Interview with Vicente Amigo, guitarist

"The Grammy is dedicated to Paco de Lucía
because it's his fault I'm a guitarist"

Alberto García Reyes

The artist received the international award at the Los Angeles ceremony.

The boy from Guadalcanal who grew up in the back streets of Cordoba's old Jewish quarter had built a "city of ideas" [Ciudad de las Ideas] with his bare hands. Kavafis was his guide, the poet who would narrate his dreams. And in Los Angeles, with Samson's hair, Vicente Amigo made use of his verses to conquer Delilah. The Latin Grammy for best flamenco record now belongs to him. And to Kavafis. And to the source of jondo flamenco. His life 'experiences' are no longer imaginary.

Three notes rang out saying "I love you". And flamenco, at last, returned the attention. Vicente Amigo sent a heartbeat into the air and the self-made man who owes his fate to a televised childhood memory - "I saw Paco de Lucía when I was three and knew immediately what I wanted to be" - found his path of glory. It was midday in Los Angeles. Here in his mother country, where plaza clocks marked the passing hours, darkness reigned. The guitarist picked up the cell phone nearly stumbling, and broke into a fit of joyous laughter. And almost without listening to the corresponding congratulations, he spoke for his people, for the steadfast followers who from this point on owe a great debt to the six strings of the 'Mezquita'.

Congratulations Vicente.

I would like to give a big embrace to all flamenco people, because this is the greatest honor we could receive from the music itself.

You won the Grammy for best flamenco record...

But bear in mind, Alejandro Sanz, Christina Aguilera, Laura Pausini were also nominated for best album of the year... This makes it even more important for me, because flamenco is right up there, in the forefront. This nomination is just as important as the prize I won.

Are you thinking of your country now, the land that placed the fountain of flamenco before you so that you might drink of it?

Whenever I win a prize it's impossible for me not to think of Córdoba, and of my birthplace, Guadalcanal... I have to be grateful for my roots and remember where I'm coming from. And it makes my head spin to think of how my life is going, in the fast lane, which is why I have to give thanks to God for who I am, and to the people who regard me highly, the people of Córdoba who have always been so kind to me.

And your maestros?

I remember everyone who gave me something, Tomate, Rafael El Merengue, Manolo Sanlúcar..., everyone who lent me a hand. I even think of people I've never met, those anonymous musicians I've been listening to all my life.

And Kavafis?

I always remember Kavafis, I'm hooked on him for life. Ever since the first time I read him he's been a part of me, I can't shake the feeling.

Tomatito won a Grammy but he managed it together with Camarón, which means you're the first guitarist to open this door.

You can't imagine what a great feeling it is. Although we all came here to Los Angeles to shine on our own merits, without any intention, and yet with every intention, I'm opening a door. Which is why I want to tell every instrumental musician that this is possible and that you just have to be motivated and express what you have inside.

Does this euphoria inspire you to compose new things in the near future?

Of course, today a new reason for making good music has been born, because I'm under the obligation to give of my art to those who have awarded me this prize.

Have you already had ideas?

Certainly. I always carry a minidisk on me so I don't forget anything. I used to carry one of those old cassette recorders that were bigger, but I've modernized and now I don't miss a single thing. In any case, tomorrow I'm going back to Spain and as soon as I arrive I'm going to get down to work on my next record, so there won't be any time to forget things.

You beat Paco de Lucía to the Grammy...he hasn't gotten one yet.

Paco doesn't have it because when he made his last record they didn't exist yet, because if they had, he'd have won them all. He's the maestro, my artistic father, my friend. Now is when I'm thinking of him more than ever and I'm going to take advantage of the occasion to dedicate the prize to him, because it's his fault that I'm a guitarist.

Today, with the public's unconditional praise, you must be grateful for that moment in your childhold when you decided to go into flamenco, no?

Absolutely. When I was small I used to pick up anything to make music, but there was a key turning point in my life. I must have been about three when I saw Paco de Lucía on TV. That had a profound effect on me and I saw clearly that was what I wanted to be. Nowadays when young people are so lost, I remember that much more vividly, because it was a gift, the greatest gift of my life.