced, "Oscar Herrero from Tomelloso." Everybody came over to have a look at me. It terrified me (he laughs), I was a kid of 17 and I was a bit stunned. Serranito, for example, whom we talked about earlier, isn't from Andalusia and he isn't a gypsy. Its another one of those things that weighs on you. Sabicas was from Pamplona, but at least he was a gypsy. I understand it, but you have to fight against it.

I consider myself flamenco... its my life. I love it when I go to Yugoslavia and find a flamenco peña (fan club) or go to China and meet aficionados. Let's hope some Japanese will come along who plays the guitar like Paco de Lucía, although that would be quite difficult, its easier for somebody raised on flamenco from childhood, as part of his family life.

Would you talk about some number from the CD, for example, "Portales" which is a "soleá por Bulerías"?

It is a composition dedicated to "Tomelloso," my city (Ciudad Real) which has a building called "Portales." It's a soleá por bulerías that I've had for a while and honestly... I don't know what else to say about it.

You also have included a rumba, the least serious number on a very serious record.

I feel better playing a taranta, a seguiriya, a soleá; it takes time to develop this type of song. But the rumba, it comes from the Caribbean, has a refrain and a melody, while the seguiriya is a more difficult palo to understand, you don't find a melody, its another language, and not everybody understands it.

Can you enjoy flamenco without knowing anything about this music?

I believe that somebody who doesn't know anything about flamenco is going to enjoy it much more than me or any other musician, because when we go to a concert we don't enjoy it in the same way. I go to hear a singer and he sings a soleá, but I don't hear the lyrics; I'm listening mostly to the guitar. Other guitarists have told me the same thing.

The musical score of "Hechizo" has been published as a book. This is the first time that the composer and performer of the music has written the score.

I wrote the musical notation and my colleague Claude Worms wrote the tab.

You can say that it is 100% faithful to the original. Most transcriptions are criticized for the errors they typically contain.

In this instance, everything has been notated down to the last detail, rasguedos, alzapua, everything.

Who is Claude Worms?

Claude is a French guitarist, but not a professional. He works making transcriptions. He's done a lot of flamenco guitar transcriptions and I met him at a guitar festival. He's a great guy, it's a pleasure to work with him.

Daniel Muñoz