RECOR DED AT THE CONCERT THEW RI.J GRI1 A'J . ~ST GUITAR Th Inc e · Co lo THE INCREDIBLE CAR LOS MONTOYA LPM/LSP-2566 Pruduced by Jack A. Somer

RECORDED llU HISTORIC row: •Hram,, DT0'1A'S CODCERT

The difference between and classical guitar It was brought back to and is now played by CAFE DE CHINITAS-This is the name of a cele- is that flamenco can come only from the heart. And Montoya in flamenco style, quite different from the Lrnted cafe in Malaga at the turn of the century, through the heart must flow at least some gypsy blood popular present-day Guafiras of Cuba. ( 3: 10) made famous by the Spanish poet Garcia Lorca. The -flamenco means gypsy. song is in the form of a petenera-a rhythm and song Up to the year 1945, flamenco guitarists worked RONDENA-The hPart of the real flamenco is the of tragic qualities. The lyric tells the story of two girls only in support of singers and dancers. Then Carlos cante 1undo, always deep and tragic. Rondeiia means: in the cafe who resort to hair pulling over a man. Montoya, already reputed to be the greatest flamenco from Ronda, one of the olc~st and most picturesque (2: 51) guitarist of his time, decided to present a full concert rowns in the sierr,t c,f the pr0vince of Malaga. This of the music. The success of this first recital opened IJ"usir· i:; the real cante fondo, so impossible to de- ZAPATEAO -The Zapateao is played for a virtuoso the way to a whole series of solo appearances in scribe. Its origins are lost in the early gypsy migrations, dance consisting of increasingly difficult heel-and-toe and Canada as well as in the . and it is unfortunately being lost in Spain except by variations. It belongs right on the stage of the old-time Today, Montoya concerts are generally overflow a few artists such as Carlos Montoya. It is played in cafes cantantes in the heyday of such dances as Juan sellouts. a gypsy tone scale different from the conventional el Estampio and Antonio de Bilbao. The guitar part in Born in of gypsy heritage, Montoya started one used for most Spanish music .. On the guitar, the Zapateao consisted primarily of a marked beat. Only taking guitar lessons at the age of eight from his 3rd and 6th strings are each tuned a half-tone lower. a master could have evolved such an intricate, varied mother "La Tula," then from a local barber-teacher, I had great difficulty persuading Carlos to play and exciting solo. (3:39) "Pepe el Barbero." Carlos' finishing school was the Rondeiia in concert. It is music which the gypsies influence of the great flamenco guitarists of the period. play among themselves, and he felt it was too "pure" ALORNO Y VERDIAL-These are two simple song At fourteen he was playing in the cafes cantantes, in to be appreciated by the layman. How wrong he and dance forms closely •·plated. The first is the the heyday of flamenco singing and dancing, for such was! (3:53) Fandango de Alamo, Alorno being a town in the fabulous artists as Antonio de Bilbao, Juan el Es- province of Huelva. This selection is known as a tampio, La Macarrona and La Camisona. HUELVA is a provincial city in Andalucia, the home Fandango Carta, or short Fandango, as the tercios Montoya's real training came, however, in the of the Fandango or Fandanguillo. This is a song in are not stretched out as in Huelva. It is more rhythmic school of experience. When the late Antonia Merce- free form, without strict rhythm. It is characterized by and can be danced as well as sung. Verdial is from ""-came to Madrid looking for a guitar- long tercios, or phrases, stretched out at the will of the Malaga-light, gay and rhythmic-a charming arrange- ist, she chose Montoya. Thus he left his native Spain singer who pours his heart out. Some famous old-time ment of traditional country airs. ( 3: 00) for the first time to tour all Europe with her for three singers of F andanguillos were Chacon, Silverio and years. After performing with Merce, he went on to Cepero; more recently Nino ,-1,e Almaden and Porrina ST. LOUIS BLUES-In Carlos Montoya's version of play with all the great names of the time-La Argen- de Badajoz. Huelva is an excellent example of what the St. Louis Blues, we have something really new: a tinita, Antonio, Vicente Escudero, Carmen Amaya Carlos Montoya has done in creating his guitar solos. "flamenco-style blues." Carlos Montoya has always (when she was still a child), Teresina and many The average flamenco guitari~t would play only the liked jazz. It struck a chord in his gypsy feeling for more. characteristic chords, the guitar ;,art that goes with music with its rhythm and improvisations. That's how Today, one of the most interesting and important the song, plus a few embellishments. In this arrange- his previous best-selling album, FROM ST. Lours TO things about a Montoya recital-and the music in ment, Montoya plays first the guitar part, then carries SEVILLE (RCA Victor LPM/ LSP-1986) came about. this album-is that he creates as he goes along. These the copla-or melody-sung by the cantaor, plus a very He went into the studio with jazzmen Osie Johnson, are all his own transcriptions or original compositions, full development of guitar variations. (2:56) Milt Hinton and Barry Galbraith and they just im- based on the Spanish gypsy tradition. This is truly provised on St. Louis Blues and o 1er st:mdards. Out creative playing in the fullest sense of the term. of this has grown the solo guitar version that we hear on this recording. It is one of 8 arlos' great favorites, SIDE 2 and it is traditional for him to play it as an encore SIDE 1 ZAMBRA-There has been a great deal said about after a pure all-flamenco concert. (1:55) the Moorish influence in Spanish and flamenco music. -TRIANITA ALEGRIA-ROSA is the forerunner of the more The Arabs were in Spain for nearly 800 years, and A professional dancer, Trianita is Mrs. Carlos Montoya in modern dance of Alegrias which is at the heart of influenced the language, architecture, customs and private life. every Cuadro Flamenco. Here we have variations on music. In some cases, I think, people attribute to the Public performance clearance-ASCAP. a simple theme, becoming more and more complicated Moors an influence on flamenco music which comes and syncopated as Carlos doubles and triples his more from the gypsies. However, of all Spanish music Recording Engineer: Ed Begley. fingerwork. ( 3: 39) the Zambra shows the strongest Moorish influence. It Cover Photo: David B. Hecht. reminds us of the romantic period when the Alhambra GUAJIRAS-There has been, naturally, a consider- castle was built. One can almost hear the tambourines Other RCA Victor albums b11 Carlos Montoya you will enioy: able Spanish influence in Latin-American music. of the dancing girls as they perform in the patios of the Alhambra. They still hold Zambras in Granada Carlos Montoya LPM/LSJ:-2251 Vice versa, there has also been some native Latin- Carlos Montoya' and His Flamenco Guitar American influence on Spanish music. This Guafiras -parties where several dancers vie with each other, LPM/LSP-1610 dates back to the Spanish colonization of Cuba. You often dancing all night on the Sacromonte where the From St. Lutlis to Seville LPM/LSP-1986 will hear the syncopation of this Caribbean rhythm. gypsies have their caves. ( 3: 17) Malaguefia LPM/ LSP-2380

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