Martín Guijarro, March 2006

Duquende is back. And it shows. Things have been hotting up over the last couple of months, since it was announced that the cantaor was preparing a new album. ‘Mi forma de vivir’ (My way of life), released in 2006 on the K Industria Cultural label, has all the right ingredients to keep his followers happy. On the one hand, it offers a healthy selection of tracks with infectious choruslines to the rhythm of tangos, bulerías and rumbas, with plenty of room for the wailing sounds of his expert quejío. And, on the other hand, it caters for the most demanding aficionados with its brooding, intimate, calm cante por soleá, martinete and fandangos, with no added ornamentation. Either of these facets show he's in fine vocal form, with his warm, mature timbre. His incessant touring alongside Paco de Lucía has left its mark.

The album bears testament to the understanding that's developed between him and Chicuelo, who takes care of production, most of the songwriting and, of course, guitar. He shows ample flair in all three roles. Although there are others involved in songwriting duties too, including José Carlos Gómez for the opening tangos - ‘Tu camisita de flores’ - and Javier Limón for a bulería with guitar by Niño Josele. For those who recall his announcement that there'd be tangos by Paco de Lucía, sorry, but in spite of delays to the album's release date they never surfaced.

It isn't an album with a great deal of production work. Almost all the tracks have a sparse accompaniment of guitar, palmas, percussion and backing coros. Although there are exceptions with the odd detail such as the tanguillos ‘Suenas’, with Carles Benavent on bass and mandola, and the alegrías ‘Al son del viento’ with Raynald Colom on trumpet.

As opposed to the ‘isidromuñoz’ style of ‘Samaruco’, which brought so many new and profound touches to the vocalist's style, this album leans more toward a simple definition of what is commonly known as contemporary ‘post-Camarón’ cante, following in the footsteps of recent albums by Montse Cortés and La Tana. Which, incidentally, is just what audiences are crying out for.