The record includes songs from other styles that are re-interpreted by Estrella Morente, José Mercé, Carmen Linares and Rancapino among others

Flamenco-world.com, September 2003
Photos: Daniel Muñoz

Flamenco ceaselessly searches for inspiraton beyond its boundaries and new proof of this is 'Territorio Flamenco', a recording that includes ten re-interpretations of different types of songs done by leading flamenco singers of today and veterans. If José Mercé is bold enough to undertake Pablo Milanés, La Susi does the same with Sting and Rancapino reviews the bolero 'Bésame mucho', Diego Carrasco sings Louis Armstrong's 'Hello Dolly'.

Diego Carrasco

'Territorio Flamenco' (Flamenco Territory), edited by Virgin, contains the same challenge in each one of its ten themes: re-interpretation of songs that are far removed from flamenco repertories and this has not only been accepted by newly coined voices, but is also done by masters of flamenco. Under the baton of Isidro Muñoz, between October 2002 and February 2003 a dozen artists and their respective technical teams got together in five studios located in four cities in Spain.

Rancapino stayed in Cádiz to record this 'Bésame mucho' which, according to his wife, will make him an exile. The same studio was later occupied by Estrella Morente who sang 'Nostalgias' accompanied by guitar and double bass. A few kilometres further up the riverside, in the studios in Seville of El Bola, Diego Carrasco went over and over 'Hello Dolly' so it would fit in with bulerías style and in those same studios Remedios Amaya recorded 'Maldigo tus ojos verdes' (Damn your green eyes) with "power and personality". Arcángel registered 'La Bien Pagá' while Carmen Linares brought back 'Se equivocó la paloma', based on a poem by Rafael Alberti.

Miguel Poveda brought Argentinian tangos to Barcelona, while in Madrid José Mercé re-composed 'El breve espacio que no está' (Brief space that is not here), by Pablo Milanés. And, using compositions by Sting, vocal leader of The Police, La Susi accepted the challenge of singing 'Roxanne' and on the other hand Angele, daughter of Tomatito, makes her dèbut with 'Every breath you take' which has been re-baptized as 'Me recordarás' (You'll remember me).

Miguel Poveda