"I myself know when a box drum is in the way"

Silvia Calado Olivo. Madrid, June 2003
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

He was one of the last ones in coming, but the one most determined to be ineludible. The box drum has accompanied the evolution of flamenco music in the last two decades, using it as a springboard to reach out to other genres. One name is unquestionably tied in with this instrument: Mario Cortés. The Málaga-born guitarist started as a luthier almost by chance, without even sensing that the sound of his instrument would captivate jondo and non-jondo percussionists across the globe. Starting from his experience as a musician and as a craftsman, he values the connection of the Peruvian-origin box with flamenco, highlighting the musician as the one responsible for its good or bad juxtaposition. Advice? All kinds. The most important piece, this: "It isn't going to sound louder or better by playing harder".

Mario Cortés

Has flamenco music defined the evolution of the box drum as it goes along?

Our workshop's box drum fits in best in flamenco and in fact, we've made it evolve according to the requirements of the musicians in this genre. However, it's surprising that since I've commercialized it, it's also been bought by all the jazz players -Tino di Geraldo, among others - and many others whom I've personally seen playing the drums while sitting on the box drum. The box drum is now another percussion instrument. It is true that it was introduced into Spain via flamenco by Rubem Dantas with Paco de Lucía, but music has evolved so much in terms of the introduction of all kinds of instruments, that the box drum has been adapted to the percussion accompaniment of any group and any style.

What has the box drum contributed to flamenco music?

The box drum has enriched flamenco to a point. The box drum is wonderful because it has very beautiful sound for accompaniment, for having a good base, for those who dance, sing and play to be able to follow a very smooth beat between them all. The box drum sounds very good for flamenco accompaniment, and besides, it doesn't disturb... as long as the percussionist doesn't disturb. An accompanying base should never drown out the rest. Everyone has his moment. If I let you improvise because I only want you alone to be heard, we all keep quiet and you play solo, but while we're all there and more so with the guitar, which is such a sensitive thing, what you do is disturb because you cover up the music. The key is in the musician, not in the instrument. I think the box drum is a very good instrument for accompaniment, not only for marking the speed, for having a clapper, but also because it's beautiful. I think that a group sounds great with the box drum and clapping. In fact, the box drum is now a mainstay for groups; everybody has one.

Which musicians have played the box drum with the best touch? Who has done the most to spread its use?

Besides Rubem Dantas, who was a pioneer twenty years ago, Antonio Carmona -vocalist of Ketama- was the greatest monster of all time. He was a box drum player before his group existed. He came with my group, Adonay, to Finland, accompanying with his box drum. And nowadays he's constantly being called by musicians like Paco de Lucía for him to do the percussions. Then there's Ramón Porrina and his brothers Piraña and Sabú, Tino di Geraldo, Luis Dulzaides... My box drums are also played by Giovanni Hidalgo, Raúl Recua -who plays with Carlos Santana-, the two percussionists who play with Chayanne, who came to the workshop in person to buy the box drums from me, Alejandro Sanz has it in his unplugged... and many, many others.

	Mario Cortés with a cajón made for 'Piraña'

Why hasn't the box drum been accepted yet by the more orthodox sectors of flamenco?

You have to be on everybody's side. I like pure flamenco, of which very little remains; that of the age of Bernarda, Fernanda, Terremoto, Mairena... all those such great phenomena. But, thank God, we didn't stop there. If it hadn't been for the evolution of Paco de Lucía, who revolutionized the whole world with flamenco guitar, there wouldn't be those monsters there are nowadays, with that technique and that vitality they're playing with. And whoever says otherwise is wrong. It usually happens that precisely the ones who know the least, the ones who should keep quiet and learn, are the ones who pass themselves off as experts. You can't judge musicians or compare them, since there's always something in any musician that reaches your soul, no matter how bad he might be. Always.

As far as percussion goes, the question is very simple. Who do you play with? I accompany Gerardo Núñez. Well then, you said it yourself, didn't you? You accompany. Then limit yourself to accompanying. That's all. There might be people who don't like the box drum in a group and discredit it straight away. I myself know when a box drum is in the way depending on the songs. I say this when I could say just the opposite in my favor, since the more the box drum is played, the more I sell. But it's not about that. I'm a musician. I make box drums because I ended up liking making them. But I think and ask that, please, when you play the box drum, bear in mind that it isn't going to sound louder or better by playing harder; what it's going to do is disturb. A box drum sounds beautiful and clean and it's a lovely instrument to know how to play. Before forming an opinion on it, you have to learn and once you know, you have to limit yourself, according to what is heard, to accompanying in that position, in that volume density... only then will a box drum be in its place.

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