Pedro Ojesto, Paquete and Montoyita collaborate on the album by the former
member of Barbería del Sur

S.C. Madrid, September 2005

“It seems as if Agustín Lara composed ‘Solamente una vez’ through alegrías”. That's how natural Enrique Heredia ‘Negri’ says it was to reconvert the boleros by the Mexican artist to flamenco for his first solo album, ‘El último beso’ (‘The Last Kiss’). The founder and vocalist of the group La Barbería del Sur confesses that the most complicated thing about this record was “breaking down the songs, looking over their guts and seeing how they were defined so as not to fall into the trap of simply making new versions”. Thus ‘Madrid’ becomes a soleá through bulerías, ‘Granada’ turns into granaínas and ‘Nadie’, tangos.

	Negri presents 'El último beso' (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

The Madrilenian singer, guitarist and percussionist says he feels really bound to Agustín Lara. At the square in Madrid where the statue of the Mexican artist stands, he “used to play soccer there as a kid and it's where I presented this repertoire live for the first time last August”.

For the performances, like the one serving to introduce the album at the Casa Patas Foundation on Thursday, September 22nd, he is accompanied by musicians such as guitarist David Cerreduela and percussionist Bandolero, although also taking part in the recording are Paquete, Montoyita, Pedro Ojesto, Bola and Triana Heredia, among others.

The executive producer of ‘El último beso’, José Luis Rupérez, pointed out in the press conference prior to the presentation performance that the album stems from ‘Chanson flamenca’, “a previous project in which Pedro Ojesto and I put young flamencos with other repertoires into circulation. And it turns out that the marriage between flamenco and other genres works”. That was the case of Ana Salazar with her tribute to Edith Piaf.

There are now several flamenco cantaores who have flirted with the bolero. Diego el Cigala has triumphed all over the world with ‘Lágrimas negras’, together with Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés. Mayte Martín has also approached this genre on several occasions, proof of which are albums like ‘Free Boleros’ and ‘Tiempo de amar’.

magazine@flamenco-world.com