The caliph must have felt, from his appearance in the Peña Uncle Jose de Paula, the murmur of a neighborhood that has known since ancient times where the wounds fester and where the tassels of the canteBecause that communion, difficult to explain, occurred that made The Pele to completely surrender to an audience captivated by their words jondos.
The Cordoban singer has his references and inspirations, but he vehemently personalizes each verse until it becomes his own. A singer who strives to convey emotion above all else. To do so, he subjects his deeply Gypsy-like wail to the rhythms in which his emotions surface, expressing his pain in the lower registers or drawing on his breath when necessary. This is how he crafts a distinct expression at every moment, with a surprise at the turn of each verse. He even suggests brief dissonances without ever straying from the key. A true display of originality with a distinctive style. flamenco high-flying.
"El Pele subjects his very gypsy-like wail to the times when his emotions surface, straining his lower voice or drawing on his bellows when necessary. This is how he creates a different expression at every moment, with the surprise at the turn of any verse."
So, it no longer matters too much that the chronicler goes to great lengths to point out each master the singer approaches. For example, if in the opening siguiriya he remembered, as he did, Paco the Light, The Marruro, Juan Junquera, Antonio Mairena…because in the end, everything sounds like El Pele. That's his great virtue. Just like in that soleá In my own way and style, with some of my own craziness, exploring the paths of La Roesna, La Moreno, El MellizoAlcalá or Triana. What truly stands out in his recitals is how he updates that legacy and communicates it directly to the heart of the fan. Special mention must be made of his guitar playing. Seve childwho knows how to carry him on his shoulders, always attentive to every unexpected turn of events canteVery soon, thanks to the generosity of El Pele, you will have some audio samples of these. canteso that we can all enjoy them.
Alongside these two pillars of his recital, we must not overlook his malagueñas and abandolaos, the alegrías Avante Claro or the bulerías finished off by fandangos caracoleros in the same time signature. For this, he was assisted by the palmas de Diego Montoya y Manuel SaladoAnd so did the entire neighborhood, who rewarded him with an ovation the likes of which hadn't been heard in Uncle José's house for a long time. An original artist in his prime passed through Angostillo, filling the Arco de Santiago with emotion, which dawned in the shape of a horseshoe, recalling the echo of the Cordoban master.
Credits
recital of cante by Manuel Moreno Maya 'El Pele'
Peña Flamenca Uncle José de Paula, Jerez
31th October 2025
Cante: The Pele
Guitar: Niño Seve
Palmas: Diego Montoya and Manuel Salado
