|
<<
Previous
Rafael Amargo |
|
| |
|
Do you try to stir things
up?
No, not at all. Everyone wants to fill the theaters. To be
here being interviewed, instead of being at home eating sunflower
seeds; they're all very slack! Flamenco has plenty of talent
and lacks perseverance. Put it nice and big in the headline!
They complain a lot. Everyone wants to sing "tiritiriiitiiiiiriii"...
and pocket three million (pesetas). No, no. How old-fashioned,
how confined. Forget me. That's why more and more I want to
work with those of contemporary dance. How few problems people
from other disciplines give you and how screwy are those of
flamenco. It smacks of... I don't like flamenco at all. Yes,
I like flamenco as an artform; as a noble artform it's the
greatest one we have and the most exportable and the nicest
and the most brilliant. But how unfortunate. Flamencos need
to be given a good screw, for them to relax; they're all like
really stiff.
Is that why you use people from other disciplines, from
other artforms?
That's why it's me, I don't know. I use people life puts
in front of me. For being a flamenco, I'm very peculiar. I
die for flamenco, but if there are two tables to sit down
to eat at, I sit down at the other one first.
Does flamenco limit you?
No, but I've suffered a lot, I've been talked very badly
about, I've been treated very badly. And until I proved things...
But I don't hold a grudge against anybody. And more than the
flamencos, I'm talking about those who move the flamencos'
strings. The poor things, many times they're very humble,
very honorable people. Those who move the strings are the
worst, because they take the flamencos to be uncultured and
speak for them. Me, since nobody moves my strings... I'm in
charge of myself, I feel, I speak, I sell myself, I cook it
up, I eat it. I've been through the worst and not with them,
but with those who move their strings.
Do you feel hurt?
I don't really care. I have very little time left here. I'm
here in passing in the flamenco world. I have little time
left, very little. I'll do other things and with flamenco,
close up shop, the grand finale. I'll be with my people, who
like the artform. But the industry, yuk! Firstly, because
there isn't any; and secondly, because what is there is dreadful.
An actor makes a film and shares the scenes with whomever
he's put with, a singer records an album and everyone collaborates;
tell me who goes to collaborate with whose company here. No,
we're all stars here. The three tenors get together and how
nice, how healthy, how elegant. When are you going to see
me dance with some of these people? I'd love to, but... who's
going to call me? However, in my company all the people I
have are leading figures. I bring them in as guests. I love
getting up next to them.
| |
Rafael Amargo in
'Poeta en Nueva York'
Rafael Amargo
|
| |
|
In fact, it's curious that in your shows you give the
impression that you don't want to stand out...
I like to get lost amidst them, I like to enjoy myself, I
like the art to be something shared. Everyone talks here,
but they've all been here: the first one was Eva
Yerbabuena, then Lola Greco, next Rafaela Carrasco, then
it was Hiniesta Cortés, Guadiana has sung here, El
Ciervo has sung here, Montse Cortés has sung here...
Come on, now. When there's money in it, fine. Well since there's
money in it, I'll spend it. No, no, I'm really fed up.
Do you really want to get away from flamenco?
I'll leave flamenco in the future and I'll do it behind closed
doors. I'm never going to give up flamenco; I'm a flamenco
through and through, but I'm my flamenco, not the one they
want to see. Flamenco isn't that savage, but rather a way
of feeling. And above all, flamenco is being tolerant, something
they are not. Flamenco is free and tolerant and, nevertheless,
the flamencos are less free and less tolerant because they're
people with a great deal of prejudices, a great deal of complexes.
I have no kind of complex. Flamenco is something so free,
so primitive, that it should be tolerant and it's not. It
doesn't interest me at all. Afterwards, everyone comes to
my party... there must be something that interests them. How
isn't it going to smart, that I'm at a theater for two months
and I fill it every night? Who's done that here in Spain?
Very few, Sara
Baras and a few others. It makes them livid. And I've
been given the Max Prize for the Performing Arts as Best Dancer
for three consecutive years. We'll see if they give me the
fourth one next year.
What do think of the current creative scene of flamenco
dancing?
I don't even want to think about it; I'm afraid to. No...
there are people who are very restless, what I think is that
there isn't enough projection for those people. And what I
was saying before about talent and perseverance.
You're criticized that you're always on television. To
what extent does flamenco need to be on the small screen?
Everyone should do the same. People are starting to like
flamenco because they've seen me; and because they like flamenco,
they're going to see other artists. Instead of bothering them,
they should like what I'm doing. I'd also like to be like
the rest, stretched out on the sofa at home. But to be on
TV you also have to know how to talk, to have charisma. They
might take you once, but if you screw up, they won't call
you any more. If you're bashful, a 'lib' and a hippy, you
stay teaching classes at Amor de Dios, but don't criticize
people appearing on TV, who are doing you a favor. People
appearing on TV are helping to promote flamenco. And those
coming to see me today might go and see Farruquito tomorrow
to compare. There should be a great many more of us; so don't
treat the one or two of us badly that are up front there.
They should be happy that there's at least a reference that
is pulling this thing forward. Musicians, actors... there
are many on television, but there are only about three flamencos.
And it isn't because the rest don't want to, it's because
they don't have charisma or they're doing it badly. Go out
and get 'em, people! This isn't easy, this is really hard,
you have to mix it up a lot.
He himself asks the last question. "Conclusion? What
I'm proud of is that I do the art of flamenco with a great
deal of respect; that's the first thing. Secondly, that I'm
doing very important things for the flamenco world; and thirdly,
that I'm feeding thirty-five families that I have insured
on the payroll and who make a living from their art. There
aren't many private companies nowadays that have fixed artists;
just the public ones like Spain's National Ballet and the
Andalusian Dance Company. It's a great honor for me".
<<
Previous
revista@flamenco-world.com
|
