Rafael Amador, big of flamenco fusion with Pata Negra, dies at 66 | Culture | EUROtoday

The Sevillian musician and composer Rafael Amador, a flamenco revolutionary with the group Pata Negra, which he based along with his brother Raimundo, has died on the age of 65, as reported by his son Rafael on social networks. “The teacher of teachers leaves us. Today the angels and God sing for joy because the teacher is coming, the gypsy prince, the black pata, the one who created a fusion… You will always be in my heart. I love you, my old man,” reads the Instagram message.

Rafael Amador, born in Seville in 1960, died on Sunday evening on the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville “in the hands of his brother” Diego Amador, his son Rafael “and many loved ones”, based on his family.

Rafael Amador, guitarist, singer and composer, was a descendant of a gypsy household with deep roots and intensive creative custom. One of these circumstances through which flamenco is lived and assumed naturally. His father had been a famend tablao participant and it was not unusual that, again within the late seventies of the final century, each he and his brother Raimundo have been seen within the streets and environments of a Seville that lived an air of freedom.

The artwork and self-confidence of these brothers would quickly entice consideration and it could not take lengthy for them to achieve a spot in probably the most progressive musical environments. Perhaps Kiko Veneno was the primary to see their potential and would incorporate them into his first venture, the recording of Poison (1977), a rarity on the time and, over time, one of the influential albums of its time. An distinctive case of artistic suggestions and a flamenco guitar feast and underground on the similar time.

Ricardo Pachón, who produced that recording, additionally fell in love with these two guitarist brothers and bought them educated in singing accompaniment for one among his initiatives, the Montoya Family, led by La Negra, mom of Lole Montoya (of the duo Lole y Manuel), a gaggle with which they toured and recorded a few albums, together with the highly effective Triana, 1976. But the poison of rock had already reached the Amadors by means of the albums of their progressive associates and particularly by means of Jimi Hendrix, who, together with Diego del Gastor and Djiango Reinhart, are their most acknowledged influences. They made variations of those with picket guitars and attracted consideration. Some of these can be built-in into their recordings, like that one From the Beginning, de Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

The brothers would proceed their fusion expertise as a recreation, being invited to collaborate on albums akin to that of guitarist Toti Soler, Lonely Fire, 1979, the yr through which producer Pachón included them within the recording of the legendary The legend of time, of Shrimp. Immediately afterwards, Fonogram signed them as Pata Negra and with the identical identify they printed their first LP (1981), which contained the gulf and apasodoblado Los managers, a composition by Kiko Veneno. As a gaggle, Rafael revealed himself as a singer and composer, whereas his brother, who quickly purchased a Fender Stratocaster, integrated the electrical guitar and each started to point out indicators of their love for blues and different music that they built-in into their repertoire with naturalness and ease.

The critic and author Luis Clemente described their music as “the most intuitive, the beauty inherent in failure, the apogee of ruin. They made borderline, suburban, captivating music… The most successful fusion between flamenco and rock, via Veneno, since the times of Smash” (Filigrees. A historical past of flamenco fusions, 1995).

After that debut album, a sequence of recordings would come that might be elementary within the historical past of fusion. It was an excellent interval with albums like Gypsy rock (1982) y avenue guitars, which, though recorded beforehand, was printed in 1986. But, above all, the very celebrated Border Blues (1987), in all probability his most full work, with gems just like the one that offers the album its title, a gem of fusion that might create a faculty, and songs that might change into hymns and change into fashionable classics: life goes by, I keep in Seville o Shrimp.

After that culminating recording, the disagreements between the 2 brothers crystallize and their joint stage and collaboration concludes. Rafael, regardless of his issues, had artwork left to proceed alone with the group’s identify to publish, in 1990, Inspiration and insanity, recorded with no little effort, however containing nonetheless good moments, akin to Everything I like is prohibited, one other fashionable subject. The similar didn’t occur with their final album 4 years later, Like a inexperienced stick. After him, flamenco fusion music could be stated to have been misplaced eternally.

The validity of Pata Negra’s work has been projected to the current day and his albums have been reissued and remastered, particularly Border Blues. There is a recording of them dwell, recorded on the Sala Zeleste in Barcelona, ​​in 1989, which captures them of their splendor, with their genius and their dysfunction. It was printed in 1994 and instantly acknowledged as one of the best Spanish dwell album. According to Luis Clemente, the recording “exposes the great sound of the Amador brothers before their irreconcilable schism.”

With the lack of Rafael Amador, the previous Sevillian dream of fusion is additional darkened.