Heaviest flamenco artists

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mark74

Posts: 690
Joined: Jan. 26 2011

Heaviest flamenco artists

I'm not talking about weight here. I thought about titling the thread hardest flamenco artists, but the potential for misinterpretation there was more distasteful, so heavy will have to do.

This is prompted by the Gitano Flavor thread, where Wedge quotes a book where the writer states that flamenco is meant to wound. When I think about flamenco like that I think about some of the artists who had a dark, violent edge to their performance.

With singers, I think the Agujetas family would be the heaviest flamenco singers I can think of, but there are a number. I know I heard a siguiriyas once by a singer where he sounded like an absolute demon and the guitarist sounded possessed. It was fantastic. Maybe it was Antonio Agujetas?

PdL and Camaron had some moments in the early 70's where they were at their heaviest IMO, especially with siguiriya and solea.

Who are some other flamenco artists that have been especially heavy? DDG had a heaviness to his playing sometimes.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 2:32:59

jamh2000

Posts: 41
Joined: Jan. 13 2012

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

Well I definitely think most good performers have an element of what you're talking about- I remember in that Moraito documentary he talks about 'the mouth tasting of blood'- when I listen to Jose Menese sing por solea I think I know exactly what he means.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 6:33:06

withinity

Posts: 180
Joined: Sep. 17 2013

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

According to how I understood your question, I agree with Agujetas being on the heavy side along with Paquera , Terremoto and many more from that age.

In terms of toque Manuel Morao usually hits me like a freight train, Parilla de jerez, Sabicas, Paco when he wants too and Diego del Gastor.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 7:41:00

runner

Posts: 357
Joined: Dec. 5 2008
From: New Jersey USA

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to withinity)

Agujetas for sure, among living cantaors. The written memories of observers at the time all agree on Manuel Torres as the ultimate in the effect he had upon his listeners--stories of people rending their clothing, sobbing, and generally hurling themselves about under the influence of Torres' siguiriyas. Unfortunately Torres recorded back when 3 minutes was just about all that could be gotten onto a recording, and he also needed to be "in the mood", so the record we still have of him only hints at his power. Tomas Pavon was similarly effective por soleares, and his sister Pastora could thrill and chill consistently. Terremoto. Pepe el Culata, at times; also Jose de la Tomasa. Rosario Lopez sings one of the most effective siguiriyas I've heard on the 2-CD Mujeres en el Flamenco.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 12:31:04

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 12:54:19

Ricardo

Posts: 14799
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

Manuel Torre
niño de Gloria
Manuel Vallejo

In Rito y Geografia the singers that hit me hardest were Caracol and Platero de Alcala.

In "flamenco" by Saura, Paquera, Fernanda, Chocolate, Toronjo, Agujetas, all heavy duty.

In Flamenco Flamenco...none, zero, zip. Manolo Sanlucar with his guitar solo was the heaviest thing in that film for me.

in terms of guitar, from old it was always Montoya then, Melchor and Ricardo. Manolo de huelva good too, but it's hard to deliver the same type of heavy thing with the guitar, compared to cante. In Rito my favorite accomp was Morao. On certain recordings for me Cepero was the best ever for cante. For me the most profound guitar solo is Rondeña, the one starting with Montoya and all the interpreters into modern times do a lot with that form. But any guitarist can have heavy moments with Toque, just depends on specifics.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 13:15:19

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

Juana La del Pipa
Juan Talega
Terremoto de Jerez

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Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 15:28:47

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: Heaviest flamenco artists (in reply to mark74)

It's kind of cool that if the cante "hits" people who don't understand the words of the letra, then think about how much heavier it gets with the words understood. To me there's nothing sounding as heavy as siguiriyas and solea of a local flamenco peña singers here in coast of granada district. It's so different to me than sitting in a concert on a seat or watching flamenco online. Flamenco is intimate music to me and it's best served live between friends around a table, making the "heaviness" heavier. Altough I don't know if that's a good thing

If I need to name someone famous, then it's fernando terremoto, he can really get some emotions to the surface with his singing

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 18 2014 16:21:55