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And the same can be said of the guitarists. The greats
of every era did their time playing accompaniment for leading bailaores. Ramón
Montoya played worldwide for La Argentinita, Javier Molina was guitarist for
La Macarrona, Luis Maravilla joined the ballet de Pilar López in 1946, and also
performed with La Chunga and with José Greco. And it was this bailaor who signed
up a fresh-faced youngster named Paco
de Lucía for his U.S. tour. The legendary guitarist from Algeciras
also served a stint playing 'para bailar' on the Madrid tablao circuit and on
tours like the Gitano Flamenco Festival which took him to Germany accompanying
bailaores Toni el Pelao and La Singla, with Camarón performing vocals. In fact,
the guitarist has never shied from 'toque atrás', always leaving space center
stage for the occasional dancer on his world tours. Bailaor Joaquín Grilo from
Jerez formed an integral part of the magnificent Paco de Lucía sextet, disbanded
since Paco's latest album 'Cositas buenas'.
Toni el Pelao and Paco de Lucía in the
Festival Flamenco Gitano
There are many more examples scattered throughout the history
of flamenco. Mario Escudero made his début with Vicente Escudero in Madrid in
1944, and formed part of other dance companies like that of Rosario y Antonio.
Perico
el del Lunar was first guitarist at the famous Zambra tablao, and played across
Europe and the U.S. enlisted in a group which featured bailaora Rosa Durán and
cantaor Pericón de Cádiz. And then there's Sabicas who left for America with the
legendary Carmen Amaya in 1936, never to return. A recording gem exists of this
duo, one of the discs included in the pack 'Carmen
Amaya. La reina del embrujo gitano', where she sings, dances, provides handclaps
and plays castanets to the rhythm of the so-called 'Niño de las habicas'. The
recordings were made in New York between 1955 and 1956, and also feature Juan
Maya Marote and Pucherete on guitar.
The current 'toque para baile' scene is characterized
by its range of approaches and creativity - it's the guitarist who generally takes
on the task of composing the music for dance companies. On the one hand there
are the guitarists from the Caño Roto barrio in Madrid, considered by many to
be a school of their own. One such artist is El Viejín who, after playing for
Lola Greco and El Güito, signed up with Antonio Canales's company not only as
guitarist, but also as composer of his most successful shows. From the same breeding
ground comes Ramón Jiménez, who played with Antonio Canales, Joaquín Cortés, Adrián
Galia and Luisillo. Both guitarists together with Antonio Canales, Bernardo Parrilla
and Ramón Porrina put together the project 'A cuerda y tacón' which "laid down
an approach to building understanding between baile and guitar which has become
a model for many others."
And the musical direction of many of the dance
shows which are acclaimed worldwide falls to the lot of the guitarists. Unfortunately
on only a few occasions their work is recorded for posterity; there are still
outstanding composers and guitarists 'para baile' that have yet to release an
album. Masterpieces such as 'Medea', composed by Manolo
Sanlúcar for the Ballet Nacional de España are gathering dust in the
bottom drawer of some record company. The legendary figure from the province of
Cadiz now leaves a new legacy: the composition of Sara Baras's widely acclaimed
'Mariana
Pineda', which can be heard as the soundtrack on the DVD. The bailaora's company
itself recorded the music from her previous production 'Juana la Loca: Vivir por
amor', composed by Jesús de Rosario, another talent to emerge from Caño Roto.
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Manolo Sanlúcar and Sara Baras
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
A newcomer to the scene is guitarist José Antonio Rodríguez from Córdoba, who
created the music for the Compañía Andaluza de Danza's 'La
Leyenda'. He's also the mastermind behind the music from 'Tiempo', a production
the Spanish National Ballet left in the hands of bailaor Joaquín Grilo, which
is unlikely to be released on CD. And there's no sign either that the music that
guitarist Paco Jarana composes and performs live for Eva Yerbabuena, in shows
like 'La voz del silencio', '5 Mujeres 5' and 'Eva' will ever reach the shelves
of record stores, although it is possible to hear his style of playing on albums
like Segundo Falcón's 'Un segundo de cante'. The same is true of Gerardo
Núñez, who on many occasions has been in charge of the music
in bailaora Carmen Cortés's shows. One such example is 'Salomé',
which was never put on sale to the public. There is, though, another version for
dance of the same legend on the market. Composed by Roque Baños and also featuring
Tomatito, it was the idea of the Aida Gómez Company and film director Carlos Saura,
who brought the production to cinema screens. The soundtrack is available on CD,
and the movie can be purchased on DVD.
Joaquín Cortés is one of the few bailaores who's leaving a recorded legacy
of his shows, both soundtracks and videos. One worthy example is the music for
'Gipsy
Passion', composed by the multi-talented Diego Carrasco and performed by a
musical cast made up of Ramón Porrina, Bandolero, Chaboli, Montoyita, Juan Parrilla,
Charo Manzano, Chelo Pantoja, Ana Reyes, Juañares, Toleíto, Morenito de Illora,
Antón Jiménez, Manuel Parrilla and Bernardo Parrilla, among others. The music
from another of his recent productions, 'Live', is also available on DVD, allowing
viewers not only to hear, but also to see how the music is performed, how the
musicians contribute to the atmosphere on stage, and how the dance interacts with
them. In fact, the company of this bailaor from Córdoba has given birth to a flamenco
fusion group baptized Echegaray - such is the breeding ground that flamenco dance
provides for flamenco music.
As for the latest generation of guitarists, there are a few newcomers to composition
for dance who deserve a mention. One must surely be Juan Antonio Suárez 'Canito',
who wrote the music for the production 'Más allá del tiempo' by bailaor Andrés
Marín from Seville. For the time being, you can hear his work on the collective
album 'Gerardo Núñez presents: The new school of flamenco guitar'. Another example
is Daniel
Méndez, who as well as playing for Antonio Canales, composed part of
the music for Ángeles Gabaldón's 'Inmigración'. The music from this show, full
of social comment, is only available on a limited edition promo disc. The creativity
just keeps flowing. Music for flamenco dance is a scene which grows richer every
day with new faces, new styles, new colors.
Antonio Canales with Sabú and El Viejín
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
Should we? Must we? Maybe both. All flamenco dance fans should listen to, learn
to feel, study the music... but they also have to learn to love it. Music to dance
is like air to the lungs. We've given you a few ideas here, but the range of material
available is as wide open as flamenco music itself. All that inspires and makes
you feel something is valid, whether it's vintage or contemporary, whether it's
performed specifically to accompany dance or not. Listen, listen and listen some
more. An hour spent on foot technique in front of the mirror is just as important
as an hour spent in front of the speakers savoring the cante of, say, La Niña
de los Peines. Your ear guides your steps, the crying sound of an "Ay" provokes
a sudden 'desplante', a melodic falseta sends arms and hands spiraling upward.
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