Miguel Flores Quirós, 'Capullo de Jerez', at 49, is quickly becoming a flamenco superstar and the aura that surrounds him is comparable to that which enveloped his bosom-buddy Camarón de la Isla in the early years of his career.
Cante: El Capullo de Jerez;
Guitars: Niño Jero, Diego Amaya;
Percussion: Rubichi;
Jaleos: Pescadilla, El Bo;
Chorus: Niñas del Mono de Jerez
The word «charismatic» falls hopelessly short when applied
to this singer who has managed to invent himself a thoroughly original
personality and singing delivery at a time when connoisseurs of the
art complain of a certain uniformity among new artists. El Capullo, gypsy
by decree if not lineage, is anarchic, dynamic, entertaining and extraordinarily
flamenco…the kind of artist who becomes a cult figure. In a recording
studio, it's not that he's shy, but he doesn't really blossom either,
as one would expect of this kind of singer. So for all those individuals
who have no way of hearing him live, we now have «Capullo de Jerez
en Directo» ['Capullo de Jerez Live'], a recording that includes
performances in Madrid, Córdoba and Barcelona from last year, 2002.
The opportunity to separate
the showman from the flamenco singer
The singer himself claims to be pleased with the result, and this reviewer
doesn't find any bones to pick. Guitarists Niño Jero and Diego
Amaya accompany him with their customary excellent taste and energy. The
sound quality is good and the repertoire is the best of Capullo, with
all his disorganized verses, many of them written by the singer, included
in the booklet that comes with the CD. Soleá por bulería,
a cante that is very cultivated in Jerez, recalls flavors from Santiago
to the Plazuela, two lengthy tangos in the same line as his bulerías,
in other words, original and flamenco, with no «nayno» choruses,
a respectable martinete, some flamenco tanguillos, the stylized fandangos
he always interprets, his flamenco rumba «Apágame la Luz»
and three marathon bulerías sets that total 29 minutes of pure
Capullo, including the verse he dedicates to Camarón: «La
vida es muy bonita y hay que vivirla con amor, porque se ha ido la alegría,
se ha ido el Camarón, por mucho que el sol caliente, por mucho
que la luz alumbre, la enfermedad de la muerte, eso no hay quien lo cure»
['Life is so beautiful we should live it with love, because the joy is
gone, Camarón is gone, and no matter how long the sun shines or
the light glows, no one can ever cure the the sickness of death.']
In live performance our man is quite the «one-man show»,
with his rubber-faced grimaces and pranks, his little dances and anecdotes,
but here we have the chance to separate the showman from the flamenco
singer, and the bottom line is a very positive balance. The applause heard
on the record confirms that this is a recording no Capullo fan can afford
to be without, and which will not disappoint flamenco-lovers in general.
