SORDERA. JEREZ CANTE FAMILIES (I). SPECIAL FEATURE

The Sorderas

Carlos Sánchez. Jerez, September 2004

Jerez de la Frontera keeps the mystery of its artform guarded within. In those little cobblestone streets, in those porches cracked by the passing of time, in those neighbors' patios and yards the essence of cante flamenco is concealed. From the neighborhood of Santiago to San Miguel, and on to La Plazuela. A journey through those Jerez families who have contributed so much to the idiosyncrasy of this town. A route that the series ‘Jerez Cante Families’ - exclusively offered to you by Flamenco-world.com - begins with The Sorderas, one of the most genuinely flamenco lineages coming out of the land of wine, horses, and of course, flamenco.

The Sordera family is born in the heart of the neighborhood of Santiago. They are direct descendants of Paco de la Luz, a seguiriyero who much to flamenco's misfortune, left nothing recorded. Only his daughter, La Serrana, left some recordings, shared with none other than Manuel Torre. In the family tree we also find La Sordita - who was a bailaora -, El Sordo la Luz and El Niño Gloria. From this reminiscence, the Soto Monge family gave rise to a family of cantaores whose greatest exponent has been Manuel Soto Monge ‘Sordera’.

	Manuel Soto 'Sordera'

Enrique Soto Junquera and Francisca Monge Carrasco had eight children, four boys and four girls: Juan, Francisco, Luisa, Enrique, Manuel, Eduarda, María and Salvadora. Although he never devoted himself professionally to cante, Enrique Soto Junquera taught his children its secrets. He explained to them who and where the cantes came from. All of them used to work in the fields. After an intense day of work, and following having filled their stomachs, the Soto Monge family stayed up until the wee hours of the morning giving themselves up to the magic on those farm nights that owe so much to flamenco. Sernita himself used to work with them in Montecorto, one of the estates of the Domecq family. The party was thrown right there on the spot. If José Vargas ‘El Chozas’ came, the fun was guaranteed. Many have tried to copy the mark of this family, but it has been impossible for them. Their cante was one-of-a-kind.

Of Enrique and Francisca's eight children, only Manuel Soto Monje ‘Sordera’ devoted himself to cante professionally. The nickname ‘Sordera’ (‘Deafness’) was given to him by bailaor Tío Parrilla ‘El Viejo’ because he used to say that he was a little deaf. But the one who was really deaf was his grandfather. The nickname rather comes from the family.

When he returned from his military service, he started going to Maribal Inn and to Rosaleda, where all the artists used to go to try and make a living. One day, his brother Enrique had to go to Madrid on business. He talked to his bosses and sent his brother Manuel in his place. From Santiago to Santa Ana Square in Madrid, specifically, to Villa Rosa. At that time all the artists were there, among them José Cepero, the cante poet, and Chaleco.

May you cry for my love...

Sordera was able to display his cante there. It was then that this Jerez-born cantaor's artistic career began. He was at the farm Guajiro de Sevilla with Farruco, Paco Toronjo, Chocolate... In that period he was already making two hundred and fifty pesetas a day. Manuel had a sweet, healthy, very flamenco voice. The cantes he felt most at home with were the bulería ‘for listening to’, the bulería for dancing and the fandango. He was one of the first to record El Gloria's fandangos and popularize them:

But in that period Sordera learned to sing all the styles, backed by his work as a cantaor for dancing. Following his tour around the lands of Seville, he moved back to Madrid. He sang in a nightclub called Pasapoga, from which he went on to the tablaos El Duende, Los Canasteros (the Caracol room)... He was in Madrid for over twenty years. His children were raised there. When he returned to Jerez, he had left his family spread out all over the Spanish capital.

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