Pata Negra, with Rafael Amador leading the group, returns to the stage

The
band includes Rafael with guitar and voice, accompanied by young musicians
like his son Luis and the Seville guitarist Andrés el Pájaro:
“we’re a group of six musicians, all very good ones in
my opinion – they’ve really gotten into Pata Negra and we’re
managing to sound good” say Rafael. The repertoire is that
of Pata Negra, what they’ve always done in their live performances,
standards like “Los Managers”, “Blues de la Frontera”
and “Pata Palo”.

Rafael Amador recorded the group’s last two records on his own,
“Inspiración y Locura” and “Como una Vara Verde”,
and he’s been retired from the public eye all these years, although
he never stopped composing. In a conversation with Rafael, he admitted
“It’s good to get away for a while, rethink things, I’ve
been biding my time”. He’s been living in the Seville
neighborhood of the Tres Mil Viviendas all along: “I’m
in a little house that belongs to a friend of mine, where he has his horses,
in a really nice area, and I’ve been composing…I hope these
things will be published some day”. Rafael now feels ready
to return, “I have a very clear idea about what I want, I know
just what I’m capable of, you have to know when the time is right,
and I think it’s now. I have this work I need to put out there and
that’s what I believe in. I put it on the table people can make
up their own minds, and if they like it, so much the better”.

Rafael Amador (foto: Rafael Manjavacas)

Pata Negra was an icon of Spanish music for an entire generation, records
like “Veneno” (where Rafael Amador takes part) or “Blues
de la Frontera” are considered master works, so Rafael’s return
to performing implies a huge responsibility. “That’s exactly
why it’s more difficult, I don’t want to record right now,
what I want is to play, and have people see me, and if it’s good
enough, fine, but if not, I might as well go sell towels”.

Pata Negra created a style and there have been many followers. Rafael
doesn’t care for the music that’s being done now, but he knows
the rules of the game: “people buy what they want, and I like
good music…nowadays there’s a lot of pum, pum, pum…nothing much
to it”. He goes on to talk about the group Delincuentes with
whom he has recently collaborated.

Rafael Amador has returned for good, “that’s the idea,
I’ve always been with music and always will be, we have enough things
to make a record and then some, but what I want right now is to perform
live and see what people want”.

It will be a pleasure to be able to enjoy one of the best musical groups
to come out of Spain. Says Rafael: “whoever comes to see me
is going to have a good tiime for sure…everyone be happy”.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

18 November. Madrid . Sala Heineken
23 November. Pamplona. Sala Artsaia
24 November. Vitoria. Sala Azkena
25 November. Bilbao. Kafe Antzokia

GERMANY
20 March. München. Ampere
21 March .Stuttgart. tba
22 March. Frankfurt. Brotfabrik
23 March. Berlín. Kulturbrauerei
24 March. Köln. Stadtgarten
25 March. Hamburg. Fabrik