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Niño Josele
(Photo: Daniel Muñoz) |
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Going on to eastern Andalusia, the flamenco breeding ground
of Granada continues to be fruitful. Taking over for the Maya
and Habichuela families are brothers Paco
Cortés and Miguel
Ángel Cortés. The former, with impressive
accompaniment live and at the studio, has published the solo
album ‘Calle del agua’. Miguel Ángel, on
the other hand, has recently released ‘Bordón
de trapo’, a record with readable compositions, a sweet
ear and firm hands, including the collaboration of cantaores
who rely on his support live, such as Esperanza Fernández,
Carmen Linares and Arcángel. We have to go to Almería
to observe the legacy of Tomatito, upheld by Niño
Josele, a guitarist with a flamenco base (he has accompanied
Enrique Morente and Diego el Cigala, among others), but with
a broad perspective, who didn’t hesitate to do versions
of Bill Evans on his second solo album. And now crossing the
border with Murcia, today’s toque flamenco has the name
Carlos
Piñana, a descendant of cantaores and a music scholar,
who has put together albums worth bearing in mind like ‘Cal-libirib’
and ‘Mundos flamencos’.
Catalonia and Madrid are two other hubs with
important flamenco guitarists. In Catalan territory, besides
Cañizares, there are other substantial guitarists.
One of them is José
Luis Montón, a musician with refined taste who
doesn’t hesitate to share his knowledge of flamenco
with musicians of other genres, besides composing for baile
and accompanying cante. His solo albums ‘Aroma’
and ‘Sin querer’ are complemented by crossborder
experiences such as ‘Manantial’ and ‘De
la felicidad’ with Ara Malikian, and ‘Flamenco
Árabe 2’ with Hossam Ramzy. With a somewhat more
orthodox style, though equally open to sharing projects like
‘Qawwali flamenco’, is Chicuelo,
who besides accompanying and composing for cantaores such
as Duquende and Miguel Poveda, already has records of his
own, like ‘Cómplices’.
Madrid has its own “island” inhabited by flamenco
guitarists. The neighborhood of Cañorroto has given
a sound of its own to the six strings, full of go and exuberant
technique. El
Viejín is now a maestro with artistic descendants.
Besides composing and playing in companies such as those of
Antonio Canales and Joaquín Cortés, he has the
album ‘Algo que decir’ out on the market, whose
sheet music has also been published in three volumes. Along
the same lines is Ramón
Jiménez, who made his début in 2002 with
‘Sembrando inquietudes’. Of a different school,
though also Madrilenian, appearing on this route is Agustín
Carbonell ‘Bola’, who before leaving for Brazil
to broaden his horizons, released albums like ‘Alegrías
de Cascorro’ and ‘Vuelo flamenco’. And although
Óscar
Herrero - a La Mancha-born artist living in Madrid - is
better known for his facet as an instructor than as a composer
and performer, he already has solo albums out on the market
such as ‘Abantos’, ‘Torrente’ and
‘Hechizo’.
José Manuel León
Trio (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)
Gerardo Núñez had the foresight and generosity
to produce ‘La
Nueva Escuela de la Guitarra Flamenca’ in 2003,
a premonitory album providing a glimpse of toque flamenco’s
future in all its variety and all its restlessness. Of those
participating on this essential collective album, there are
already two solo records. The first one to come out was that
of Jesús
de Rosario, another descendant of the school of Cañorroto
whose letter of introduction was entitled ‘Sin tanto’,
resorting to simplicity. José
Manuel León has just released his first album,
established in Paco de Lucía’s school, drawing
directly on his hometown of Algeciras, but with a new style
awakening optimism. Take note of ‘Sirimusa’. News
is now spreading that one of the most original ones of the
‘school’, Juan Antonio Suárez ‘Cano’,
will bring out his first album in the next few months.
Of the latest newcomers, standing out is the substance of
a very young but experienced guitarist from Madrid. Jerónimo,
who in his day was a child prodigy of toque, turned up last
year with his album ‘Jerónimo’, full of
technique, maturity and feeling. Also making his way is Málaga-born
Daniel Casares, now with three records out on the market,
of which only ‘Corazón de tu alma’ is available.
A good way to start to get to know the future of guitar is
with the DVD ‘Guitarras flamencas en Jerez’, a
summary of the final of the 22nd International Flamenco Guitar
Contest of Jerez, where new names in toque appear such as
Antonio
Rey, Eduardo Trassierra, Santiago Lara, Severiano Jiménez,
Gabriel Expósito and Jesús Guerrero. Nor should
we forget the child prodigy of the moment, who is growing
up from concert to concert. At the age of twelve, Extremadura-born
Javier
Conde already released the versions album ‘Homenaje
a los grandes de la guitarra’.
Now we need to wait for the latest batch of guitarists who
continually receive praise when they accompany and compose
for others live and at the studio, but who don’t have
a solo album yet. A call to record companies large and small...
and if not, to self-production. But fans now feel like listening
to Diego del Morao, Daniel Méndez, José Carlos
Gómez, José María Bandera... and many
other musicians who keep on opening new ways for flamenco.
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