Once upon a time, there was an independent record label run by a certain Mario Pacheco placeholder image (Madrid, 1950 – 2010), music producer who had worked in the legend of time de Camarón and in the cover design of Morente, who in the 80s and 90s promoted a transgressive concept known as "new flamenco». It is called New Media. That holy house put into circulation emblematic records by artists such as Pepe Habichuela, Ketama, Pata Negra, Martirio, Ray Heredia, La Barbería del Sur, Poveda, Duquende, José el Francés, etc. It is the germ of Limbaé –in gypsy, 'return' or 'return'–, that is, New Media in happy partnership with Sony Music Spain to recover the spirit of giving voice to young people flamencocurrent, emerging and established artists, and project them into audiovisual culture. We spoke with Josemi Carmona (Madrid, 1971), the famous guitarist, composer and member of Ketama, who acts as musical director here.
– An exercise in archaeology and the resurrection of that historic New Media. What a beautiful project, huh?
–Yes, well, it’s not my project. I'm participating in it as a sort of musical director, so to speak, because I'm working with María Pacheco, Mario's daughter. All this came about because, I don't know if you know, the Nuevos Medios project started with an album by my father, Pepe Habichuela: A mandeli (1983). Maria and I always wanted to do something together, as we had a very good relationship. So we reached a point where there were young people flamencos, some less known and others with more name. A project to be able to teach some things that are done always starting from the flamenco. It doesn't have to be flamenco Pure, but based on those roots. And from there, we made a video with Lin Cortés alongside Alana Sinkëy and Miryam Latrece, two jazz artists. Then we continued with José del Tomate and Ismael de la Rosa 'El Bola'. Now we're working on another song by Lin Cortés, solo on piano, reminiscent of Ray Heredia. And well, with the excitement and a bit of uncertainty of being able to continue with the project, because I believe that these projects, which are so special, need to mature and continue to consolidate. We're pushing forward as best we can. I'm there as a scout, let's say. Thinking about colleagues. I really like music production, and there are already artists who are calling me to participate in Limbaé.
"Having a quality video, receiving advice from myself and María Pacheco. The intention is to continue pushing the flamenco, create encounters between different artists, make it like a house where people make new things"
– You say you're going to sign artists who need a voice. Are young performers flamenco are especially lacking in that push, that charming lectern?
– More than signing, it's about supporting. The artists aren't ours. Someone comes here to make their video and then they continue working there. Take, for example, the first track, which features me, Lin, and Miryam. It was Lin's suggestion, bringing us all together. We agreed, and from there a project was born to do things together. It's clear that nowadays people can make their own album and release it easily, but the audiovisual aspect is important. Being on the side of a label or involved in an idea from a previous project, like Jóvenes, FlamencoYes, I think it helps, it gives the artist a bit of weight. Having a quality video, receiving advice from me and María Pacheco. The intention is to continue pushing the flamenco, create encounters between different artists, create a kind of home where people create new things. Another way to support these artists. But we're not going to take over that artist, use them for royalties or concerts. It's just a place to showcase a part of their art.
– Is there a particularly interesting scene to track right now?
– I think so. There are many very good artists, many good guitarists, many good singers, many good dancers. There are many who are very well-known, as Jorge Pardo says, others who are less well-known, and others who are completely unknown. Anything done with art and sincerity, with a desire to help artists, I think is positive. That's our intention. Because the spirit of Nuevos Medios, which I was lucky enough to participate in, was that: a place where you could show things that weren't seen anywhere else. It was the time of my father's first album, then the albums by Ketama and Pata Negra. Miguel Poveda, El Tomate, José el Francés, La Aurora, Ramón el Portugués, Guadiana, Ray Heredia all played there… It wasn't a business, it was an art space. There was an element of survival, a balanced structure. In fact, in the case of Ketama or other artists, there came a time when you needed your art to reach a wider audience, and they gave you free rein. It wasn't as closed as a multinational company. It was a record label more focused on making good things. I went to Mario and asked him for money to buy a device I thought would be good for composing, and he lent it to me as an investment, you know? It was a very modern concept, even though it was the 90s. There's the New Media catalog, which is part of Spanish music.
«I say that fish and chips are not the same as fish and chips. You can like both. It's good that people differentiate between what comes out of the flamenco to what comes from somewhere else. You might like it just as much or even more.
– Is Limbaé going to wink at avant-garde voices or more traditional ones? A bit of everything?
– If you look at the videos that have come out so far, the first one was a lyric by Lorca, which is a song by Lin. A more modern song, let's put it that way. Then El Bola sings a soleá, a very pure soleá, with Tomate accompanying him. Then Tomate's son does a version of the zambra, that of Niño Miguel. There's also a bulería by El Bola… The idea is to bring together the music we make. flamencos from the flamenco. I say that fish and chips are not the same as fish and chips, and you can like both. It's good that people differentiate what comes out of the flamenco to what comes from elsewhere. You might like it just as much or more. More than the separation of making bands, it's more the information at the listener level. There are young people making their own albums who struggle to produce quality audiovisual material. They're eager to try things, to meet people who can make them. That's where Limbaé can be, trying to find an aesthetic in music and in the way of making audiovisual material that identifies us, all done with care.
– From your extensive professional background, whether as a musician, composer and producer, even as a member of Ketama, do you see the flamenco as a minority art or do you think that the flamenco sells? Is Limbae a project designed to reach large audiences?
– We haven't raised it. It's true that I don't understand being a minority as something bad, that is, as long as the thing subsists, as long as it can survive... There are arts that are very minority, and that should be the case. It's art for artists. This is a very relative thing. I think that nowadays there's a great interest in... flamenco, for everything Spanish. Also on an international level, with artists from abroad who come here. Everyone asks to be with flamencos. And you see that urban people get very close to the flamenco, which is flirting with rhythms that have naturally been ours, in quotation marks, understanding "ours" as a positive thing. Doing a bulería, or adding accents to the vocals. I think it's a good time. The commercial aspect is important, of course, because I make a living from this; I have to feed my children. There are many families who make a living from music. But I think the artist must be honest with themselves. I've had moments of great success with Ketama, and I continue to live from another place, which is the place of a guitarist. flamencoI approach other types of music. I pride myself on being honest with myself, doing what I love, making music with commitment, and trying to dedicate all the hours and attention it requires. The responsibility of making music from the heart.
«Nowadays there is a great interest in the flamenco, for everything Spanish. Also at an international level, with artists from abroad who come here and ask to be with us flamencos. You see that urban people get very close to the flamenco, which is flirting with rhythms that have naturally been ours"
– If you look back, are you proud of the path you’ve taken?
– I take care of what I do, I put a lot of love into it. If I look at it like this through the magnifying glass, I see that my path has made sense. I haven't delved into things I didn't like. I've done some tests that have brought me things, but I haven't delved into them further because they didn't catch my attention. And others that have. But more than reviewing the past, I'm looking to the future. Now I'm with a quintet; yesterday we played in Orense, the day before yesterday in Madrid, now we're going to Switzerland. I'm very excited because it's a journey through my life, through my music. I started with a granaína in which I remember Tío Sabas, my uncle Juan, my father... And then we also write more modern songs, always from my heart. flamencoI'm still eager to learn and share. That's the most important thing, because it's what keeps me alive.
– Do you feel that your father, the great Pepe Habichuela, is recognized for his value as a great master of flamenco guitar?
– On a popular level, his name is important. People are familiar with him. I think the guitar world in Spain is complicated; commercially, it's very difficult. What he certainly has is the recognition of all artists and the art world, that's important. Now we're going to pay tribute to him, because he's already 80 years old. He's going to start to stop playing live. We're going to do it at Noches del Botánico, and we already have people like Ángeles Toledano, Carrasco, María Terremoto, and Farru on the list of artists who've joined us. Well, they're colleagues who, in the end, are going to try to thank the people who paved the way for us, like my father and many others who, fortunately, are responsible for us being here. ♦
