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jmb -> RE: Most Underrated (Jan. 20 2015 15:00:01)
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quote:
Intersting story. Beni was a fantastic singer IMO....some called him a "Caracolero" but I don't think so much, he had his own things for sure. Tomatito I consider a "paquero" if that makes sense...he accompanies very much in the style of PDL. For me the best accompanist of Camaron (and othe cantaores for that matter) was Cepero. But that is my taste. Later on, PDL and Tomatito only play for camaroneros it seems....pretty one dimensional if you want to make comparisons. Tomatito plays for Pansequito, the only non camaronero I know of. I admit, I am of the opinion that Camaron took some things from Pansequito, so not much of a stretch. But I give huge kudos for Tomatito's accompaniment of the jerezanos (festeros) in the juerga (Zambo and Fernando de La Morena)...he really has a different soniquete there, very refreshing, and reveals he knows what he is doing perfectly well. I only hope for more from him with different cantaores. But, saddly, I dont' think there is much variety left.
As for Moraito, to me he was a very methodical "blue print" type of accompanist. Never took any risk and never made a mistake. Cepero for me was more adventurous and involved with the different singers. But Moraito for sure is exemplary for his playing, beyond only jerezanos. But who was HIS favorite singer? It may surprise some considering all the greats he played for.
The tricky and unfair issue of rate and underrate tocaores is that flamenco is interaction and things well done. Let me talk about these three tocaores from my experience:
I've attended many times to Cepero. Cepero, and for me he is unclassifiable, because he has its own style and he is a great master. I remember a great night were he and the master Rancapino turned the tables with a really hostile audience (they were playing with Diego el Cigala hooligans in front for him waiting for his leader[]) in Madrid in the 90's. ¿How can you rate it? It seemed impossible even with SuperRancapino and they do it![:D]
Respecting Morao, I am biased. By chance I met him in the Felipe Conde's shop of when I was choosing my, now, favorite guitar several years ago with a good friend that played quiet well. He was there previous to perform in the Teatro Real de Madrid with Mercé with other people. We start talking with him and he helps us to choose my guitar (“Remember always that you are choosing YOUR guitar, not a Conde…” he said me). I thing that both them and us felt comfortable.
I always remember him playing several wonderful falsetas from the album with a blanca. and in certain moment, we comment him that it was wonderful his documentary with of Manuel Agujetas and he say us 'Yeah! I know, because this is the modern ... but…' and start playing some simple and amazing falsetas by siguirillas quite concentrated and I feel the true pellizco there.... In the best, he stop, smile (as always) and said us:"Yeah! These are very old falsetas but are really fantastic don’t you?... She (the guitar) is shouting that somebody has to start singing his pains. I doubt that we(?) could do some similar...". IMHO, I think that the Master Maorao does not understood flamenco guitar without provoking a true interaction with other artists.
I heard him on many occasions (live) supporting several cantaores and I doubt that many of the current soloists could not do it better. He gets a delicatessen where the singer was the starring part. There are great guitarists that had developed the harmony, technique and melody in the guitar and this things are more visible ... But I think that there are others that are great masters studding the close interaction and search of equilibrium in the cante (poetry)-guitar. I think Morao, Moraito, is one of them. Because of this, I think he has not ‘HIS’ Cantaor because he loved so much cante that he was good with all them: Mercé, Torta, Moneo, etc…
IMHO, the sentence of Sabicas to Paco de Lucía "You have to done your own falsetas" it's good but is not the only. (Sabicas also said "Paco why are you doing so strange things if you play flamenco very well?"[:)])
Some comments of morao from Internet about his vision:
"Yo defiendo el flamenco tradicional, porque sin eso, no hay flamenco, o sea, que la fusión y todo lo que están haciendo ahora, estoy de acuerdo, es muy bonito, es muy moderno, eso está muy bien, hay que investigar, no hay que quedarse dormido, el flamenco no puede estar estancado ¿no?, pero sin el flamenco clásico, digamos la raíz…es de donde tiene que partir todo, sin principio, no hay historia".
"Hoy en día ¿tiene más importancia la guitarra que el cante? No, cada uno está en su sitio…la guitarra vino después, no lleva tanto tiempo como el cante, siempre va detrás."
Concerning Tomate, his father was Miguel el Tomate, his father was guitarist, his uncle Niño Miguel, and Juan Habichuela influenced him too. PdL learnt too from all these people and you can find thinks from them and others in Tomatito. Often, aficionados he is compared with PdL, but these comparison are hateful, because Tomatito was also there supporting Paco and Camarón in his albums and because, of course, his vital circumstances and Paco’s circumstances are different.
Finally, is any of these three better o less for me? NO. Because they interact and learn from each other, with PdL and with lots of flamencos (singers, dancers…).
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