Jesús Corbacho, 'Debajo del romero'. Review

Jesús Corbacho, 'Debajo del romero'

Flamenco-world.com, January 2012

Singing to accompany baile is a school which many cantaores graduate from. Generation after generation, flamenco vocalists train in the groups of companies in subjects such as repertoire, expression, rhythmics and stage. And when the time comes for them to introduce themselves up front and solo, they do so with a base and foundation. That is the road of Jesús Corbacho, a young cantaor of the Huelva school who, after gaining experience by singing for bailaoras of the likes of Milagros Mengíbar, Belén Maya, Merche Esmeralda and Rocío Molina, débuts with his first solo album.

‘Debajo del romero’ is a showcase of the skills of this artist, as well-versed in the canons as in the more transmissible styles. The disc, produced by guitarists Juan Requena and Óscar Lago (who have also composed most of the songs), resorts to the formula widespread on the current flamenco scene: combining traditional cantes with guitar together with rhythmic cantes turned into “songs”. In the former, like the seguiriya ‘Debajo del romero’, the malagueña ‘Que te quise con locura’, dedicated to Morente, and the soleá ‘Mala gitana’, he shows his knowledge of classical references, of classical tempos, inflections and textures. And he does so accompanied on guitar by Manuel Parrilla, Jerez toque ideal for these depths.

Among the more rhythmic cantes, with extra instrumentation and chorus refrains, there are songs por tangos and bulerías like ‘El alma me duele’ and ‘Lo que yo quiero es estar contigo’. They are joined by the cantiñas ‘Que por tu ventana sale’; ‘Niño Miguel’, fandangos which highlight his mastery in the specialty of his native land; and the guajira ‘Es mi mulata un terrón’, with genuine Cuban airs. Moreover, it includes an interesting third way which consists of musically updating styles from the past which, in this case, exploit the melodic virtues of the cantaor, who has a sweet, delicate voice. The milonga ‘Glosa a un maletilla’, a score by David Lagos, transgresses the style’s rules in order to tell a tale uttered with vocals and guitar. In the zambra ‘Azucena’, Pablo Suárez’s piano contributes real refinement in the accompaniment so that his voice can tell Quintero, León and Quiroga’s story about lack of affection. In short, it all shapes up a complete letter of introduction which, without ruling out other options, opens possible fronts for their future development.