Tomasito
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The disc has been made in stages while everyone working on it continued with
their respective professional commitments. "First we went to El Cortijo,
in Málaga, to record the basic tracks, and we spent the week working flat
out to get a good result. Although we also went to the Sonoland studio in Madrid,
almost all of it was recorded at Tino's house: the electric guitar, the bass,
the cajones". The finishing touches were put on at home. 'Tacones
cercanos' was recorded on the patio of La Bodega studios in Jerez, a type of bulería
rhythm in the style of the 'partner-in-crime'. About two months of sound booths
in total.
'Cositas de la realidad' is a musical melting-pot above all else. Tomasito
considers himself a flamenco artist, but has no prejudices when it comes to flirting
with other musical styles. "Flamenco is flamenco, jazz is jazz, you've got
you're pure forms and those that are less pure… And if anyone thinks there's
something wrong with that, then it's their problem. I feel free to do it and the
results are clear -my discs sell and people trust me". And what is it about
flamenco that lends it to combine well with other genres? Tomasito responds without
hesitation: "The key is being a musician. You have to like all types of music.
If you like music, you like everything. If you confine yourself to your own area
you're not a musician. You can't go around thinking your type of music is the
best." This attitude to music is a rare commodity. The genre might "be
opening up a little more", but Tomasito comments that "a lot of flamenco
artists are startled by this variety and even concede that they'd like to do stuff
like that, but in the end they stick to their home turf". Tomasito's advice
is to "not worry about what people say, just do what your body feels like
doing." And this comes from the man who considers himself "one of the
craziest around", who's just as likely to strike up "a flamenco rhythm
as he is rock and roll or a style from Saint Petersburg".
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"People in Latin America are more used to Latin jazz, but when
they hear Chano's brand of fusion they take to it much more"
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The explanation for all this lies in the porosity of an artist who allows himself
to be influenced just as much by Lola Flores, Diego Carrasco, Camarón and
Paco de Lucía, as he is by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Leño or Rosendo.
In fact, he sings a version of Rosendo's 'Agradecido', the soundtrack in every
bar the artist frequented in the Carabanchel barrio of Madrid, por bulerías.
And he confesses that "I always have to visualize a song first in a bulería
style. I can't do anything else until I've done a bulería."
And of this style to which he feels so attracted he comments that "it has
a lot of possibilities, since it's one of the most difficult rhythms." And
the pulling power of the bulería between all classes of musician can be
seen on pianist Chano Domínguez's international tour: "Paquito D'Rivera,
Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerry González and the whole crowd from 'Calle 54' are
crazy about the bulería compás. People in Latin America are
more used to Latin jazz, but when they hear Chano's brand of fusion they take
to it much more."
'Cositas de la realidad' was consummated live on stage. "Live performances
are what I'm really into. Audiences are always surprised and always like what
they see." And the fact that Tomasito's peculiar style of dancing is growing
in popularity is largely down to the fact that the disc, from which his favorite
tracks are 'Soleá punk' and 'Mariana de Pineda', "is harder and rougher".
The question is… where do those indefinable movements come from? "That
style of dancing comes from… my body. A little is taken from my homeland,
from la bulería de Jerez, from flamenco, and also from reggae, from
jazz... from everywhere". Bebo Valdés also has an answer to the question:
"That tremendous dancing you do can't be learnt at any dance academy, that
comes from within."
Tomasito
revista@flamenco-world.com
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