Pepe Habichuela and José Manuel León accompany the cantaora on guitar

Flamenco-world.com, December 2005

Ginesa Ortega returns to flamenco. After exploring other genres on ‘Por los espejos del agua’, the cantaora presents a new album with an exclusively flamenco repertoire. Bulerías, seguiriyas, mineras, alegrías, fandangos, tangos and soleá por bulerías shape up this repertoire of cantes. The only exception is the traditional bolero ‘Dos gardenias’, which puts the finishing touch on this record on which she is accompanied by the guitars of Pepe Habichuela, José Manuel León and Paquete.

Ginesa Ortega

‘Flamenca’ is a record on which Ginesa Ortega not only performs with her own particular zest, but she also directs production and writes the lyrics. But she is not alone in such a personal creation. The participation of two guitarists stands out. On the one hand, the freshness of José Manuel León, one of the musicians ‘blessed’ by Gerardo Núñez on ‘La Nueva Escuela de la Guitarra Flamenca’ (‘The New School of Flamenco Guitar’). His toque is heard in the alegrías, the bulería ‘Na más lavá’, the seguiriya, the tangos and the bolero. And on the other hand, the long experience of Pepe Habichuela, who leaves his mark on the cante de levante, the soleá and the fandangos.

Also appearing on the recording is Paquete, on guitar in the bulería ‘Antorcha del alba’. Guadiana does a special collaboration on cante in the seguiriya, where the feet of bailaor Miguel el Toleo are also heard. A lot of the percussions are taken care of by Cepillo, although there are also collaborations by Moy Natenzon. Other instrumentalists taking part on the record are violinist Bernardo Parrilla and harmonica player Antonio Serrano. As a whole, the album lays its stakes on the cleanness of flamenco forms, but without setting aside outside influences such as jazz in songs like the bolero ‘Dos gardenias’, which the cantaora does her own version of.

magazine@flamenco-world.com