With the recent passing of the popular singer from Extremadura Ramon the Portuguese, so important in the dissemination of cante Extremaduran in Madrid, the exotic sounds of the flamenco of that land of his. The striking peculiar echo of this non-Andalusian branch of the cante It's fascinating. The people of Extremadura build their own universe. flamenco with a different perfume, fuss, As they call their fresh bulerías, Jerez is far away, and the tangos smell of damp earth.
Ole and ole the cante From other regions, there would be little work for the goblins of the Plaza Alta if we took away the Andalusian provinces, Murcia and Cartagena, as well as Madrid or Catalonia. But Extremadura is unique, each cante a cry of “long live me.”
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Just a few days ago we also lost the veteran flamencologist from Extremadura, doctor of medicine, Paco Zambrano, a great connoisseur of the cante from his homeland, and author of several books on the subject. We met at a conference flamenco in Malaga in a tense discussion. He did not admit my observation that Camarón had been largely responsible for the popularity of the cante Extremaduran in Madrid in the seventies. Zambrano defended the absolute and exclusive role of Porrinas, but we soon became great friends, and shared pleasant conversations over coffee. flamenco Extremadura is left crippled without this man in love with his culture.
«Paco Zambrano did not accept my observation that Camarón had been largely responsible for the popularity of the cante Extremaduran in Madrid in the 1970s. Zambrano defended the absolute and exclusive role of the Porrinas.
One of the most interesting performers in the Extremadura squad, being one of those who attract relatively little attention today, is Juan Cantero (Mérida, 1939). With a round and warm voice and powerful abilities, her singing personality is an ideal vehicle for these cantes. He has been a regular singer at the National Ballet of SpainIn addition to the classic assortment of tango and jaleo styles, at least one Extremaduran tango is attributed to Juan Cantero, according to Paula's Parakeet, an expert musician in the field. The following verses are two of the traditional ones for this style of Cantero: ro:
How do you want me to love you,
Oh, oh, that I love you,
Yes, because of your way of being
no one can live by your side.
Don't give me evens and odds,
oh, oh, even and odd,
that when I see you coming
I know your intentions.
This style of Extremaduran tango created and popularized by Juan Cantero reminds me of the old one God's Love Madrid in the 70s when it was so popular. Not the academy located in what had been the neighborhood's food market, but the rehearsal studios in a dilapidated old house on Amor de Dios Street, where, in addition to tap dancing, opera, and classical dance, there were private classes in flamenco, or conducted rehearsals such beloved masters as La Tati, Merche Esmeralda, Paco Fernández, Ciro o Mary Magdalene, among others. A gloomy underground cave served as a bar where contracts were signed, guitarists exchanged falsetas, and debates raged over who sang the best. Pansequito o CamarónWhile Paco, with his recordings, taught us how much flamenco still remained to be discovered, the guitarist Miguel Vargas invented a code for the Extremaduran touch, Marelu spilled its honey and the fury of the Kaita located his beastly slit.
