alCANTARa MANUEL

“alCANTARa MANUEL” was born as a tribute to the Malagan poet Manuel Alcántara under the name of “when the night comes”. It was a project conceived for the flamenco biennial in his Málaga, in this year’s edition (2007).

I was the one who had the immense fortune of being chosen to make the idea of turning his beautiful poems into music a reality. and For me, this work translated into the magic of meeting with the music that, accompanied the birth of each of them.

Out of Manuel’s body of work, I picked the poems that moved me the most; and I put in service of such beauty all my languages of feeling, all my freedom and my unbiasedness; so that each of those poems could live within the sound habitat that I felt was natural for it. All of them were born and grew up within different musical climates, as it always should be. because no one feels the desire to talk about love and war by gazing at the same landscape.

Thus, I borrowed from argentine tango the dramatic power I found hidden within the poem which Manuel wrote to his beloved friend Manuel Altolaguirre and in his “Paloma de Picasso”, a cantiña with all the salty taste of the sea of his beloved Málaga. Since flamenco already lived in Manuel’s writing and in the most primitive roots of my soul, this project was originally and subsequently developed in absolute freedom; such freedom that it hasn’t even considered the necessity to escape certain labels that someone, absurdly, tries to impose onto beauty.

“alCANTARa MANUEL” was born out of love for the poet’s work; out of my absolute connection with the extremely intimate character of his poems. and with the desire to be exclusively and respectfully what Manuel would sing if instead of telling, he were singing his life.

I am adding this project to “Ùnicas” with the excitement of showing my hometown, for the very first time, the latest and marvellous restlessness that has stirred my soul.

Mayte Martín

LINEUP:

Mayte Martin, vocals and guitar
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Jose Luis Montón, guitar
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Guillermo Prats, double bass
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Olvido Lanza, violin
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Chico Fargas, percussion
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Manuel Alcántara’s poems
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Composition and Artistic Management: Mayte Martín
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Arrangements: Mayte Martín and Nelsa Baró
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Guitar arrangements: José Luís Montón
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Percussion arrangements: Chico Fargas