agutierrezb
Well-Known Member
Announcing the N&G October ROTM: Camarón de la Isla - La leyenda del tiempo
Listen here / Buy here, and here
I picked this record for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is one of my favorite albums of all time, and a record I would not hesitate to take to a desert island due its sonic and emotional variety. Second, I wanted to seize the opportunity to introduce this community to flamenco in general, and to Camarón specifically: This is the biggest artistic statement by the biggest flamenco artist ever, and yet, both this album and Camarón remain little known to those who aren’t devoted fans of the genre.
Flamenco is a genre almost everyone is somewhat familiar with. It’s sound is so distinctive, and so many artists have borrowed from it that I bet you can all recognize its sound even if you don’t know a single word of Spanish or a single artist in the genre. In spite of the huge number of copies of Sketches of Spain and Olé Coltrane sold across the world, flamenco remains largely an unexplored genre for most people who weren't born into its tradition. Lack of diffusion and curation by trusted media and tastemakers has limited the representation of flamenco among the “World Music” circles, whereas music from Brazil, Nigeria, Japan and Ethiopia, among others, are all subject of international interest and success.
If you’re having a single flamenco record in your collection, this is it. La leyenda del tiempo is not only a landmark in the history of the genre, but also a great representation of everything the genre can be. The fusion of traditional sounds with elements of Western popular music make it easily accessible for those who aren’t accustomed to the purest form of the genre. This, added to the wide spectrum of emotions and palos (traditional styles) displayed throughout the record, make it a great entrypoint for those dipping their toes into flamenco for the first time. Moreover, the lyrics -a good deal of which are adaptations of poems by Federico García Lorca- are filled with beautiful images of the Southern-Spanish culture, immersing the listener in the context where the music was born from.
When first released 40 years ago, La leyenda del tiempo was heavily criticized by the highly conservative flamenco circles, considering its fusion of traditional sounds with contemporary music a total lack of respect to the heritage of the Romani people. By the time of the release of this album, Camarón de la Isla was already the biggest icon of the gitano community, a fact that made the borrowing from other cultures feel like an act of disloyalty to the much segregated Romani people of Southern Spain. Years after its negative reception by critics and fans alike, this album has not only been subject to high praise among flamenco artists, but it is also frequently cited as the most influential record in the history of the genre. La leyenda del tiempo opened the gates for other gitanos to embrace the sounds coming out of other genres and cultures, and signified the dawn of a new era for the genre. Nowadays, flamenco artists are free to fuse their centuries-long tradition with different kinds of contemporary music, a fact that is only possible due to Camarón’s magnus opus, and our October ROTM, La leyenda del tiempo.
Listen here / Buy here, and here
I picked this record for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is one of my favorite albums of all time, and a record I would not hesitate to take to a desert island due its sonic and emotional variety. Second, I wanted to seize the opportunity to introduce this community to flamenco in general, and to Camarón specifically: This is the biggest artistic statement by the biggest flamenco artist ever, and yet, both this album and Camarón remain little known to those who aren’t devoted fans of the genre.
Flamenco is a genre almost everyone is somewhat familiar with. It’s sound is so distinctive, and so many artists have borrowed from it that I bet you can all recognize its sound even if you don’t know a single word of Spanish or a single artist in the genre. In spite of the huge number of copies of Sketches of Spain and Olé Coltrane sold across the world, flamenco remains largely an unexplored genre for most people who weren't born into its tradition. Lack of diffusion and curation by trusted media and tastemakers has limited the representation of flamenco among the “World Music” circles, whereas music from Brazil, Nigeria, Japan and Ethiopia, among others, are all subject of international interest and success.
If you’re having a single flamenco record in your collection, this is it. La leyenda del tiempo is not only a landmark in the history of the genre, but also a great representation of everything the genre can be. The fusion of traditional sounds with elements of Western popular music make it easily accessible for those who aren’t accustomed to the purest form of the genre. This, added to the wide spectrum of emotions and palos (traditional styles) displayed throughout the record, make it a great entrypoint for those dipping their toes into flamenco for the first time. Moreover, the lyrics -a good deal of which are adaptations of poems by Federico García Lorca- are filled with beautiful images of the Southern-Spanish culture, immersing the listener in the context where the music was born from.
When first released 40 years ago, La leyenda del tiempo was heavily criticized by the highly conservative flamenco circles, considering its fusion of traditional sounds with contemporary music a total lack of respect to the heritage of the Romani people. By the time of the release of this album, Camarón de la Isla was already the biggest icon of the gitano community, a fact that made the borrowing from other cultures feel like an act of disloyalty to the much segregated Romani people of Southern Spain. Years after its negative reception by critics and fans alike, this album has not only been subject to high praise among flamenco artists, but it is also frequently cited as the most influential record in the history of the genre. La leyenda del tiempo opened the gates for other gitanos to embrace the sounds coming out of other genres and cultures, and signified the dawn of a new era for the genre. Nowadays, flamenco artists are free to fuse their centuries-long tradition with different kinds of contemporary music, a fact that is only possible due to Camarón’s magnus opus, and our October ROTM, La leyenda del tiempo.
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