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Hey! Just got my Emilio Maya album "Temple" from www.deflamenco.com What a lovely guitarist! No pyrotechnics or showing off, but some great Flamenco with a technique obviously acquired over decades of daily practise and playing in the heart of Andalucia. A breath of fresh air, in the minimalistic style he has developed. The man plays from the heart. As well as enjoying, I'm gonna learn a lot from this album! I've been playing it all afternoon, and I'm addicted to the Bulerias accompaniment (in E) Emilio does on track 8.
Kate...somebody shouts out "Aro" Is that "your" Aro? LOL!
LOL yes that's my 'aro' Its the final track which was recorded in one night as a final fiesta to finish the album. At the beginning of the track you hear Jaime 'El Parrón' asking Harold to turn the sound up in his headphones. They were all sitting round a table in the studio with mikes in front of them, headphones on, and copas of whisky and platos of jamon. 6 singers, all male, and Emilio. Then Victor 'El Charico' and Antonio Campos take up the chant ' 'aro si si, 'aro no no'. Who knows it could become the first 21 st century jaleo with flamencologists wondering about its origin I love the end when all the guys sing together, their voices swelling up like a Welsh male voice choir.
So so glad you are enjoying the album, and it is so good to get this sort of praise and feedback. Please, por favor, write this up for CDbaby or at deflamenco, both webpages ask people who have bought the album to give their opinion.
ORIGINAL: Kate I love the end when all the guys sing together, their voices swelling up like a Welsh male voice choir.
Now that sounds interesting, I can hear it now...
"Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fach yn berwi ar y llawr,
..Ali-Ali-Ali-Ali-AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Seriously though, sounds like a great album. <sigh> thats another to add to the list.
We worked out the other day how much we were spending on nappies and formula milk - scary. Do you think Dylan would appreciate an Emilio Maya album for Christmas, as opposed to Bob the Builder?
I just got my copy and it's a very fine CD. Emilio has a great touch and not that there are any comparisons to make as it's all fresh and original but I can hear Rafael Riqueni quality in much of the playing and composition. The final Buleria and the Minera are outstanding. Congratulations to you all.
I'm getting totally hooked on "Eshavira", cello an all ((-:
Jim
That recording is one of the earliest we did, and I'm pretty sure the original mix is still up on our website as an MP3. Arantxa who plays cello is one of my closest friends here and it was she who first took us to the Eshavira, where , little did we know, we were going to spend a large parto of our sleeping hours (only not sleeping obviously). So for me this track is extra special, there is something very magical, and very Gypsy I think about it. As if the cello is an old Gypsy violin.
I just got my copy and it's a very fine CD. Emilio has a great touch and not that there are any comparisons to make as it's all fresh and original but I can hear Rafael Riqueni quality in much of the playing and composition. The final Buleria and the Minera are outstanding. Congratulations to you all.
Jim.
Thank you Jim, mil Gracias and so glad you are enjoying it. I think I mentioned before that I have seen bullfighters in tears listening to that Minera ( Temple is a bullfighting term, the movement they make swing their cape to one side) and it is now being used as the sound track for a weekly TV show on bullfighting hosted by El Chicote.
I don't know a lot about Rafael Riquini, except he's from Sevilla, and has quite a recording career. I have a copy of Maestros where he plays the old masters and which he made with Morente though have never heard him play live or heard any of his own compositions. He's from the same generation, ie after Paco, as Emilio and I guess they both were influenced by Sabicas and Nino Ricardo.
Its wonderful to hear how you are all enjoying it so much. We're getting excited about our next production with Victor 'El Charico' where of course Emilio will be the guitarrist and arranger. We hope to get it out by Christmas, if we get a god work schedule going.
Also Emilio and I just gave the digital distribution rights to iTunes so soon should be available to download individual tracks. When its all set up and I have the UL link, shall post it. At 99 cents it works out as cheaper than the original CD, but we get more as we dont have to pay for the manufacturing , printing, CD case nor postage.
What do you all think about digital downloads, would you buy them? Dont know how much flamenco is on iTunes already. peraps I should go see and report back.
What do you all think about digital downloads, would you buy them? Dont know how much flamenco is on iTunes already. peraps I should go see and report back.
I like to buy the CD and have the disc with all the packaging, read the titles and general stuff inside the cover, so for me, I wouldn't buy downloads. But I know lots of people who love collecting mp3's and they build up vast librarys on their computers etc. In fact Escribano's got a neat wee mp3 gadget in his car full of flamenco, I want one of those! Got me thinking!
Just on the packaging Kate, and listen this is really a miniscule point, the text in the sleve on the CD I've got, is a bit blurred and I feel now that the recording side is cracked and first rate, might be that someone should re-visit the packaging. For me here in Glasgow, it's great to have a neat booklet with pics and text to provide some background on the artists and tracks.
now that the recording side is cracked and first rate, might be that someone should re-visit the packaging.
Jim.
Point taken Jim, and you're not the first to say so. I was very disappointed with the quality of the printing, and that stupidly I put the Spanish in capital letters and the English in small letters and the colour wash on the front gives a green hue even over the Alhambra ( the red palace !). I did all the artwork myself, photos and everything, and it was my first time so I learnt a lot. I now have a team of expert advisors who are sprucing it up for the next 1,000 copies we order. And for the next album we have a professonal designer doing it all, an afficionado who will do it for love, which is just as well as we cant afford to pay our 'elves never mind anyone else. So bit by bit we're pulling together and as you say the most important is we have first class recording production. In Granada the shops play the album all the time and I often here the sound of Emilio's guitar drifting across a plaza, mixing with the street sounds which gives us all a big buzz.
I often here the sound of Emilio's guitar drifting across a plaza, mixing with the street sounds which gives us all a big buzz.
Jeez! that must be fantastic, I mean, to wonder by knowing what you do. Granada's a great city and I can just imagine the CD playing out of that wee CD shop in one of those tight streets down by the cathedral, don't remember the name except 'Pilar de Toro' rings a bell?
I think Pilar de Toro is a bar on Plaza Nueva, my Dad said it was the best stocked Whisky bar he had ever seen. It has an inner garden with comfy cane sofas.
And yes it is wonderful to be walking down a street and hear our album being played. It happened to El Parrón the other day, he heard himself singing that final Bulería and he walked in the shop and shouted 'Olé'. Afterwards he told me the shopowner probably thought he was some mad Gitano, but I think the show owner knows exactly who he is.
When we first went round the shops asking them to sell the album we were treated with a certain cynicism, but they knew Emilio and sort of let it be known it was a favour for him, but they would only need 2 or 3 copies. Now they phone me at the beginning of each week asking for another 10 or 15 and take us very seriously. And they all love and play the album all the time. Its amazing for us. I know we wont become millionaire over this, we'll be lucky to break even but if we can show that there is a market for flamenco artists ( who are not major pop stars like Merce or Estrella) and we can sell in regular small quantities and the artist has the benefit of the promotion which helps get more work, and royalties from live concerts and radio and TV, then we will have acheived our aims and had lots of fun while we do it and we're keeping flamenco alive and where it belongs, in the hands of the artists and their fans and not controlled by accountants of large record companies.
we do it and we're keeping flamenco alive and where it belongs, in the hands of the artists and their fans and not controlled by accountants of large record companies.
Absolutely, that's it, a bit like taking photographs that become historical evidence. Capturing real flamenco 'in the raw' today, as it is.
I got a couple of CD's from deflamenco, Emilio's Temple and a CD called La Mujer y El Cante which had a few tracks by Diego Amaya. Both very nice Albums. I'm not a "solo" kind of guitar player, so I was very inspired by Diego's stuff. But from listening to Emilio's playing, it has given me a bit of insight into solo playing. I love the confidence. The man has the ability to say what he wants without feeling obliged to cover it up in lashings of frivolous technique. I love how he can bring out very quiet passages, single note sometimes, and make them sound so meaningful. I don't know if it's because I've had a good practise day today... not trying to practise fast picado or anything (not that I ever do...LOL!), but just listening to the notes...
I suppose I've always been a "sound" man as opposed to a "technique" man. Emilio Maya has definitely made me think a lot.
I was wanting to check something in Siguiriyas and listened to Paco's "Luzia" track, which I hadn't heard in a while.... and had to put it off after a minute or so.... A relatively boring composition, compensated for by awesome technique IMO.
Paco is a giant of Flamenco guitar, and I'd agree he is the "Pope". No question. I love him and respect him. Some of the best stuff I've ever heard in my whole life has been Paco's.
But, Emilio Maya has meaningful things to say also IMO.
Emilio came by yesterday and I was showing him the forum. Had to explain your post and my Welsh comparison to him and found myself singing 'Sosban fach' for him, and including your ayeee ayeee ay flamenco style at the end.
I read your comments out to Emilio, when he was at the studio yesterday and I was showing him the forum and explaining how it worked. He was very impressed with your analysis of his playing and asked me to tell you so, and that you had a good comprehension of flamenco guitar.
And while we are on the subject of Paco. I was asking the singer El Charico how Emilio had played at the Lewes Guitar Festival and what he had thought of the concert. His reply was that he played like God, and then he added no even better than God. It took me a while to realise he was talking about Paco as oposed to the Almighty himself
I must have a listen out for that track of Paco's. The other day Emilio was in the studio listening to an American songwriter Greg Byler who we are recording. The particular track is very celtic, sort of Waterboys meets Twin Peaks in style. Anyway Emilio picked up Greg's guitar and played an amazing bulería, totally celtic in style, but also pure flamenco compás, with flamenco cante a perfect fusion which stunned us all. So it looks like we are already working towards Emilio's next album
Hi Kate, Tell Emilio thanks, I'm flattered. I'm certainly learning a lot from his style, not falsetas or anything, but just the general tone and way of handling pieces. The Buleria "La Fuente" sounds like it's in an unusual key....is it open tuning or anything?
Emilio came by yesterday and I was showing him the forum. Had to explain your post and my Welsh comparison to him and found myself singing 'Sosban fach' for him, and including your ayeee ayeee ay flamenco style at the end.
Now that must have taken some explaining...
I remember singing along with gusto one day whilst watching Wales play in the six nations on the telly, and our ten year old asks me what this passionate song was all about.
"... err well you see there's this little saucepan, and its boiling away on the fire..."
ORIGINAL: Jon Boyes I remember singing along with gusto one day whilst watching Wales play in the six nations on the telly, and our ten year old asks me what this passionate song was all about.
"... err well you see there's this little saucepan, and its boiling away on the fire..."
Jon
And what about when they started singing, in English, "Who beat the Wallabies". Was it the saucepan?
Printable Version
Its the final track which was recorded in one night as a final fiesta to finish the album. At the beginning of the track you hear Jaime 'El Parrón' asking Harold to turn the sound up in his headphones. They were all sitting round a table in the studio with mikes in front of them, headphones on, and copas of whisky and platos of jamon. 6 singers, all male, and Emilio. Then Victor 'El Charico' and Antonio Campos take up the chant ' 'aro si si, 'aro no no'. Who knows it could become the first 21 st century jaleo 
with flamencologists wondering about its origin 
Jonny bach 
Anyway glad you enjoyed your class with Emilio. 
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