Lole is reborn. ‘Ni el oro ni la plata’, the cantaora's second solo album marks the return from exile of one of the best-known, most charismatic voices of flamenco, and one of those responsible for giving flamenco a makeover as it moved toward the end of the 20th century. And here she is bursting with vitality and in peak form, with a recording which shows her respect for flamenco and a profound understanding of its building blocks. She hasn't cast aside Lole y Manuel, and she makes room for both Arabian flamenco and oration. In addition, she leans heavily toward giving non-flamenco songs the flamenco treatment, though it's clear from their content and musical structure that this for her is a serious business. And there's plenty of room left for her vocals, that unmistakable voice, so delicious, so fundamental to flamenco. The cover shot - with the artist smiling, arms outstretched, dressed in an ethnic style - is a graphic illustration of this rebirth.

The cantaora sevillana fuels the legend of the duo who revolutionized the course of flamenco a few decades ago. So it's solo Lole, but not all solo. The cantaora sticks by her other half, Manuel Molina, with whom she shares several songs. One of them is ‘Cantaba el mar’ - the ocean sang - a reminder of the couple's unmistakable signature created on the now legendary album ‘Nuevo día’. And another is the version of ‘La nana de la cebolla’ by poet Miguel Hernández. His sparse guitar shining through the gaps, and her bare, almost lyrical voice, give a deep treatment to the poem - one which already received the flamenco treatment at the hands of Enrique Morente.

And there's room here too for her specialty - mixing flamenco with traditional Arab music, with exquisite, flowing, natural results. This happens on ‘Binti jamila’ (beautiful girl), a song she penned herself and dedicated to her daughter Alba Molina, “my princess” (now member of the trio Las Niñas). Kneading the twists and turns of cante flamenco together with those of North African song, the song follows a tangos pattern, with lyrics in Spanish and Arabic. And the music is supplied by a traditional Arab quartet, with canun, darbuka, tambourine and violin, and with flamenco guitar by Manuel Molina. And she uses the same formula on ‘Tercera generación’, a beautiful song, remarkable in that it unites the voices of Lole, her daughter Alba Molina and her mother Carmen Montoya ‘La Negra’. And she adds a new touch on this album, an experiment with Hebrew tradition, on the song ‘Baile en las montañas de Judea’, composed by Romanian musician and painter Dino del Monte, who also plays cymbals on the track.

And there are still plenty more facets of Lole to see. The artist makes full use of her multiple talents as a flamenco and non-flamenco vocalist with a rich, varied repertoire of songs, which correspond more or less with flamenco forms, and with a very varied nature in terms of both content and packaging. And the result is pleasing - according to the cantaora, “after doing ‘la mariposilla’ I can't just sing any old thing, I don't feel right doing superficial stuff.” There's a carefree light-heartedness to the chorus of ‘Ni el oro ni la plata’, by Juañares. But the other songs have a somewhat more intimate quality, more sedate and with a deeper message. ‘Semejantes’ falls into this latter category, a song for equality, combining a ballad structure with a chorus ‘por rumbas’; so too does ‘Primero el hombre poeta’, also by Juañares, a tune reminiscent of a sweet love song, with a string arrangement that lends itself perfectly to Lole's soaring vocals; and ‘Soledad’ too, a song by Rubén Aguiar with spoken verses, almost like a singer-songwriter might approach it. And there are two other songs which might be called prayer songs: ‘Maestro’ and ‘Honor de lord’, are recorded live with the 'jaleos' of the Montoya family. To round up, there's something for everyone here, with this mix of songs, of styles, of genres, of laments, of protest songs, of joy, of prayer. Lole is back, mature and young at heart, with all of those different vocalists that her voice allows her to be... And it would be a sin not to give her a listen.

More information:

Interview with Lole, cantaora (March 2004)

Article and photos. Lole. Festival de Jerez 2004