REJUVENATED MUSIC BY CARLOS VILLOSLADA
Afroamerican music is very close to the same spirit that inspires flamenco. This is a fact that becomes more reinforced every day. Since a few decades ago outstanding musicians have been approaching flamenco from jazz and vice versa. There is no doubt that every day better results have been achieved. This CD is an excellent example: a new work by Andalusian Carlos Villoslada. It is not an easy task. It is not just a matter of turning a standard jazz classic into bulerías for example, but actually going beyond. The aim is to use expressions from a rejuvenated language that arises from the mixture of both jazz and flamenco. Flamenco singing and rhythm join together to create a very personal expression producing new colors through careful instrumental composition.
Starting from the instrumental basis of a jazz key, Villoslada produces an interesting alchemy that provides the high degree of naturalness required for high quality music. The 12-beat rhythms for soleares, seguiriyas, bulerías and cantiñas fit perfectly into the jazz rhythmic idiom, while the tango de Cádiz, in its actual key, strengthens the musical story. Carlos Villoslada’s proposals successfully consolidate this project.
On percussion, the great Brazilian Rubem Dantas brings colorful rhythms of enormous variety. Raúl Galvez, cantaor, submerses himself into the jazz idiom maintaining the flamenco accent and opens up new ways for cante flamenco. Jazz pianist Juan Galiardo displays his knowledge of the flamenco piano. Dani Domínguez on drums and Antonio Corrales on contrabass also blend perfectly in Villoslada’s proposition.
This work is dedicated to the Plaza Niña in Huelva (West Andalusia) and to the typical tabancos around where you can find the best local flamenco styles. We enjoy Carlos Villoslada’s music through those items where he carefully develops his ideas. According to the composer’s own words, these ideas are inspired by the melodramatic atmosphere created by the great cantaor Paco Toronjo, the most representative fandango cantaor from Alosno (Huelva).
This new disc fully embraces subtle rhythms with outstanding dynamics. All this has been developed together with great care for the merged jazz/flamenco outcome. Considerable effort went into the preparation of this disc. It is proof enough that we are listening to a work full of impact, and represents a vibrant, rejuvenated musical idiom.
Faustino Núñez
(Text excerpt from the "Tabanqueando en la Plaza Niña" CD cover)