ENRIQUE MORENTE PRESENTS 'AFRICA-CUBA-CAI'

Three-way musical journey

Silvia Calado Olivo. Madrid, July 19th, 2002

Cuban beat + flamenco. Flamenco + African music. Cuban beat + flamenco + African music. From two well-known hybrids, a transatlantic triangle is born whose vortices are Senegal, Cuba and Cádiz. Enrique Morente travels that geometric form with a new show, sponsored by Majorca's Centro Cultural Costa Nord, whose main promoters are the actor Michael Douglas, and Virgin, seeking origins by following the logic of history... slaves who left for America, Spaniards dreaming of becoming 'conquistadors', an island which serves as a cultural meeting point, a round-trip journey.

Enrique Morente and Niño Josele with
Cuban and Senegalese musicians (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

With the singer from Granada doubling as orchestra leader, Spanish, Senegalese and Cuban musicians search for the juncture of their respective forms of expression. In the Spanish vortex, along with Enrique Morente is the guitarist from Almería Niño Josele, Madrid percussionist Piraña, Cádiz singer Felipe Scapachini and his neighbor, the dancer Jineto. From the African vortex comes the Senegalese group Djanbutu Thiossane, a follower of the African minstrel tradition whose practitioners are called 'griots', and made up of the percussionists and brothers Ass, Mass and Pap, in addition to Kao who plays the 'kora' and Alboury Dabo who dances. From the Cuban vortex we have Reynaldo Creagh, lead singer of the Vieja Trova Santiaguera, and pianist Pepesito Reyes as special guest artists in a group composed of pianist Caramelo, Luis Varona and Juan Munguia on the brass, Demetrio Muñiz, leader of the Cabaret Tropicana orchestra, who takes care of the trombone and the arrangements.

Enrique Morente explains that the show didn't come from "thinking about genealogy, if an idea grabs me I go for it, even if it's crazy". But it is impossible to deny the evidence of the origins: "Africa invented good rhythm, these are people who have rhythm in their bones, they go to Latin America and influence the music, and we who have such close ties to Cuba...". And it becomes evident in the concert -two days before the debut in Mallorca on July 20th, 2002 a private show was offered in Madrid- not only in general terms as far as communication, but also in the details. More than a few times the djembés toy with the Cuban beat, just as cante flamenco can be recognized in the one two three three two... and vice versa, back and forth. And that's why not only Ass, Mass and Pap, but also Caramelo and Demetrio Muñiz know how to keep compás, not only for tangos, but seguiriyas, martinetes and bulerías, in the most natural way, even though each one is following own his rhythmic plan.

'África-Cuba-Cai' rehearsal (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Piraña and Caramelo during the rehearsal (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Although Africa-Cuba-Cai is still testing the waters, the structure of the concert has already been established. Enrique Morente explains "I start out with cante jondo, a martinete or a caña, because that's my base, and that's how I'll finish". The flamenco portion is filled out with a seguiriya accompanied by a magnificent guitar, with cantiñas, with palmas, with a strong Morente imprimatur. "In the middle there will be a cordial greeting, first Cuba and then Africa, in which each one will interpret its individual themes, alongside each other and together". In fact, the raspy Morente voice melds with the limpid African lament, and they duel to guajiras with the fresh wise voice of the more than octogenarian Reynaldo Creagh. And between one side and the other, a happy communion also highlighted in the verses "collected, adapted and some created" by the singer from Granada: "My job was the selection and adaptation of texts". There are Alberti poems, popular verses and even snippets from some new cantaor or other. As for the Senegalese group, they also dip into their own singing tradition, just as do the Cubans with their boleros, for example 'Dos Gardenias' -also given the Morente makeover por bulerias- 'Quizás' and 'Toda una Vida'. The common meeting point is in the central theme that gives the show its name, gliding over the compás of tangos and bulerías which is "the nail I'm hanging my clothes on". And it begins "África con musica, con rítmica, con llántico". And continues "de Cuba pa'ca, de Cai pa Cuba, de Cuba pa Cai". And Senegal for the choruses: "Sonsonsonsoniqueteson". And that tango verse with a message: "Me pongo a considerar, que pocos amigos tiene, el que no tiene que dar". [And I got thinking, how few friends has the person with nothing to give].

The future of África-Cuba-Cai is still uncertain. In the hopes that the Majorca performance isn't "hello and goodbye", they're thinking of a recording project, not just a record, but an audiovisual product to be launched in CD and DVD. But Enrique Morente is taking it slow: "Let's not scratch the Mercedes Benz before it's bought". For now, the short-term goal is to pull the triangle together on the basis of communication. "Wherever there's communion between people, there is the hope of moving forward and understanding each other". And not only culturally: "Art and music are decisive ways of dealing with the lack of understanding that exists, which is why we are not pessimistic about doing culturally mixed music... Art isn't all that matters, what's more important is communication between people".

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