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Sorry I must be in a bad mood or something but they all sucked. Not everybody is young for sure, there, except the last two. Fernández can sing great but he changed the darn melody, WTF? Not good. Macanita fuera de tono. The rest too damn slow and taking breaths mid line etc, I don’t get it.
Here is Chico, grande and the Terremoto mix some people are TRYING to copy but suck at it (IMO).
Grande 3:30
Another version of grande 3:35:
Chico-grande Mix, first letra:
This guy would probably have a definitive version of Mellizo but I can’t find him doing it. In general he is killer.
Sorry I must be in a bad mood or something but they all sucked.
Yes I knew that they would compared to singers from the past. (I didn't post people born in 1940s/1950s like Carmen de la Jara or El Zambo.)
Maybe the examples I posted are as good as it gets from those under 30/40 years old? In any case they are seriously dedicated to cante, even if they aren't reaching the same level.
I think it's similar in all genres of music and art; there is a golden age that never gets matched. In any genre most people will say- 'things were much better in the old days'. Except for young people under 20, who are creating whatever it is that in the future will be looked back on as being great.
I agree Antonio Reyes is one my favourite current cantaores. Here por fandangos. The only malaguenas I could find was his recording with piano, which isn't for me.
Caracolillo en Cádiz, thanks for the tip, I had always thought of him por alegrias/bulerias. (I don't think either will satisfy Ricardo!)
And both accompanied by Miguel Salado, one of my favourite current guitarists.
I think it's similar in all genres of music and art; there is a golden age that never gets matched. In any genre most people will say- 'things were much better in the old days'.
Maybe it was different then and those performing didn't expect or want to be famous. Looking at Morante's Agujetas, Chozas, Moraos clip - there's no mic stands, foldback, PA, lighting, number one beard trims... just some olives and some fino.
Flamenco now presents as 'professional' and not cultural, though that is how it is sold. The more an art form becomes a means of making a living, the more colleges offer courses for mass study, the more synthetic it all seems to become. Jazz has the same problem - played at the pinnacle of skill, with no cultural relevance, and utterly empty.
That's Pop for you though - maybe the Underground is still worth listening to.
For me he's more cantante than cantaor. But I am in no position or authority to judge who is, or is not flamenco. This is just my personal taste and opinion, he's not deep enough for me. I have seen him perform live. I still respect him, he is seriously dedicated to flamenco cante.
Jesus Mendez and Jesus Castilla do great job on the mellizo. Castilla added to it, which I was ok with, powerful voice. Mendez has the right pacing and sustains the notes, he came a long way since 20 years ago when he only sang bulerias. But these guys are not “young” to me. Young people are too distracted, and sure some will discover cante as adults and study YouTube videos and be decent in their 40’s.
Caracollilo chose great letras. But way too slow, I don’t get it. I sped up the video X1.75 and that was the correct pacing, and same letra as Pena Hijo the warble voice sounds almost the same! To me the slow pace takes away all the feeling from the poetry and replaces it with unneeded drama. Like the slow dancers and their drama, we don’t need it. IMO.
Poveda was doing very well with cante during this epoc, and we were all hopeful for these non-Andaluz artists. As you can see in this video, I suspect during this time Chicuelo had a big hand in shaping Poveda (coaching?? ). As Morante said, some years later he practically abandons cante for his self serving copla drama, pulling his hair out on stage etc.