Enrique Morente - Morente Suena La Alhambra

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Enrique Morente is a prolific cantaor, discographically speaking. He isn't the type to sell a lot of copies, but he is an artist who has the respect and admiration of an audience that appreciates creation. Taking advantage of having worked on the documentary ‘Morente sueña La Alhambra’ for two years shoulder-to-shoulder with filmmaker José Sánchez-Montes, he has chosen different musical passages off the soundtrack and has turned them into an album, taking care of not just the cante but also the production. The repertoire on this new album is like a dream for sensitive people. And the thing is that allowing yourself to be inspired by such a tremendous monument could mean no less. The poetry, water, unreal birds, dreamy ambiences... join hands in this work, which above all contains good cante flamenco. There are examples of strict classicism such as ‘Taranto veneno’, with Juan Habichuela on guitar, and ‘Soleá de la ciencia’ with Tomatito. And eclectic compositions like ‘Generalife’, enhanced by the inspired work of guitarist Pat Metheny; ‘Donde habite el olvido’, produced by Isidro Muñoz and embellished by the crystal-clear voice of Estrella Morente; and the intense ballad ‘Chiquilín de bachín’ by Argentinean Astor Piazzola. Between one extreme and another, there are the liturgical opening martinetes sung in Latin, with the now ‘Morentian’ voice superpositions which at the same time take care of the rhythm. Architecture blends in with poetry on this record. Turning verses into cantes always works for Enrique Morente, which carries his melodies to original destinations. He sings poems by María Zambrano, Luis Cernuda and San Juan de la Cruz, and even ‘proclaims’ a letter by Miguel de Cervantes directed to the Count of Lemos five days before his death. And this last song is like a prayer. The instrumentation rounds off the album. Cañizares provides intelligent guitar for songs like ‘Chiquilín de bachín’, where he converses with Libertango Camerata. Alfredo Lagos offers additional proof of his versatility in the caña ‘La Alhambra lloraba’. Bandolero carries the weight of the compás. And why not consider Estrella Morente an instrument? What the Granada-born princess contributes aren't just simple choruses. She has intonations, tonalities, textures... which are the envy of violins, cellos and other songbirds.

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Track Listing
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[01]. Marinete
[02]. Generalife
[03]. Seguirilla de Los Tiempos
[04]. Cristalina Fuente
[05]. Chiquilin de Bachin
[06]. Solea de La Ciencia
[07]. Alahambra Lloraba
[08]. Donde Habite el Olvido
[09]. Taranto Veneno
[10]. Ultima Carta