Tomasito’s latest record, review by Gonzalo M. Peña
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Without a doubt, you have to have to be steeped in flamenco through and through to be able to satirize it without falling into insults or the foolishness that gets peddled as “flamenkito”. This is the great thing about Tomasito, he’s so flamenco, he doesn’t need to sound flamenco in order to do it, no effort at all is required. Related to legendary singer Borrico de Jerez, he had the Santiago neighborhood for a school, and Lola Flores and Diego Carrasco for professors. Then add to this a predilection for rock music which is always present in his performances. Is he a rock musician? A rapper perhaps? Or maybe a flamenco dancer. None of the above? Hard to say, labels don’t quite work with this guy. But if Tomasito is anything, he’s a mixture of all the things that take shape within his personality, and no question that what comes out is flamenco. In his latest record “Y de lo mío ¿Qué?”, Tomasito attacks anew with eleven pieces in which he is as laidback, full of compás, irreverent and informal as always, but some new influences can be detected. Maybe it’s the result of the success of his previous project called “G5” made along with the Delincuentes, Kiko Veneno and Muchachito Bombo Infierno, which shows up on this recording in the piece “Rumba del Revés” with the collaboration of “Muchachito”, including the sound “Muchachito”.
1. Consejos de mi pare 3:44 |
As in the previous recording, the influence of Tino di Geraldo, the producer, is clearly present. On this record he also composed the theme “Y de lo mío ¿Qué?”
Among other songs on the record, we find his famous “Bulerías del Robot” (it’s amazing to see him in live performance doing his robot dance), and “Consejos de mi Pare” by Kiko Veneno, which is perfectly suited to Tomás and conjures up the image of a young Tomás carrying his shoes at all times in case he suddenly has the chance to dance, and listening attentively to everything his “papa” tells him. Then there’s the fandangos de Huelva with electric guitar titled “Fandango del Coppini” composed by Germán Coppini, a member of the group Golpes Bajos.
A tango versión of AC/DC to the compás of tangos, and even some alegrías to close out the record. Verses about love, and life in general, always with acerbic wit. That’s Tomasito, maybe not the best record of his career, but in all his natural glory, and too bad for anyone who doesn’t like this kind of thing.
Tomasito: Biography, discography, interviews, photographs, videos…