Before his voice, it was impossible to ignore his gaze. We saw him enter the Madrid nightclub early in the morning. Candle or by Patas House, and those enormous, deep-set eyes immediately captivated us. Also his natural, unadorned elegance, always complete with a tie or an impeccable polka-dot handkerchief. I remember him as serious, upright, not overly talkative with anyone he didn't quite know, but endowed with a subtle and natural sense of humor. We heard him sing several times around those fishing grounds, always with pleasure. And although he had retired from the stage in recent years, his death last Monday is very sad news.
Ramón Suárez Salazar He was very proud of being the nephew and son-in-law of the legendary Porrinas from BadajozHe was the brother of another great singer and guardian of the essences of cante Extremaduran, The Guadiana, and although his children followed the path of art, curiously none of them became singers: Juan José, Package, a splendid guitarist, became known at a very young age with the group The South BarbershopWhile Sabu y The Piranha It didn't take long for them to place themselves among the elite of the drawer flamenco.
As for Ramón, he debuted as a very young boy with his uncle Porrinas in The Caves of Nemesio, to continue training as a tablao artist in the golden age of Vermilion Towers, and later in The Basket Makers and in the Chinitas CoffeeHe always considered himself a rather hidden singer, but there is no doubt that he had extraordinary qualities as a soloist. His specialty was tangos, although he often showed remarkable skill in bulerías, jaleos, soleares, seguiriyas, granainas, or cantes of Levante.
"We'd see him walk into the Candela or Casa Patas in the early hours of the Madrid night, and we were immediately captivated by those enormous, deep-set eyes. Also striking was his natural, unadorned elegance, which never failed to impress with his tie or impeccable polka-dot handkerchief."
He did not spend much time in the studio, although he left some valuable recordings, among which the album stands out Gypsies of the square, from 1992, launched under the auspices of the miraculous New Media of Mario Pacheco placeholder imageA year later he embarked on a project as ambitious as Jazzpaña, along with musicians such as Vince Mendoza, Jorge Pardo, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Carles Benavent, Al di Meola, Michael Brecker, Steve Khan o Peter Erskine, among other greats, where he recorded cantes of a very high level. They say that, when they were just recording a memorable version of the I am a gypsy, They received the news of the death of Camarón, with whom he shared many sound and stylistic similarities.
Whether his career could have taken a more precipitous course toward success is a matter of speculation. Those who knew him well know that he never sought easy applause, and never agreed to be fooled, much less for money. If one night he wasn't in a position to sing properly, he preferred to get off the stage and even lose his contract. flamenco It could be, of course, a way for him to earn a living, but above all it was a spiritual act, a gift of the soul.
When a tumor was removed from his throat a few years ago, seriously affecting his vocal cords, he confessed to the doctors treating him in Seville: "You've taken my life." His spirits plummeted, he retreated to his San Blas neighborhood and, by his own admission, weathered the shadows of depression. But he also had time to receive the affection and recognition of his teammates and fans during his lifetime, who considered him a role model and example both on and off the stage.
The thought that his voice and his gaze, which so impressed us when we met them, have been lost forever, seems sad and difficult news to accept for all those who loved and admired him, and there were many of them. Rest in peace, maestro.
