Camarón, complete discography
by José Manuel Gamboa

The third LP of Camarón and Paco was released in 1971, and featured a cover similar to the previous ones. Perez de León positions them in a polychromatic sea landscape (which looks like plastic from afar), dressed in formal suit and tie (among his peers Camarón was the first to introduce the suit and tie). Antonio Sánchez and Paco de Lucía appear as authors in the credits -the latter for his guitar variations. It also presents a wide range of «cantes», wich demonstrates the interest and inquisitiveness of José to learn and widen his knowledge, without prejuice nor an inferiority complex of any type. Everything good was acceptable. Thus he gives us the difficult short and long «petenera», which supposedly brings bad luck to the gypsies. He sings a «malagueña» of Chacón, a splendid «soleá apolá» - «El espejo donde te miras" -and another of Alcalá- an unorthodox «polo» that merged with the «caña» results in a rich musical effect. In the fandango «Sin motivo ni razón» he recovers the style of Gabriel Macandé. In the section of Levante styles, he offers us a fandango «minero» (from «minera»; «cante» that has as theme the mines, its men and their vicissitudes) accompanied by Paco de Lucía in the tone of a «minera» recorded by Ramón Montoya, which few knew how to use in those times. Using «seguiriyas» he gathers the «trianero» sensations of Cagancho. With tangos he returns to the «lolailo», accomplishing the feat of combining commercial music with quality flamenco (4). And in the «bulerías» he makes it clear that he has no rival.

With this album Camarón clears away any possible doubts that may have existed concerning his person, and annoys the most stubborn flamencologists, who could raise few objections against him. It is an impetuous piece of work, full of nuances and power. Camarón and Paco have chosen a path and know where they want to reach. By the end of summer Camarón de la Isla receives the first prize in the Antonio Mairena Flamenco Singing Competition.