The cantaor from Jerez writes the lyrics, and oversees the musical arrangement
and production on this, his third album

Flamenco-world.com, June 2004

The new generation of cantaores continues to take great care to conserve and nurture the roots of flamenco. Juan Zarzuela has prepared a double album entitled ‘Pura verdad’, containing more than twenty cantes, including many little-known styles such as the bambera, mirabrás and corríos. His own refreshing touch comes in the lyrics, almost all penned by the cantaor himself - who also provides musical direction and produces the disc - and in the odd smattering of canción Española on the album. Accompanying him on the third recording project of his career are guitarist José Ignacio Franco, who wrote most of the music, and Luis de Periquín on second guitar and on percussion, among other artists.

Juan Zarzuela

‘Pura verdad’ is “the product of a personal desire to leave a recording of a range of cantes - many of them now in disuse - for posterity.” This is the mission statement with which Juan Zarzuela presents his third album. The cantaor from Jerez adds that he also wanted to “record them in a more spontaneous, natural, inspired way, in an attempt to create the warm atmosphere that flamenco requires. And I gave them new lyrics and messages making them, as far as possible, more personal, pure and true.”

The result is a double album with a diverse range of more than twenty cantes. The first disc contains a soleá 'al golpe', a malagueña, a soleá, a bulería de Jerez, fandangos, a tiento, a granaína, a seguiriya, a martinete and a toná, rounding off with a poem 'por bulerías'. The second kicks off with airs of the Levante region - 'por taranto' and cartagenera, and continues with tangos, a bambera, alegrías, fandangos, a guajira, a caña, a mirabrás, a rondeña, corríos and romances, and finishing up in true style with a fiesta por bulerías. While the foundations have their roots firmly in popular tradition, the cantaor from Jerez has taken it upon himself to create new lyrics for these songs, using popular themes.

The artists

	Juan Zarzuela

To bring this project to fruition he put together a team of artists led by guitarist José Ignacio Franco, who wrote the music. On second guitar and percussion there's Luis de Periquín. The album features other instruments such as the lute played by Yuko, a bass at the hands of Dani Quiñones, solo violin by Sophia, and other violin parts by Rubén Flores, César García and Manuel Corchado. And singing background ‘coros’ and clapping ‘palmas’ are Gema La Cantarota, Sandra Rincón, La Junquera, Nono Carrasco, El Bo, Jesule de la Tomasa, Luis Santiago and Juan Grande, as well as Juan Zarzuela himself, whose feet also provide the furious 'zapateados' that can be heard on the disc. This new album comes three years on from ‘Entre tú, yo y el aire’, which featured Jerez-born artists including Moraíto Chico, Diego de Morao and Niño Jero.

magazine@flamenco-world.com