18 July 2012

In 2010 flamenco was declared an "intangible cultural heritage" of mankind. Today I am making it tangible.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:00am

1. Tío Gregorio El Borrico
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.12
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 928
45'
(Tío Gregorio El Borrico [1910-1983]: "... A grandiose voice, a voice of solid bronze worn by time, somewhat like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree, a voice shaken by sudden plunging leaps, singing a wild, millenary, prehistoric chant, a voice of the caves.")

2. Gerardo Nuñez: Queda la sal
5:34

3. Gerardo Nuñez: La Cartuja
5:28

Tracks 2-3 (rec. 1987-88)
Gerardo Nuñez - guitar
Flamencos en Nueva York
veraBra Records, No.28
(Gerardo Nuñez [b. 1961]: "He has even attempted fusion with other kinds of music, especially jazz, but without ever leaving out flamenco as its foundation.")

Set #2 - 9:00am - 10:00am

4. La Perla de Cádiz
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.13
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 934
53'
(La Perla de Cádiz [1925-1975]: "Her singing is bursting with health, it is wholesome, full, warm, joyous, it makes one happy. Not a trace of darkness, of morbid torment.")


Set #3 - 10:00am - 11:00am

5. Sabicas
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.14
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 935
65'
(Sabicas [1912-1990]: "And it is true that the first thing that strikes one on hearing him is his prodigious technique, which is truly unprecedented, and of which the analysts said that before Sabicas there were things that seemed impossible to do on the guitar, after him there is no longer anything!")

11 July 2012

In 2010 flamenco was declared an "intangible cultural heritage" of mankind. Today I am making it tangible.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:00am

1. Antonio Mairena
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.9
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 911
61'
(Antonio Mairena [1909-1983]: Considered to be an admirable academic artist. "...It was he who 'reversed the current' in the 30s by rising up against decadent flamenco and working indefatigably to restore pure cante jondo to its former glory, uncompromisingly re-establishing the old forms... to the point of unearthing whole families of songs that were dying out...")


Set #2 - 9:00am - 10:00am

2. Pepe Marchena
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.10
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 912
62'
(Pepe Marchena [1903-1976]: "A fluent, pliant voice (always in tune, with a pleasant tone quality), nonchalant, easy-going, never forced; a precious vocalizing style indulging too freely in circuitous diversions, drawing out the ornaments like the tendrils around the vine-stock." and "Marchena's approach to flamenco is solely to sing about the joy of living, a ray of sunshine, a rose, a pretty woman."

Set #3 - 10:00am - 11:00am

3. Niño de Ricardo
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.11
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 927
60'
(Niño de Ricardo [1904-1972]: "...A singing, pure, natural guitar, fragrant and multi-coloured as a bouquet of flowers." and "...The converging synthesis of the classical guitar, flamencoism and the staggering development of the guitar of the modern period.")

04 July 2012

In 2010 flamenco was declared an "intangible cultural heritage" of mankind. Today I am making it tangible.

Set #1 - 8:00am - 9:00am

1. La Niña de los Peines
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.3
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 859
40'
(La Niña de los Peines [1890-1969]: "We might perhaps be surprised to discover the shrill nasal quality of her voice... but what a delight it is when, after a strong attack, we hear her voice transformed into a narrow, clear trickle of water, winding a lengthy and superb course amongst the wild flowers.")


Set #2 - 9:00am - 10:00am

Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.16
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 958
75'
(Manuel Soto el Sordera [1927-2001]: "... His career has taken a long, slow course that, from an artistic point of view, progressed from cantaor de venta [tavern singer], rustic, powerful, but without genius, towards an expressiveness that became less brutal, increasingly more restrained and profound with maturity.")

Set #3 - 10:00am - 11:00am

3. Manuel el Agujeta
Grands cantaores du flamenco Vol.8
Le chant du monde, LDX 274 900
62'
(Manuel el Agujeta [b. 1939]: "This cantaor is almost always tense, violent, barbaric, without delicacy. Expressionism carried to the point of incandescence....")