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 His
name may not ring bells for many flamenco fans because Donday never went
professional and was rarely heard outside his hometown of Cádiz.
His singing was a product of oral transmission, that almost mystical condition
which separates a flamenco singer from the realities of modern life such
as headphones, tape-recorders and video.
Santiago Donday was the son of two non-professional singers, «María
la Sabina» and «Seis Reales», both of whom inherited
the ancient sounds of Cádiz, Jerez and Los Puertos. Santiago’s
repertoire included siguiriya, soleá, tientos, malagueña,
alegrías, bulerías and above all, martinetes. He was a blacksmith
by profession and always proud of having the only forge in Cádiz.
Camarón de la Isla who had the admirable custom of seeking out
older singers to learn their cantes, often paid visits to Donday. One
of Santiago Donday’s more important performances was at Seville’s
Bienal in 2002 when he participated in a show devoted entirely to Cádiz.
He also took part in prestigious TV programs such as Puro y Jondo and
the historic series Rito y Geografía del Cante. He had already
given his word to sing at the upcoming Bienal this coming September.
Santiago Donday & Niño Jero
En 2003 Donday recorded his first and only solo record with the splendid
accompaniment of guitarist Paco Cepero who understood the artistic and
emotional personality of this singer better than anyone. On a recording
made in the nineteen-sixties we can hear a magnificent cantaor with an
air of Manolo Caracol but original all the same.
Not being a professional, his live performances were somewhat irregular,
even surrealistic at times when he would stop in mid-song to chat with
someone in the front row or ask help remembering a certain verse, but
he was and continues to be a cult figure for many, and his passing is
great loss for flamenco.
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