FLAMENCO X 2. Pepe Habichuela and Josemi Carmona, guitarists. Interview

“My flamenco comes in a constant trickle”

Silvia Calado. Madrid, November 2005

Pepe Habichuela and Josemi Carmona have been sharing the spotlight for more than a year now. Following the break-up of Ketama, the maestro from Granada has decided to take his son under his wing, at a time when he’s beginning his solo career with an album alongside Carles Benavent. And their work together doesn't stop there, as the father's forthcoming album will be dreamt up and recorded at his son's home studio. The challenge will be to better the timelessness of ‘Yerbagüena’: “The curious and unusual thing about my style of playing is that there are albums that still get played out there twenty years after their release.” They observe that a certain elixir of youth is missing in flamenco these days, as “even light-hearted ‘flamenquito’ tracks follow an established structure that everybody knows”. Father and son, who place their trust fully in the next generation, promise to “think long and hard about it, whether we're looking to the past or moving out in new directions.” It's all a question of imagination.

Josemi Carmona and Pepe Habichuela (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

How did the joint live project come about ?

Josemi Carmona: It's something that was always in the back of our minds. I was going to some of his concerts as second guitarist, and he's always pushed me to do a couple of solo numbers, which is what I still do. The truth is that after the Ketama era, I think change has taken over in my music, it's one of the things I most feel like doing right now. I've traded in the group to be with my mentor.

Pepe Habichuela: It certainly is a family show, except for David Paniagua and the technician, we're all Carmonas.

Pepe, were you looking forward to working side-by-side with Josemi?

Pepe Habichuela: As he told you, ever since he was small we always played together, but not like now with the concert we've been doing at venues such as the Sabatini gardens and just recently at San Juan Evangelista college. Now we've got our act together and I've given a little more room to Josemi, to let him show what he can do now that he isn't with Ketama. I want him to play his own music, the stuff he's recorded with Carles Benavent. That way people will be listening to his album and his live act. It's wonderful - Josemi does a few tracks, I do a few, and we do a few more together. It's beautiful - father and son...

How did you structure the repertoire?

Josemi Carmona: I do a couple of tracks from the album with Carles Benavent and an old tune I did for Ketama...

	Pepe Habichuela (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Pepe Habichuela: The ‘Machuquita’, right?

Josemi Carmona: That's it, the ‘Machuquita’, and later on he comes out to play his stuff. We invited Pepe Luis Carmona to sing and David Paniagua to dance. And then toward the end we started to do the songs together, from ‘Yerbagüena’...

But this time with different arrangements, aren't they?

Pepe Habichuela: Yeah, yeah, we've given them a make-over. Well, Josemi is the one who took charge of putting a structure on everything.

‘Yerbagüena’ is a project that allows for plenty of variety, isn't it?

Pepe Habichuela: That's true. ‘Yerbagüena’ leaves room for anything.

Josemi Carmona: I mean it's wild...

Pepe Habichuela: Anyone who listens to it can't get it out of their head.

What did you feel personally the first time you did this concert together?

Pepe Habichuela: I was so happy that Josemi, my right-hand man, was there to back me up with everything he could, and at the same time we were both having fun.

Josemi Carmona: The truth is we have a great time on tour.

Pepe Habichuela: We had a great laugh and we enjoyed ourselves.

Josemi Carmona: And we've got back something beautiful. Although personally what I find most beautiful of all is that the bulk of the show is his work and it's he who gives me the chance to demonstrate my skills. I mean a guitar concert is something really hard to do, it's on another plane. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. And I shield myself with him - he'll come out and say: OK how long do we have to play here? Two hours? Well sit down over there and watch. And he leaves everyone gobsmacked, totally captivated. It's a learning experience for me.

Pepe Habichuela and Josemi Carmona (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Pepe, what does having Josemi by your side contribute to your music? In fact you've always been surrounded by really young people...

Pepe Habichuela: the truth is you have to listen to young people and you have to show respect for them when you want good results. For example Bandolero in his percussion section has three percussionists, and they really work well together, they sound really good, very tight.

They listen to you carefully, it shows during rehearsals.

Josemi Carmona: The fact is they have a lot of admiration for him and a lot of respect.

Pepe Habichuela: They have respect for me and, although they might not think so, I also have respect for them for paying attention to me, for being willing to be shown, for being there... And it's nice to give young people a few breaks.

And you've been doing that for years now. In the movie ‘Herencia flamenca’ you recount how you were the driving force behind the creation of Ketama...

Josemi Carmona: The youngest one on the scene - not just in spirit, but when it comes to going out on the town - is him. It's not about youth or anything. I have to take him home in the end because he doesn't know his limits. (he laughs).

Pepe Habichuela: That's what we're like, us flamencos... old diehards. And god-willing I'll be like that for a while longer, and I won't say that I'm tired, or that I'm going home.

Ketama is now a wonderful memory. Some people listened to me, above all the record company. I was offering something really beautiful: a group of young people, with a young, free approach to their music... And at the same time, inside they carried with them the cantes that I transmitted to them, cantes por soleá, por seguiriya, alegrías, the taranta... And out of that came something really beautiful.

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