Enrique Morente

When his creative inkling led him to begin experimentalism in renewal of the forms of flamenco expression, Morente began to place himself at the center of a ferocious controversy that does not seem to die down as the years go by, although it is certain that the singer has earned himself the general respect he did not initially have. He says that it is boring to always do the same thing. "Orthodoxy, and I am fully sure of this, is something I do like, but I believe orthodoxy should serve, I repeat, to invite one to see new shores, new paths and, if this is done in a sincere, honest way, it will always be of use to have new experiences and the mistakes will allow new windows to be seen. When new things are attempted, everything will not go perfectly, everything will not turn out right, that is always a risk. It would be much more comfortable for me to always sing the malagueña del Canario, etc. I am bored by always singing the same thing and I believe that orthodoxy must be taken and one must seek inspiration to develop it to carry out other things that invite one to make new art. This is a live music, it is not museum music, if not, we would be at a stand-still, we would still be in the caves, we would still be at the forge, we would still be in the countryside, and this is an art for professionals ..."

Enrique Morente, born in Granada in 1942, introduced himself in the atmosphere of cante flamenco since he was a child, moving from his original Granada to Madrid when he was 18, "because Madrid is where the center is, it is inevitable to come here." He established narrow links with the big names of cante in Madrid scene: Pepe el de La Matrona, Bernardo el de Los Lobitos, and Juan Varea.

Once in Madrid, what started as growing trend and passion for el cante turns to be a professional career and Morente frequents the few regular and serious existing stages left for flamenco in Madrid then: Zambra and Café de Chinitas and all the most important flamenco festivals sharing bill with the main names of cante flamenco in that moment.

He began to record in 1967, and the styles of his first records were absolutely orthodox, he also proving a knowledge of traditional cante that few singers of his generation could achieve.

His record Tribute to Antonio Chacon being a work recuperating the significance of Antonio Chacon, a classic singer of the old flamenco, was awarded as "The Best Folk Music Album," an award bestowed by the Culture authorities of Spain in 1978. Morente also gained his most important acknowledgment when he obtained the National award of Music, the most important music award in Spain.

Later, when the singer was fully committed to his battle to renew flamenco, he sometimes recorded absolutely orthodox cante. His third record, Homenaje flamenco, a Miguel Hernández (1971), was the first significant call to attention as to something that would be constant in almost all his from then on: the use of verses by literary poets as cuplés for his song. Indeed, Morentes' career is an early and essential contribution to provide of musical support to the lyrics of the major poets in Spanish language: in addition to Hernández, San Juan de la Cruz, García Lorca, Al Mutamid, los Machado, Lope de Vega, Bergamín, Garfias, Guillén and many more.

Morente has the most versatile style in current flamenco, his performances are always meeting a challenging point, he wants it so as his way of understanding flamenco exceeds the limits of Andalucia and feels inspiration resting in the orthodoxy of the genre and its consequent development, he has introduced the most distinctive cultural profile of music into flamenco without any possible comparison, creating La Misa Flamenca different and new to any previous contribution in Flamenco, meeting the sounds of rock and embracing them in his particular tribute to Garcia Lorca in Omega and again showing this talent with Andalusi music. His versatility has led Morente to create music for theatre, films, and television and has introduced his flamenco personality and character into the vast territory of symphonic music in his album Allegro Solea y Fantasia Flamenca. He remarks, "Flamenco is linked to many themes, to almost Islamic mentalities. Dogmas and confusions that do not allow the ear freedom. I believe it is serious hinderance for sectors of flamencology and peñología (peña or club study) act like a political party within the art, attacking some and defending others. Everyone who knows how to listen, even if not involved in this world, may understand flamenco".

His particular gifts and knowledge to contemplate Flamenco as a vast and interdependent landscape makes of Morente a genius who dominates all the styles ("Palos") of the genre and makes him able to rescue old and forgotten forms of this traditional style of music.

In spite of everything, his art has survived the inquisitorial campaigns and the singer is, probably, now the most influential personality on the professional flamenco scene. Not in vain did Ríos Ruiz state that "he has invented the cante of the 21st century". Balbino Gutiérrez published a book titled Enrique Morente, la voz libre in 1996.

Omega — 2003 Next Wave Festival