Special features: Flamenco on vinyl. EPs from the 60s and 70s (3)

El Lebrijano

S.C.O.

"A blue-eyed blond-haired gypsy, who's been a cantaor since he could talk." The quote by Alfonso Eduardo Pérez Orozco summed up the appearance of a twenty-year-old Juan Peña, El Lebrijano, who stood out markedly from the rest of the flamenco scene in the sixties and seventies. The aesthetics and content of his four vinyl releases on Columbia give some idea of just how those early days were.

Style and content. The color portraits of La Perrata's son taken by Simón López reveal a sometimes handsome, childlike figure, sometimes serene, sometimes impetuous, sometimes on the road to maturity. Of all the images one stands out, a striking photo where, with fist clenched at his forehead and the other hand open he freely expresses the seismic properties of his vocals, the rock and roll side of flamenco. And in contrast, the dark photo where he poses, cigarette in hand, in the shadows reminiscent of Caravaggio. Sometimes ying, sometimes yang.

A glance at the way the photos are presented and at the lettering give tell-tale signs of the era: geometrical forms and shocking colors. Tradition given a pop flavor. The wording used on these three or four track singles leans, in general, toward minimalism. As a title, "EL LEBRIJANO" is quite enough, occasionally the list of songs too. In general a white background to frame the photo and the odd colored square. Orange, fuchsia, violet… no holds barred.

As for the content, Pérez Orozco sums it up in an interesting text included on the back cover of one of the EPs, stating that he strikes a balance between the cantes of Cadiz, Jerez and Triana, by no means sticking to "the styles from Utrera which have had such a deep impact in Lebrija". Soleares, like 'Soleá de Juaniquín' which Augusto Butler writes about on the sleeve notes of another record, seguiriyas, bulerías, tangos and tanguillos, rumba and even traditional songs 'por bulerías' (such as Quintero, León and Quiroga's 'Madrina') go to make up a repertoire of more extroverted than modest styles. Traditional songs win over from newly-penned material. El Lebrijano is accompanied in this initial stage of his career mostly by Niño Ricardo, though he also makes appearances backed by Juan Carmona, Félix de Utrera and Paco Aguilera. And alongside them the anonymous handclaps and voices of the "palmas y jaleo gitano".

The only record selected from the Philips label shows a change in style. In black and white, his Christian name preceding his artistic name, his face tilted slightly upward... The prophecy outlined on one of the previous records seems to be on the way to fulfillment: "Everyone speaks of Juan's sensational future - not because they think he hasn't yet made it, but because they see that the mixture of youth and talent he possesses makes him a true messiah." His joyful immersion in Arabian andalusí musical styles was yet to come... And even today we can still look forward to his future offerings. Including a reissue of these gems, please.

* Records provided by Bolo from his private collection.

Click the images to enlarge:

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