Manitas de Plata, "Inspired Guitarrista" By Vincent Sheean His real name is Ricardo Ballardo, but this has long since been forgotten. Sobriquets are a Gypsy custom, and most often they are names bestowed by the people rather than invented by the artist. Nowadays Manilas de Plata, "Silver Hands" might as well have no other name. He is a true Spanish Gypsy, now living near Arles, where there has been for many centuries a Gypsy encampment. He plays chiefly in the south of France, where these recordings were made, and has never shown any desire to travel overseas. Manitas has every technical resource known to the guitar. There are times when it seems hardly conceivable that any ten fingers could evoke such an orchestra of plucked strings. In years gone by, in the Gypsy cafes of Spain, especially before the revolution and civil war, I listened with appreciation, affection and, sometimes, awe to a number of celebrated flamenco guitarists. But in that kind of music I have never heard the equal of the man with the hands of silver. The essence of flamenco music is the air of improvisation, even though the general lines of any one piece may have been performed innumerable times. A dancer steps forward into the middle of the circle and does her (or his) bit of bravura; then, when the theme changes, a singer takes up his almost wordless lament; in another theme a different dancer advances to the center; at times the guitarist alone performs while all the rest of the cuadro flamenco-the entire group of performers-clap hands, cry "Ole!" or other encouragements, and interpolate all sorts of remarks generally of an admiring nature. But when some dancer, singer or guitarist surpasses all others, a greater emphasis is placed upon that artist-more time for solo work, more opportunity for bravura. Such a solo artist, such a diamond among lesser jewels, is the inspired guitarrista Manitas de Plata. An artist like Manitas, knowing no formal music at all, has played the guitar since childhood and has, through sheer absorption, learned from the instrument everything it has to teach. That is the Gypsy way, that is Manitas' way-he lives in his music as the fish lives in the sea: it is another element, another language, which through his genius we are privileged to hear even when many of its mysteries are beyond easy comprehension. Recording Manitas de Plata By E. Alan Silver I FIRST heard of Manitas de Plata in 1955. My friend and Colleague, Marc Aubort, had just returned from his vacation in southern France. He had attended the Gypsy Festival of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer and with a spring- wound tape recorder had recorded highlights of the affair for his own pleasure. Among them were performances of a young Gypsy guitarist, Manitas de Plata, whose playing had so fascinated Marc that he had spent the rest of his vacation getting acquainted with the guitarist and recording more of his art. Marc decided to write Manitas for permission to release a record of some of the material he had taped. Letter after letter went out addressed to "Mr. Manitas de Plata, Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, France." All were unanswered. Since he was unable to get in touch with the artist, the matter was dropped. In the fall of 1961 a Time magazine article reported that Manitas had become the rage of the Riviera, but that he steadfastly refused to record. My interest was again aroused- and then came an astonishing coincidence! Several weeks after the Times article appeared, I attended an exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art and was strongly attracted to some outstanding photographs of Gypsies, bullfighting and water-scene abstractions by a French photographer, Lucien Clergue. While looking at the photographs I heard someone remark in a pleasantly French- accented voice that he had been "so close to the bull that the blood spattered my shirt." I approached the gentleman in sunglasses and inquired if he was the photographer. He was, and I blurted out that I would like to buy some of his photographs. At the same time I asked him if he had ever come across the Gypsy guitarist, Manitas de Plata. Clergue was visibly startled. He told me that Manitas was a close personal friend and asked me if I, too, knew him. No, I said, but I had heard tapes of his playing. We talked for a while about Clergue's photographs and then returned to the genius of Manitas de Plata. "What were the chances of recording this amazing artist?" Up to now, Clergue told me, all recording offers-and there had been many-had been refused by Manitas, who feared that he might be cheated. Clergue said he was weary of this excuse and would be willing personally to vouch for a recording contract between Manitas and Connoisseur Society, Inc. He felt it was overwhelmingly important to expose this man's art to the world. In the end, Manitas agreed. We thought it would be best to bring Manitas to New York to record. The guitarist's response was rather frustrating: He was willing to come if he did not have to travel by boat or plane! In other words, if we wanted to record Manitas de Plata we would have to take our three-quarters of a ton of recording equipment to southern France. We arrived in the city of Arles. Lucien Clergue's home is there, only a short distance from Montpellier where Manitas lives during the winter. We found that a medieval chapel, adjoining the Jules Cesar hotel, was available, with acoustics about as perfect as one could wish. While our machinery was being assembled and tested, Lucien Clergue held several evenings of flamenco music at his home. In this way engineers and musicians became acquainted, a very important factor in recording music so intimate and spontaneous. The recording began at 8 P.M. one evening and, except for a brief break to eat, lasted until 4 A.M. Realizing the need for musical communication between artist and responsive listener, we had invited a number of Gypsies and some friends of Clergue's. Clergue's lovely wife provided a French version of "hero sandwiches" and a huge tub of sangria, a famous Gypsy wine punch. Interestingly enough, none of the performing Gypsies touched a drop of this favorite drink until the session was over. Although we now had enough material, Manitas thought he had more to offer us and we agreed to record again the next night. As before, the session started at 8 P.M., and the inspiration appeared to be limitless. But by 12:30 everyone seemed a bit tired and we asked Manitas if there was anything else he cared to play before we took down the equipment. After a moment of silence Manitas motioned to me to sit in front of him and said he would play one more number, a levantes*. It would contain everything he knew about flamenco. It was perhaps the finest performance of the two nights. Indeed, we were all too moved to greet it with the usual shouts. Then Clergue suggested a saeta* by the singer Jose Reyes. He had saved the suggestion till the end of the session because the saeta is so demanding emotionally. Any singer who puts his entire heart and soul into a saeta is incapable of singing anything else the same night. Reyes sang, and with that unforgettable saeta the sessions ended. *Ed. Note: You will find both the levantes and the saeta on Side 4 of the album. For the technically minded: The performances were recorded on American-built Ampex tape recorders. Model 350-2. Two machines were employed using half-inch tape and specially built two-track heads. The tape speed of the master was 30" per second. Fifty rolls of new Scotch low-noise tape were brought from New York. Four microphones-all Sony C-37A-were used for all the recording except for the saeta when only two were used. All the selections recorded were done in one "take"-in other words, there were no repeat performances-and those presented in this album are uncut and unedited. SIDE1 BANDS 1-3 Alegrias clásicas The alegrias is one of the most popular of the flamenco forms and one of the gayest. The Spanish word alegria means joy or cheer. Interestingly, the rhythmic pattern of the alegrias is identical with that of the somber soleares from which it developed. Its brighter character is due to its more lively tempo and to the fact that it is in major while the soleares is in minor. Experts say that in order to see the alegrias danced authentically one must see it performed by the carefree Gaditanos, the residents of Spain's ancient city of Cadiz (called by the Phoenicians Gadir), which has been noted for its dancers since Roman times. Seguiriyas The intensely pessimistic seguiriyas is a vehicle for the expression of the tragic aspects of life. It is the form frequently chosen by singers of cante jondo to reveal their deepest emotions. The irregular meter of the seguiriyas makes it one of the most complex of the flamenco rhythms. Nevertheless, like all flamenco cantes which are also dances, the seguiriyas adheres to a strict rhythmic pattern (compas). The martillo accents (tapping on the guitar near the bridge) which are heard here imitate the dancer's footwork. Tarruca The Gypsies found this folk dance from Galicia in northwest Spain much to their liking because of the bravura opportunities it offered. For the male dancer it includes rapid-fire footwork (zapateado) and exciting turns terminating in an abrupt stop, which will cause the cuadro flamenco to shout "Bien parado!" ("Well stopped!"). Spectacular leaps are followed by the calda (fall) as the dancer throws himself to the floor and after another brief pause resumes his spirited activity. Sometimes in performing the farruca the dancer will offer a stylized interpretation of the bull- fighter's techniques and stances. One does not need much imagination to visualize all this while listening to Manitas de Plata's exciting rendition. SIDE 2 BANDS 1-3 Jota The jota is another folk dance from the north of Spain which appealed to the Gypsies because of its vigorous and energetic movements. Some scholars believe that one can still hear in the jota the clash of swords and that the dance was introduced into Spain by Moorish or Berber soldiers. In more recent times, it has been performed by peasants in the provinces of Aragon and Navarre as a courtship dance. Generally danced by a group of couples, the jota calls for skillfully executed pirouettes and speedy footwork. With a sudden break in the rhythm, the dancers come to an abrupt halt, adopt a characteristic facial expression and remain immobile for a couple of seconds before continuing their dance. This break (desplante), also noted in the farruca, is a common feature of flamenco as well as Arabic dancing. Malagueñas flamencas Malagueñas are a regional variety of another major flamenco form, the fandangos. They belong to the Andalusian province of Málaga which lies along the Mediterranean. They are languorous and melancholy in character and are played or sung, but not danced, and therefore do not have a strict rhythmic pattern. Soleares gitanas Because the soleares are the source of several other flamenco forms, they have been called "the mother of song." Solea (plural, soleares) is a Gypsy corruption of the Spanish soledad which means loneliness. The soleares are stark and tragic, the song of the forsaken. They belong to the group of flamenco cantes which have developed from old religious chants and therefore retain an "Eastern" character. Their rhythmic pattern of twelve beats with shifting accents is one of the most fascinating in flamenco. Here again we hear the martillo accents imitating the dancer. SIDE 3 BANDS 1-3 Granadinas Another variety of the fandangos, the granadinas are, as their name implies, songs from the province of Granada, the area of Andalusia which the Moors held longer than any other-for almost eight centuries, until 1492. Consequently, the Moorish flavor of the granadinas is paramount. They have a free rhythm because they can be played or sung, but not danced. Tarantas The tarantas, still another form derived from the fandangos, are particularly associated with the province of Murcia in southeastern Spain. It is, vocally, one of the most beautiful of the flamenco cantes and, since it is sung, there is no set rhythm to impede the freedom of the vocal line. The "Eastern" character of the tarantas is very pronounced. Oriental features include the use of enharmonism (notes are divided and subdivided into intervals smaller than the semitone of the Western scale); the use of portamento-i.e., gliding of the voice from one note to the next through a series of minute intermediate pitches; and obsessive repetition of a note over and over again, generally accompanied by appoggiaturas from above and below the note. Those familiar with synagogical chant will immediately recognize that this cante is closely related to it. Others will be impressed by the foreignness of its sound. The singer (cantaor) begins with an extended vocal passage on the word Ay! This melismatic device is one common to Hebraic, Byzantine and Gregorian chant. There follows a short guitar passage and then the first of three verses, or coplas. The coplas are separated by more extended guitar passages known as falsetas, which are elaborations or variations on the cante. The tarantas generally deal with the familiar flamenco themes of misfortune, despair and death. The verses recorded here are no exception. Bulerias The bulerias, another example of the gay flamenco forms, developed from the alegrias and have the same basic rhythmic pattern as the latter, but with different accentuation. The bulerias are played in a faster tempo and are performed with more abandon than the alegrias; they are wilder, gayer and more gitano than the parent form. The term bulerias is derived from the Spanish burlar which means to mock, scoff, burlesque. The bulerias are particularly associated with the sherry-producing center of Jerez de la Frontera where it is believed they originated. SIDE 4 BANDS 1-3 Saeta The saeta is one of the cante jondo forms which are sung without accompaniment. The word means arrow (of song that is directed to the heavens). The saeta is most closely associated with the religious processions during Holy Week in Spain. It is an unforgettable experience to hear a saeta pierce the silence as a hushed crowd watches the statues from the local church or cathedral being reverently carried through the streets. The most prominent cantaors of the locality place themselves along the route of the procession and, as the statues approach, describe in saetas the sufferings of Christ, the Crucifixion and the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. Levantes The regions of Murcia and Alicante in southeastern Spain are known as El Levante. The various flamenco forms indigenous to this area, such as the one recorded here and the tarantas already described, have an Oriental, fatalistic character. In his account of the recording sessions Alan Silver describes the rendering of the levantes, which Manitas de Plata said sums up all he knows about flamenco. It may be noted that some of the passages in this piece are played by the left hand alone, producing a dark tonal effect of extraordinary beauty. Tarantas y bulerias The vigorous and zestful rhythms of the bulerias are somewhat subdued here by the melancholy tarantas cante. Exciting counterrhythms and countermelodies produce a dramatic effect. Once again the martillo taps are heard. SIDE 5 Moritas Moras The title of this cante is "Little Moorish Girls." It is an extended piece in the Moorish style. As the first cantaor, Jose Reyes, intones the opening stanza, a member of the group calls out, "Eso es cante moro!" ("That's Moorish singing!"). At the end of the stanza the guitar plays a falseta and then the second cantaor, Manero Ballardo, intones his song. The two cantaors sing alternately of the same subjects - unrequited love, the perfidy of women and the despair of the rejected. SIDE 6 BANDS 1-3 Tarantas In this guitar solo we have another opportunity to hear the strange discords, exotic harmonies and haunting melodies which make the tarantas one of the most beautiful of the flamenco cantes. Here, too, one can enjoy the dramatic ligados (passages played with the left hand) which display the dark tones of the guitar to greatest effect. Sevillanas Palmadas, zapateados and the guitar create dazzling counterrhythms as the guitarist raises his voice in the sevillanas. The sevillana is the song and the dance of Seville, Spain's gayest and most romantic city, considered by many the true home of flamenco. During the famous week-long feria in Seville, the populace dons the traditional Andalusian dress and dances the sevillanas in the streets until early dawn. Fandangos The fandangos, like the soleares, might also be called "the mother of cante" because it is the parent of many other flamenco forms. It should be noted that the flamenco fandango is different from the dance-also known as the fandango-that was popular in 18th-century Spain and from the traditional fandango of northern Spain where it is danced by Galicians and Basques to the accompaniment of trombones, tambourines and castanets. The Andalusian fandango was fused with Moorish elements and it became one of the somber, tragic cantes. It is no longer danced and therefore does not have a set rhythmic pattern. THE SINGERS José Reyes is a cousin of Manitas de Plata. He was born in 1930 at Nice and now resides in Arles with his wife and eight children. He has been a metalworker but now sells carpets. Occasionally, he sings with Manitas de Plata in cabarets. Manero Ballardo is the son of Manitas de Plata. He was born in 1940 at Montpellier where he still lives. He works as a builder and sings only for his friends and family. He learned flamenco from his father and uncle.