Diego el Cigala releases his new album
‘Picasso en mis ojos’

Paco de Lucía and Tomatito take part on the album dedicated to the Málaga-born painter

Flamenco-world.com, July 2005

“Picasso used to paint, Picasso used to paint. Geniuses never die and I'm singing to you”. Diego el Cigala is singing tangos tientos to Pablo Picasso on his new album ‘Picasso en mis ojos’, an album dedicated to the Málaga-born painter and which brings together an entire galaxy of maestros. There are the guitars of Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, Raimundo Amador, Josemi Carmona, Diego del Morao, Manuel Parrilla and Paquete; Jerry González's trumpet; lyrics by Rafael Alberti, Javier Ruibal, Javier Krahe, Carlos Chaouen and Juan Antonio Salazar; music by Paquete, Diego el Cigala... Not to mention other collaborators appearing on the album such as Ramón el Portugués, Yumitus, Ramón Porrina, Bandolero, Juañares, Piraña... The record will be out on the market on September 12th, according to the record company, but it is now possible to pre-order copies at Flamenco-world.com.

	Diego el Cigala (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

In this return to flamenco register, preceded by his hit re-performance of the bolero in ‘Lágrimas negras’, Diego el Cigala does not betray the Picasso spirit. It smacks of flamenco from the start, opening with ‘Chanelando’, tangos with Diego Morao and Manuel Parrilla on guitar. Paco de Lucía's guitar appears alone with Diego's voice in ‘Por los ríos’, bulerías by Juan Antonio Salazar, one of Camarón's composers. ‘Malagueño’ mixes alegrías and mirabrás with lyrics by Javier Ruibal. ‘Luna de plata’ takes up the bulería with Tomatito on guitar and former Ketama member Josemi Carmona takes over for him in ‘La paloma’, where Rafael Alberti's famous lyrics are dressed up into a fandango.

And it goes on with ‘Guernika por tangos’; ‘Amparo’, bulerías also with lyrics by Alberti; ‘Apenao’, a latin rumba with Raimundo Amador on guitar and Jerry González on trumpet as special treats; Javier Krahe provides the lyrics for ‘Romance’ and Cádiz-born Carlos Chaouen does the same for ‘Acuarela‘, the beautiful soleá closing the album. ‘Picasso en mis ojos’ is a flamenco record where the cantaor and painter have an encounter. Picasso lies in the lyrics of the record, a simple album enriched by the appearance of so many top musicians and authors surrounding the worldly voice which Diego el Cigala has always held.

Along with Manuel Parrilla, Paquete, Yelsi Heredia and Sabú, he offered a sneak preview of this new repertoire at the Mont de Marsan Festival, as Flamenco-world.com informed of with a review, photos and online video of the acclaimed performance.

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