PUTTING ON HIS BEST FACE
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JUAN VERGILLOS No, it’s not the dialogue from a Marx brothers film, but José Mercé’s latest thing. The latest which isn’t the latest: no Marx brothers skit. It’s not the latest, even though it’s the latest, because what it is, is a “greatest hits”. And that’s precisely what it’s called, “Grandes Éxitos”. Just like any pop music star. And in fact, it’s his most popular, easy-listening material, the best of José Mercé, a great flamenco singer from way back, and in recent years, a media celebrity, the friendly face of contemporary flamenco. Without ever losing that condition of great flamenco singer.
Let’s talk about the most recent phase, the most successful one of the Jerez singer with the big voice and open smile of contemporary flamenco. From “Del Amanecer” (1998) to “Lo Que No Se Da” (2007), with “Aire” (2000), “Lío” (2002) and “Confí de Fuá” (2004) along the way. There are also some cuts from group recordings such as the tributes to Mexico-José Alfredo Jiménez and Aute, “Territorio Flamenco (2003) and “Flamenco por Andalucía, España y la Humanidad” (2005), a government-sponsored recording which is practically unknown two years after being produced.So it’s five albums of his own, the ones that catapulted Mercé to fame and fortune beyond the normal flamenco limits, and three producers: Vicente Amigo, Isidro Muñoz and Paco Ortega. For my taste, the work with Muñoz is the most interesting and the most flamenco, and from this period the producers have selected gems such as “Aire” and “Pendiente”. Other composers included are Manu Chau (“Clandestino”), Phil Trim (“Mammy Blue”), Pablo Milanés (“El Breve Espacio en que no Estás’”) or the above-mentioned Aute (“Al Alba”) and Jiménez (“El Rey”). Also included in this collection is the song “Te Recuerdo Amanda”, a piece by Victor Jara which benefits from a brilliant arrangement that seems to yearn for another hit like “Al Alba”, which is also included. These are bulerías and tangos, and the occasional ballad. Not lacking is a little salsa, as in “La Vida Sale”. In other words, Mercé’s traditional repertoire is completely absent on this recording, except, perhaps, in the final number. This needs to be said so people know what they’re getting into. It’s a collection of bulerías and tangos with compositions by Amigo, Muñoz and Ortega, as well as bulerías and tango songs. Mercé is a happy man, a flamenco headliner who smiles down from the list of best-sellers and from the cover of his new album. But all of us, even the executives, especially them, we’ve all lost an opportunity, possibly the love of our life, just because we didn’t find a parking place, as Muñoz/Mercé talk about in the “Filarmoney de Santiago”, the bulería fiesta with traditional structure and melodies that closes out the record. The updating is in the verse.Mercé has shaken himself out of the mold, thanks mostly to Muñoz, who intruduced the city into his lyrical sensibility, the heavy-going feeling that dominated in his recordings of the nineteen-eighties and early nineties has been replaced with the freshness of early times. Some of the co-stars of this story, like Moraíto on guitar, are not credited on the record.I do not approve.Nor is it right that no mention is made of Lebrijano’s participation on the “Himno de Andalucía”, who just happens to be singing great.Mercé shows his admiration for Caracol in this cante por soleá shared with the singer from Lebrija. |
