Album Review
The Rough Guide to Flamenco
Various musicians
World Music Network
[They are sitting in a pair of armchairs as the light in the room turns slowly to evening.]
Compay Segundo: Thank god this is a compilation. Listen to this man, Duquende. He sounds so sad, too much of him would kill me. I would die in empathy with his suffering. What a long note his voice has! What a cry! He barely needs another instrument. The mood he creates is so delicate, too much guitar would kill it.
Joseito Fernandez: It makes me uncomfortable. I wish he would sing proper words and not this Ay ay ay ay ay ee ee ee ee ee. What's that he's got, hiccoughs?
Compay: Joseito, he's exposing his heart.
Joseito: Well he can cover it up again. Listen, the next song is more cheerful. There are other people involved, not this one-man ay ay ay ee ee ee. You can hear castanets ... there's the sound of the crowd ...
C: Flamenco is music for an audience; the audience should be part of it. Really there is no audience - every person takes part and the ones who don't are tourists! This is one problem when the music is recorded. You do not have the sweat. You do not have the abandoned gypsy musician and his vibrating chest in the room with you. The moment of duende is not any longer unrepeatable, it is trapped on the disc, it is as if you have filmed someone else's orgasm in order to experience it yourself -
J: Compay, I do not want a sweaty gypsy and his chest and his orgasms duende in the room with me! I am happy with the blue plastic CD player singing to me, thank you very much. I am especially disturbed by this one we are listening to now, this Chano Lobato and his 'A Quien Contarle.' My mother would have said that he sounds as if he is vomiting up a cat.
C: I will get rid of that track, since you are a man of no soul. Here instead is Jorge Pardo with no singing at all. Only the flute like silk and the dancer's shoes coming down quickly pat-pat on the floor. Mm. I was wrong. Three minutes into the song and someone has begun to sing.
J: No, no, don't change it. I like this one. She has a voice like a muscle. Oh, they've faded her out.
C: Another cat-man opens his mouth.
J: As a matter of fact I like this one as well. The variety in this compilation is excellent.
C: I say again: thank god for compilations! What a wonderful overview we have here. If you don't like the single voice of Camaron de la Isla then you can turn to Pata Negra which has two voices and plenty of accompaniment, like a rock song but flamenco, and if you don't like both of them, why, there's Carles Benavent with this very strange electronic noise he has. I don't enjoy it but I respect it, you know what I mean, it is interesting? The notes are useful as well. They give you a history of what you are listening to and show you where the musicians are placed.
J: I would like more notes on the musicians individually.
C: True. I would also like to know why this Carles sounds so different to the rest.
J: They took the notes straight from The Rough Guide to World Music book. Look, the words are the same.
C: Well, we must not assume that everybody who will buy the CD also owns the book!
J: Hm, yes, but if you have the book then it is no extra help at all.
C: I will still recommend this compilation. I think it introduces its subject very well and the singers are passionate.
