Interview with Segundo Falcón, cantaor and director of the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco:

"If you don't know the foundations of flamenco you always tip the scales one way or the other, you'll never have the balance you can get from studying the roots"

Silvia Calado Olivo. Madrid, May 2002

Segundo Falcón makes his solo début, with the confidence afforded him by the university of singing 'behind' dancers, where he's been awarded a distinction by bailaora and muse Eva la Yerbabuena. On 'Un segundo de cante', the vocalist from the land of Mairena attempts to gather together several schools of cante flamenco and bring them into his own territory. There's a trace of Antonio Mairena, Enrique el Extremeño and Enrique Morente in his voice, but each given a new freshness. And meanwhile this same Segundo Falcón is head of the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco (Andalusian Flamenco Centre), where his aim is to strengthen and promote activity related to the most important documentary archives, helping flamenco to keep its past alive.

Your first disc comes after a long career spanning tablaos, peñas, festivals... Do you think you need that much experience before recording?

I think to make a record you have to have, at least, a fair level of knowledge.

Segundo Falcón (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

But your career shows you've achieved a little more than that, doesn't it?

The songs recorded on the disc aren't something mediocre, they've been worked out and laid down after several years of research. They're traditional cantes, primitive in a way, but in my version I revitalise them a little for the audience.

There's a growing tendency for neo-classicism among the new wave of cantaores, Paco de Lucía obviously agrees, judging from his comments that we have to look beyond Camarón...

The foundations of flamenco have already been laid down... Antonio Chacón, Manuel Torre, Tomás Pavón, Pastora. And then there are more recent contributions like Camarón or Morente. In the same way that Morente reflects all those legends, I reflect Marchena, Chacón, Barea or Gallina. The new generation concentrate on Enrique's style, which of course is the previous style with his own added creativity. As for me, my starting point is learning from the elders, but picking up details from the school of later generations to nourish my work.

And your personal contribution?

The reform is clear to see. By listening to the elders and adapting them to your own capacities, according to the qualities you have, you can reflect the song just the way you feel it. The school is already established, the foundations are already laid, you have to take the old masters as a reference point, but try to give them a breath of fresh air, a little of yourself, without ever losing sight of the roots.

And singing 'behind' performers helps...

Singing 'behind' is something I admire because it acts as an apprenticeship, to sing accompaniment to a dancer is an access course to the university of flamenco. You can spot the artists who've been through that. I have a great respect for the art of singing for dancers - cantar para bailar - and I feel proud when I take on that role behind leading contemporary figures.

And a good example of those leading figures is Eva la Yerbabuena, isn't it?

Working with Eva is a pleasure and a privilege, but you also have to know how to sing for those who aren't Eva. That's where your education begins, because while singing for Eva might be a challenge, she makes life easy for you. You come across other people who don't have her experience and they don't really help you out, you end up having to learn how to look after yourself... though at times it isn't easy. Not everyone who sings centre stage knows how to sing 'behind', and not everyone who sings 'behind' knows how to sing centre stage - only those who show an interest, are inquisitive and give their all in this game. 'Behind' is where the university of flamenco lies, it exposes you to a lot of ideas, the latest contributions to flamenco, new tonalities. The singer who sticks to his peña or private singing group, and studies flamenco singing from recordings is going to have a less open mind because he isn't there on the cutting edge of flamenco.

How much has Paco Jarana contributed, as producer, songwriter on some tracks and guitarist?

We made the disc between us, we've worked together for years now ("I was the one who forked out the thousand dollars!" Paco chimes in) we make a pretty good team, there's a great mutual understanding, on both an artistic and a personal level. I owe him more than just thanks. He produced the disc, and although the songs are based around traditional palos or forms, and feature a traditional toque or style of playing, he contributes his personality, his way of playing and his creativity.

What do you see as the way forward in the evolution of cante?

The secret lies in studying old cantaores and old cantes. Maybe it's one of the areas where young people don't show too much interest, hold back from writing their tunes till they study what's been done well. I think if you don't know the foundations of flamenco you always tip the scales one way or the other, you'll never have the balance you can get from years of experience and what you learn from studying the roots.

Segundo Falcón (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

But it's also easy to fall into the trap of imitation...

New contributions are normally along those lines, bringing it onto your territory. Speaking of cante the possibilities haven't all been exhausted yet, but there aren't still endless possibilities yet to be discovered. Cante's already been defined; just because you pick up a Morente disc and give it a listen, doesn't mean you have to imitate it, but take a leaf out of his book, and adapt it to your own style. Not everyone has the same abilities as Morente or Marchena, for example. On my album I do some Marchena songs, I try and borrow from his school, bring it into my territory. I can't go and imitate that voice, that was something that can't be repeated... the same applies to the voices of Chacón or Morente or El Extremeño, another school I borrow from. I try and bring it onto my home turf, create space for my own personality, using the qualities of my own voice.

So from now on are you going to stick to singing centre stage?

I'm gonna make the break once and for all. We've already started work on a few projects. As for dance, I'll still work occasionally with La Yerbabuena, but as something exceptional. "Until he's paid me back the thousand dollars!" Paco Jarana comments. Well, yeah, somehow I'll have to pay him back his thousand dollars. "He's gonna be singing for nothing till he pays me back", the producer replies...

Calixto Sánchez has been criticised for not being able to combine his work as director of the CAF (Centro Andaluz de Flamenco - the Andalusian Flamenco Centre) with his work as an artist. How do you plan to avoid falling into that trap?

I think that was just cheap politics. Calixto was head of the centre, but he'd been there five years and he was a little tired and in need of a change. He had other ideas, other things to contribute, another project... the CAF owes him a great deal, because thanks to Calixto Sánchez it now has the most important flamenco archives in the world. He's put in a lot of effort even though he might be criticised. When the position was offered to me, I laid my cards on the table - I was up-front about my commitments. I intend to combine my work with the position, and for the moment it's working out fine. I also have to say there's an amazing team at the centre who are excited about their work.

What are your aims as head of the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco?

I aim to divide my time between directing the CAF and my career as an artist. I'm not going to abandon flamenco, especially not at this moment. The aim is to work on some new ideas and some new contributions. We're currently drawing up a project plan for the coming years. We're working on, for example, developing the centre's own agenda of activities, and looking to export them to all of Andalusia. We plan to build up collections from old wax cylinder recordings, we want to investigate the life of La Niña de los Peines - I mean her influence on the history of flamenco is beyond doubt - and we want to make young people aware of the centre's existence and of the activities we're running. We're rooting for young people, for new blood in flamenco - there's a hotbed of talent out there that can't be ignored.

revista@flamenco-world.com

More information: Segundo Falcón makes his solo début with 'Un segundo de cante'