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"HE SINGS BETTER EVERYDAY"
3rd Chapter of:
CAMARON DE LA ISLA: COMPLETE RECORDINGS.
by JOSE MANUEL GAMBOA RODRIGUEZ
Son tus ojos dos estrellas
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.
To be continued
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