I have received news from one of my favourite recording companies, Nuevos Medios, that they have released an album by Las Migas called Reinas del Matute. Continuing on yesterday’s discussion, to my surprise they have two flamenco guitarists in their group who are woman; in fact all the musicians in Las Migas are women.

While waiting with great anticipation for the CD to arrive, I noticed on the track listing that Las Migas have recorded Los Cuatro Muleros. It’s a popular Spanish folksong that was collected by Federico García Lorca. I am quite addicted to Estrella Morente singing this piece, so the mere mention of it sent me rushing to the CD rack to pull out her album called Calle del Arte. ‘El Bandolero’ provided percussion and palmas on Los Cuatro Muleros – the same wonderful percussionist from Pepe Habichuela and Dave Holland’s Barbican concert; he did some fabulous cajón solos that night. I digress…

But before I leave Estrella Morente’s Calle del Aire, which has 12 really super tracks on there, including Estrella singing with Sabicas when she was just seven years old, can I just direct you to a wonderful tangos on the recording called Tangos del Chavico, which, according to the liner notes, is a song of sefardic origin which the Morente family sing at Christmas time. It’s absolutely wonderful music and who can sit still in a tangos? Here is  Estrella Morente singing Tangos del cerro.

If you are keen on listening to many different versions of favourite pieces, then I must also mention the version of Los Cuatro Muleros sung by the Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza. It’s not flamenco but it is Lorca.

Estrella Morente: Calle del Aire

© 2010 Thérèse Wassily Saba