The Lamento. Gospel meets Flamenco
The Lamento is the result of a long journey of research by the multifaceted musician Ramon Escalé to find a connection in the musical, conceptual, but above all emotional field, between two deep-rooted music: black spirituals and flamenco. Both are soaked in an ancestral feeling of sadness that is twinned with the blues and the quejío, deep emotions that come from the depths of the soul but that leave room for hope.
Passion, strength, lament, joy, viscerality and authenticity are what emanate from this show, where musical forms experiment freely with the rhythmic complexity of flamenco and, at the same time, simple melodies fit together, but overwhelming, of the spiritual. To do so, Ramon Escalé relies on Paula Domínguez, with whom he discovers the point where these two worlds intertwine naturally.
The project respects the essence of the melodies of the black spirituals and allows them to find a comfortable space within the flamenco sound, making them adopt turns and melismas that are initially unfamiliar.
But if something defines The Lamento, it is honesty. It is a sincere, daring proposal, without artifice, passionate and respectful of tradition. It has the power to excite and move anyone who listens to it.
To do so, it has some of the most prominent emerging figures of Catalan flamenco and also established names from the local African-American music scene. The result is a lineup full of great musicians who contribute all their background to make possible a mix rarely achieved in its entirety.
“It was really very exciting to hear for the first time the spiritual “Wade in the water” with harmony and tango rhythm and to be certain that a new path had been opened, and that, after this first discovery, the pairing of the rest of the melodies with their surroundings.”
Ramon Escalé
Duration: approximately 70 minutes
ARTISTIC INFORMATION
Paula Dominguez | voice
Laura Marchal | voice
Carmen Cortes | voice
Montse Martínez | dance
Marti Serra | tall sax
Marc Lopez | Spanish guitar
Ismael Alcina | low
David Dominguez | percussion
Ramon Escalé | organ, arrangements and direction
Videos
Teaser The Lamento. Gospel meets flamenco. Festival Ciutat Flamenco. Barcelona 2023
His eye is on the sparrow. The Lamento. Gospel meets flamenco. Festival Ciutat Flamenco. Barcelona 2023
Motherless Child. The Lamento. Gospel meets flamenco. Festival Ciutat Flamenco. Barcelona 2023
Wade in the water. The Lamento. Gospel meets flamenco. Festival Ciutat Flamenco. Barcelona 2023