NEWCOMERS Which way are the youngest guitarists leaning? They are preceded not just by Paco de Lucía, but by a following generation who, though marked by the Algeciras-born revolutionary, already fought to defend their individuality. Very highly-trained, they are sure that evolution isn’t possible without tradition...  but also that music no longer has any bounds.

CD. Diego del Morao, 'Orate'

CD. Antonio Rey, 'Colores del fuego'

CD. Daniel Casares, 'Ladrón de agua'

Diego del Morao demonstrated both factors on his début album ‘Orate’, where he also explored the miscegenations learned in his tours with Diego el Cigala, his mentor. There is also the weight of the Morao family, which he inherits now refreshed by his father, Moraíto. What he contributes is rhythm as a basic weapon and the restlessness to reinvent himself: “I play the way I am, the way I feel”.

Antonio Rey

Antonio Rey tackles the strings spectacularly. He has his main reference in Vicente Amigo and he captures that on his second album, ‘Colores del fuego’. Endorsed by prizes such as that of Córdoba’s National Contest, he has the approval of demanding juries, but also that of colleagues - Estrella Morente collaborates on his album – and he is starting to gain the audience’s. 

Daniel Casares now has five discs out on the market. The latest one is ‘Ladrón de agua’, which inaugurates a record label promoted by Alejandro Sanz. Youth and experience come together in the music of this Málaga-born musician who always fought to become a soloist. “My training has been with the aim of performing what I wanted to say with greater development”, he states. And he does so with one foot in tradition and the other in different musical influences.

YOUNG MAESTROS There is a whole completely mature generation who, with a fully developed style, keeps on delving into their guitar discourses. They establish the guidelines of guitar’s evolution, along roads which combine technique, harmonic work, composition, rhythmics, criteria and sensitivity. And they never lose sight of the roots.  

Cañizares (Photo © Amancio Guillén)

Cañizares, following his immersion in the scores of ‘Suite Iberia’ by Albéniz, has just returned to his flamenco universe with ‘Cuerdas del alma’. The disc offers nine compositions faithful to a style which is impeccable both in technique and in emotion. And he does so by bringing to fruition the symbolism of the “soul as a musical instrument” which sounds like happiness as well as melancholy.

Juan Carlos Romero has had to take a break between assignments in order to record solo once again. ‘Agua encendida’ summarizes the personality of this musician who works equally with reason and feeling, with harmony and with rhythm. And he is specializing in guiding voices, as he does on this recording with José Mercé, La Susi and José Valencia. With his scores, they’re themselves… but they sound different.  

Juan Diego has followed a road of his own. Released from the obligation of composing, he has joined forces with Venezuelan musician Antonio Soteldo and they work as a duo that makes flamenco guitar reach new places. ‘Respira!’, an album with excellent sound recorded in the United States, focuses on breathing fresh air into toque, attaching importance to silence. In his opinion, the key lies in seeking “that inner peace which we all have”.

Juan Carlos Romero (Photo © Lolo Vasco)

Niño Josele set the dialogue with instrumental jazz on ‘Española’ which he began on ‘Paz’, that disc inspired by Bill Evans. Surrounded by a band of international musicians like Phil Woods, and also by reliable flamenco jazz talents such as Javier Colina, he shaped this album partly recorded in New York and premiered there in the mythical Vanguard Village. In the opinion of this Almería-born guitarist, so influenced by both Tomatito and Paco de Lucía, “flamenco is crying out for a change”.

CD. Cañizares, 'Cuerdas del alma'	CD. Juan Carlos Romero, 'Agua encendida'
CD. Juan Diego, 'Respira!'	CD. Niño Josele, 'Española'

MIXED Flamenco guitar transgresses its usual format to acquire that open complexion which instrumental music has, without further specificity. Guitars which turn into tireless travelers, gauging sounds from here and there, without any setbacks or hang-ups, looking outwards while still looking inwards.    

CD. Pepe Habichuela & Dave Holland, 'Hands'	CD. Tomatito, 'Sonanta suite
CD. Josemi Carmona, 'Sumando'	CD. Cano, 'Cano & Ensemble Hispánico Numen. Flamenco Crossover'

Pepe Habichuela may already be revered as a maestro and, nevertheless, he keeps on venturing. Together with British bass player Dave Holland, he created the album ‘Hands’ beginning with an intense live encounter. A flamenco guitarist with Granada roots side by side with one of the most prestigious bassists in world jazz.

Tomatito didn’t do a work for orchestra on ‘Sonanta suite’, but rather it was the orchestra which made the guitarist’s “scores” its own. With pieces from his usual repertoire - some of them as worldly as the ones making up his ‘Spain’ with Michel Camilo-, the Orquesta Nacional de España (National Orchestra of Spain), conducted by Josep Pons, multiplied the sound of the Almería-born maestro’s guitar, a real reference. 

Josemi Carmona, Las pequeñas cosas

Josemi Carmona creates tonalities and ambiences on ‘Las pequeñas cosas’, the disc he makes his solo début with. A great many influences are concentrated in his guitar, heir not just to the Habichuela family, but also to the renovating instinct of his father Pepe. A French rapper, a Uruguayan singer, a jazz bassist… are some of the collaborators on this album, on which tangos, bulerías and fandangos join up with versions of film music and pop songs.  

Juan Antonio Suárez ‘Cano’ is a very personal guitarist who merges diverse musical disciplines (classical, flamenco, jazz, traditional as well as ethnic, contemporary) on ‘Crossover’ within a texture characteristic of chamber music. Flamenco guitar converses with viola, sax, bass… on this independent creative album. 

Juan Antonio Suárez 'Cano'

José de Lucía has just made his début with an original proposal. The first album by this musician, which bears his name, is a flamenco guitar disc, but using the acoustics of metal strings with a pick. An injury in his hand led him to this means with which he manages to capture talent that could already be sensed when he used to play, also bass, in Cañizares’ group.

UHF is a collective project, but it is still interesting how flamenco guitar is used to steer this instrumental flamenco group. Specifically, it’s that of Jerez-born tocaor and composer José Quevedo ‘Bolita’. The mark of his guitar can be felt strongly on ‘Bipolar’, the group’s second album.

Mixtolobo is proof of the bipolarity of today’s guitarists. If he lays stakes on calm and introspection on his album ‘Respira!’, on ‘Mixtolobo’ Juan Diego gets together with rock artist Jorge Gómez to play the guitar. With both of their repertoires, part of the same ones coming from their work accompanying heterodox artists like Tomasito, ‘Frontera’ arose.    

Hermanos Maya have set forth the most eccentric proposal: doing versions of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits with two flamenco guitars. Jerónimo and Leo, two highly-gifted musicians who might just as easily have a look at virtuosos from Cañorroto as at jazz manouche players, have tackled songs by the King of Pop, giving them a flamenco... and chill-out touch.

CD. José de Lucía, 'José de Lucía'	CD. UHF, 'Bipolar'
CD. Mixtolobo, 'Frontera'	CD. Hermanos D´Maya, 'La aurora de Michael'

 

Further information

BLOG. Camerata Flamenco Project se presenta en el Festival Flamenco de Dublín 2011

Special feature. Journey of no return, by concha Jareño. The diary of a flamenco dancer around Latin America

Interview with Antonio Campos, flamenco cantaor (Decemmber 2009)

Visit the international flamenco festivals agenda
www.flamencofestival.info