INTRODUCTION
In today´s scene, flamenco, with its ever growing international relevance,
continues still to evolve and explore its many possibilities. Along with the
primitive voices of the the tonás and romances, the clapping
palmas, the flamenco guitar, and the steps of the zapateado,
other forms of expression have been seeping into the world of flamenco. Instruments
such as the violin, the flute, and the sitar have been adding a certain richness
to the flamenco sound.
As far as I´ve been able to tell, the harmonica has been used in flamenco
as accompanyment - and with the chromatic harmonica - by artists like Antonio
Serrano, when he played it for Paco de Lucía on several occasions.
I´ve never heard of anybody, however, using the diatonic harmonica (popularly
known as the ¨tremolo¨ harmonica), with a more limited scale, to perform
flamenco music.
And so the idea occured to me to attempt to apply the tremolo harmonica,
with its difficulties bound to its limitations, to flamenco. But I was assured
by the fact that I was able to convey feeling and accent, and that I was introducing
a new instrument to the art of flamenco.
My intention is to interpret the cante flamenco as a cantaor
or cantaora would sing it, from beginning to end, only with
my harmonica instead of my voice. And all of is out of the unquestionable
respect and admiration I hold for the tradition of flamenco´s old school,
which lives on in the memory of every true fan, and which I use as my reference
point for this ARTE GRANDE. As well it is my model
for expressing the queja - the bottomless cry of deep pain and sorrow - with
dignity and beauty. (By Lincoln Brody)
Luis Agar