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Pepe Habichuela
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Pepe Habichuela publishes the sheet music from the flamenco and Hindu music album ‘Yerbagüena’

Besides the guitar, the two books transcribe the arrangements by The Bollywood Strings

Flamenco-world.com, October 2007

‘Yerbagüena’ reveals its secrets. The mythical album by Pepe Habichuela, on which flamenco guitar encounters Hindu music, is transferred to the staff. The record is presented in two books of sheet music in tablature and standard notation with four songs each. The transcription, besides the guitar, also includes the arrangements by The Bollywood Strings and the collaboration of Enrique Morente on cante. The two volumes, with commentaries in Spanish and English, are part of the collection Biblioteca Grandes Guitarras Flamencas de Hoy (Today’s Great Flamenco Guitarists Library), which already offers transcriptions of ‘Alcázar de cristal’ by Rafael Riqueni and ‘Algo que decir’ by El Viejín.

 

Pepe Habichuela (Photo Daniel Muñoz)
   

Guitar students have a new tool to delve deeply into the study of today’s flamenco music. The sheet music from the album ‘Yerbagüena’ by Pepe Habichuela is published as part of the collection Biblioteca Grandes Guitarras Flamencas de Hoy. Transcribed in tablature and standard notation, it is presented split up into two books with four pieces each. The first volume contains the rumba ‘Yerbagüena (Oriente)’, the bulería ‘Bangalore Krishna’, the soleá ‘A mi chaché Miguel’ and the malagueña de Cádiz ‘Se la llevó Dios’. The second volume includes the tanguillos ‘Como un fandango’, the bulería ‘Tres colores’, the seguiriya ‘En el Grec’ and the rumba ‘Yerbagüena (Occidente)’.

The interest lying in these transcriptions, whose author is Enrique Vargas, is that they not only translate the guitar, but also most of the arrangements, including the contributions from The Bollywood Strings and even the cante by Enrique Morente. According to the publishers, “material nearly inexistent to date is offered for flamenco duets and trios. However, it must be pointed out that every piece can be perfectly performed as a guitar solo, which makes this work approachable for both soloists and groups”. As in the books focusing on Rafael Riqueni and El Viejín, the work is completed with “explanations of the styles included on the album, the footwork marking, the tonality, the foundation of the melodic and harmonic style of each variety, and the detailed analysis of the most difficult falsetas with explanations of the artist’s personal style”.

A historic album

‘Yerbagüena’ was an album published in 2001 by the record company Nuevos Medios. And it is considered to be the first record in which flamenco guitar has an encounter with Hindu music. The idea of making such a special album arose from the collaboration Pepe Habichuela carried out with Anglo-Indian musician Nitin Sawhney, a recording and tour on which he met violin maestro Chandru, director of The Bollywood Strings. Such was the understanding between both maestros and both musical cultures that immediately “the idea of doing something together arose”. Enrique Morente, Josemi Carmona, Juan Carmona, Antonio Carmona and Guadiana also collaborated on the album.


Pepe Habichuela (Photo Daniel Muñoz)

More information:

Free sheet music. Pepe Habichuela, ‘Yerbagüena’. ‘Tres colores’ (bulerías)

Special Feature. Pepe Habichuela & The Bollywood Strings. Photos and videos

Interview with Pepe Habichuela about ‘Yerbagüena’


 
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