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Martín Guijarro, October 2005
Enrique
Morente is a prolific cantaor, discographically
speaking. He isn't the type to sell a lot of copies,
but he is an artist who has the respect and admiration
of an audience that appreciates creation. Taking
advantage of having worked on the documentary
‘Morente sueña La Alhambra’
for two years shoulder-to-shoulder with filmmaker
José Sánchez-Montes, he has chosen
different musical passages off the soundtrack
and has turned them into an album, taking care
of not just the cante but also the production.
The repertoire on this new album
is like a dream for sensitive people. And the
thing is that allowing yourself to be inspired
by such a tremendous monument could mean no less.
The poetry, water, unreal birds, dreamy ambiences...
join hands in this work, which above all contains
good cante flamenco.
There are examples of strict
classicism such as ‘Taranto veneno’,
with Juan
Habichuela on guitar, and ‘Soleá
de la ciencia’ with Tomatito. And eclectic
compositions like ‘Generalife’, enhanced
by the inspired work of guitarist Pat Metheny;
‘Donde habite el olvido’, produced
by Isidro Muñoz and embellished by the
crystal-clear voice of Estrella Morente; and the
intense ballad ‘Chiquilín de bachín’
by Argentinean Astor Piazzola. Between one extreme
and another, there are the liturgical opening
martinetes sung in Latin, with the now ‘Morentian’
voice superpositions which at the same time take
care of the rhythm.
Architecture blends in with poetry
on this record. Turning verses into cantes always
works for Enrique Morente, which carries his melodies
to original destinations. He sings poems by María
Zambrano, Luis Cernuda and San Juan de la Cruz,
and even ‘proclaims’ a letter by Miguel
de Cervantes directed to the Count of Lemos five
days before his death. And this last song is like
a prayer.
The instrumentation rounds off
the album. Cañizares provides intelligent
guitar for songs like ‘Chiquilín
de bachín’, where he converses with
Libertango Camerata. Alfredo Lagos offers additional
proof of his versatility in the caña ‘La
Alhambra lloraba’. Bandolero carries the
weight of the compás. And why not consider
Estrella
Morente an instrument? What the Granada-born
princess contributes aren't just simple choruses.
She has intonations, tonalities, textures... which
are the envy of violins, cellos and other songbirds.
More information:
Enrique
Morente presents a new collection of cantes inspired
by Granada's La Alhambra
Photo
gallery. Morente sueña La Alhambra
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