"A deaf person can make a record of cante,
and a one-armed man of guitar"

Alberto García Reyes

His playing smells of 'Yerbabuena' [mint]. But it sounds like 'Jarana' [fiesta]. His reclusive attitude has relegated him to the background of the art for many years, and his bailaora's success is not all a result of dancing. The music of this genius from Dos Hermanas has elbowed its way through a disdaining world to find its niche. Eva la Yerbabuena is eternally grateful for his capability. But Paco Jarana prefers to bow his head and keep playing.

Paco, in the world of flamenco you're currently regarded as one of the best guitarists. And yet you don't make a record, preferring to devote yourself entirely to La Yerbabuena.

I'm reinforcing Eva as an artist, and also I often accompany maestros like Chocolate or Lebrijano. Just hearing them breath is enough for me. I don't need anything else. Fortunately, now I'm doing something I've always dreamt about, although being so involved in things takes a lot of time away from studying and I realize that I'm living thanks to things I studied when I was fifteen years old.

Have you never dreamt of doing your own concerts?

When you start out in this, you dream of playing solo and giving your recitals. At that point you race like the wind, and you've got lots of technique. But then, due to other circumstances, you have to make a living and you look for alternatives. I'm not talking about eating and making a living, but rather the need to learn, because knowing how to play for singing and dancing is basic.

Arcángel and Paco Jarana

Do you think there are too many guitarists nowadays who haven't passed through that?

The itch to play solo is always present, but if you don't pass through the bases, you're not helping yourself or anybody else. When you're learning with people who tell you "don't rush", or "that's not the right tone", you begin to enter into a very positive dynamic. I don't know why people aren't interested in accompanying well and only want to be stars. As a guitarist you have to accept that your place is in the background, but you also have to remember that the singer or dancer cannot excel without your help. That's where your importance comes in. I'm not diminished for being an accompanist. You've got Niño Ricardo, Paco de Lucía, Sabicas, Melchor...

But you've got enough background to make a record if you set your mind to it, haven't you?

It's a big responsibility. I've got my repertoire and there are a lot of people who started out with me, like Chicuelo or José Luis Montón, who have their recordings. But I'm different, I don't think I'm prepared. Lots of people tell me that I can record, but I don't believe it because I know my own limitations. One thing is certain however, I can afford to tell some guy with six records that he's not a good guitarist. I'm just an artist from Seville, I listen to B.B. King and to Melchor because I need that. I know where I am and I have no illusions about doing things that I don't know about. Nowadays a deaf person can make a record of cante, and a one-armed man of guitar. That's the way it is.

Arcángel and Paco Jarana

So you prefer to go on composing and playing for Eva la Yerbabuena...

If the time ever comes when I can no longer give her what she asks for, I'll step aside, that's for sure. But until then, I'll try to make my music as good as her dancing. I've enjoyed myself playing for dancing. With Mario Maya I had such a good time I decided that that was where I wanted to be.

You learned from your father, Luis Franco, and then you studied with Riqueni and Isidoro Carmona. What is your debt to them?

I owe everything to my father. He always wanted the best for me, he taught me to be honest and true and he put my grandfather's guitar in my hands, a Santos Hernández. Ever since then I know that you have to respect flamenco. When I was thirteen he took me to Riqueni and I started playing with Mario. That's where I met Isidoro, and I think both he and Riqueni are two geniuses and nobody can ever take that away from them.

Is there something that no one will ever be able to take away from you?

The memories. I've been with all the dancers of my era, with Farruco, Matilde... What makes Matilde Matilde? When you play for her you see it. She's a painting. And Farruco? I remember once when I said to Farruco: "Maestro, let's rehearse". And he answered: "Rehearse? Do you know how to play por soleá?...well that's that." And we got up on stage and whatever came out. That's something that will always be with me, no one has to tell me about it because I lived through it myself.

Speaking of memories, your artistic name has become part of the annals of flamenco lore, hasn't it?

My real name is Francisco Franco and I grew up in a neighborhood called Jarana, one of the oldest in Dos Hermanas. When I was a boy my father took me to a contest in Jerez and I made it to the finals. When the presenter said my name there was a lot of murmuring. The name Francisco Franco stood out, so my father decided to change the last name and ever since then I've stayed with my neighborhood's name.

And there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then, because now there are people who go to La Yerbabuena's shows with a little tape recorder in a bag to catch your guitar variations...

We've all been through that and I think it's a good sign. If there are people who are interested in what you're playing it's something that helps you a lot, because very often you feel like you're alone, that no one cares about you, and it's not true.

How life changes. You used to hound your father to take you to Riqueni's house, and now it's the younger generation that wants to meet you in order to learn.

Well here I am for whatever they want. They're the ones I owe the most to. For them it's worth picking up the guitar every morning and digging in.

Even so, you demand a lot of yourself. Are there still a lot of important things you want to do?

In the personal area, what I have to do is bring up my daughter. And in the artistic, make my record, because I feel obliged to leave something for the new generation so that at least they know who I was. As for the rest, it's more than enough having managed to become a guitarist, especially since I was born in Seville and I've followed the school of Quique Paredes, Manolo Franco... Those are my people.