de Jesús I. Mateo y Fermín Seño. Fundación Fernando Villalón
BOOK REVIEW
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A NEW BOOK DEALS WITH DIEGO DEL GASTOR Text: Rubén Gutiérrez Next year is the centennial tribute to the great guitarist Diego Amaya Flores, known artistically as Diego del Gastor. For this reason flamenco followers in Morón de la Frontera are preparing a series of activities designed to honor the memory of the maestro of «cuerda pelá», the single-finger playing style in which he reveled. Already back in 2001 the Seville town organized a photography exhibit which highlighted the personal and artistic life of Diego del Gastor. To this effect, Jesús I. Mateo and Fermín Seño have collected the material from the exhibit, and along with other images, this is the heart of the work by these young flamenco fans and investigators whose background is in philology and journalism respectively. They construct a concise biography of the guitarist born in Arriate (Málaga) in which the contribution of dyed-in-the-wool fans like Antonio Cabrera, Antonio Torres, Manuel Pérez, Bernabé Coronado, Francisco Ayala and Alberto García Ulecía offer their recollections of Diego. It is well-known that geniuses are made of special stuff, and Diego was not any different. He conserved the most primitive playing style of Andalusia, the more Arabic, the more gypsy. He never was professionally devoted to the guitar, and yet it was his source of income, and he rarely left Morón de la Frontera except to go to nearby towns such as Utrera or Lebrija, particularly in the company of Fernanda or Bernarda as seen on the TV series Rito y Geografía del Cante.Many «señoritos» were happy to offer money, or the use of vehicles to make the trip to Seville, but he usually refused although he was a great admirer of Niño Ricardo with whom he shared several evenings in the capital. The book makes clear that Diego was very much of Morón and of his people.If he didn’t like somene at a gathering, he would simply pick up and leave.
This book includes a great many comments that have appeared in other publications such as the magazine Candil, or «El Gazpacho Andaluz» by Manuel Martín Martín. It was precisely at this summer festival that Diego become known outside town, and the book devotes one chapter to recalling the event. Equally significant was the arrival in Morón of American Don Pohren. We get an idea of the activities carried out at the Finca Espartero, Pohren’s property that he converted into a sort of flamenco mecca thanks to the manuals he wrote, and which sold many copies in the USA. The books extolled the virtues of Diego and highlighted his teaching activity.Diego was always a humble, simple man, never holding back with his art, but proud as well. He most enjoyed the company of his friends and family who today continue to perpetuate his memory, particularly nephews Juan, Diego, Paco and Agustín, in addition to reaching a new generation via the music of Son de la Frontera. Diego himself left no direct descendants. Although lacking the depth of a true biographical study, this is an excellent manual on the figure of Diego del Gastor, rich in graphic material.
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