It’s NOT this:

Malecón Street is not, I repeat, is not a repetition of the formula from Lagrimas Negras. Nothing like it. Here there is little jazz and, in fact, nor can you hear much flamenco. It’s a different film.

It IS this:

If we were to specify a precedent, we would have to turn back the years to the 40s/50s, when Spanish artists regularly visited Cuba, acting in their cabarets and appearing on the most influential radio stations in Havana.

There is testimony to these trips in a fantastic album, the last project that Mario Pacheco worked on: La Habana era una fiesta. Recordings of Cuban radio, where Luna Flores, Conchita Piquer, Anotnio Molina or the Niño de Utrera shone at the foreground of local bands.

A time without cultural customs, when there was a natural traffic of songs between the two shores. The Caribbean artist could do copla, cuplé, zarzuela or aires gitanos; the Spaniards brought boleros, guarachas, sounds and rhythms.

Pitingo has become part of this repertoire and in 2011 has recorded primarily with Cuban artists. An accomplice and a Havanan living in Spain, Yadam González. Little or no fusion: he commands the songs on Malecón Street. Pitingo is like a ‘made in Spain’ stylist, limiting the idioms of soul and enhancing the trill of flamenco songs. Here it is more Juanito Valderrama than Johnny Taylor.

Malecon street also contains an act of love. Pitingo flew to Cuba looking to learn more about the great unknowns, the sculptors of these slender songs. He located his relatives, the scholars of the golden age of tropical music.

An amazing selection, who created unsulliable art in times when the creators of popular music were not recognized. These were the norms of the Latin-American song. People with bad luck in the end. When the revolution arrived, Cuba renounced the right to intellectual ownership. These are heartbreaking stories: composers that lived in poverty on the island, whilst outside they had accumulated millions from copyright.

What Malecón Street teaches us:

The richness of a unique song book, which appeared in the first half of the 20th Century. The pioneers are on Malecón Street, those who laid the foundations: Moisés Simons, Miguel Matamoros. The director of the orchestra also did pop music: Gonzalo Roig. The broad spectrum of Bolero singers: Osvaldo Farrés, Pedro Junco, Julio Gutiérrez. The old ballads: Manuel Corona. The ‘filin’ bohemians: Frank Domínguez, César Portillo de la Luz. The unrepeatable personalities: Arsenio Rodríguez, alías El Cieguito Maravilloso, or Joseíto Fernández, who told stories in his song Guantanemera. All the variety of the ‘Cuban’: Galician descendants, mulatos, prietos, up to the Jewish; peasants and urbanites. For those who want to know more, there is the deluxe version of Malecón Street, with his book and DVD, and I recommend it. But the essential is the CD.

We have already mentioned Pitingo’s voice; agile, silver, winding until it breaks. Notice also the arrangement. Contrary to the torrential reputation of Cuban musicians, here it sounds elegant, measured and respectful. You will find rare instruments in this repertoire, the BF Hammond organ, the accordion, the wind piano, (liquida?), the electric guitar. A work of creation.

Over and out

You will listen to a female chorus, who are called Gospel Factory. However, they seem more like seductive sirens stranded on a cay than sweaty ladies in a Baptist church. The flamenco aspect is minimum and localized: the palms, the voice and the tapping of Tomasito.

And the extra track! Who could have imagined that the Mexican Juan Gabriel could sound so sober in Quiéreme Mucho? Just goes to show that Malecón Street is music for unprejudiced people. Timeless Cuban songs but with a glimmering body. A Pitingo without (crest?), showing amazing vocal and emotional resources.

Pitingo, remember, was born in Huelva, to a naval family. From the Palos de la Frontera, in Huelva, left the two ships, and the ship that was commanded by Christopher Colombus. Let us as pedants, say that Malecón Street can be considered as Pitingo’s voyage of discovery. A journey that allows passengers and stowaways.

DIEGO A. MANRIQUE

Available in: Spotify, Nokia, Zune e iTunes

Malecon Street’s first single is now available for digital download

‘Nosotros’, the first single from Malecon Street, Pitingo’s new album, is now out and available through the various digital download platforms:

Itunes

Spotify

Nokia

MediaMarkt

Zune

‘Nosotros’ is the first track chosen by Pitingo as the single to represent his new album ‘Malecón Street’.

You can watch the video on the video section of this page, and the single will be on digital sale on the 14th November

On the 12th, 13th and 14th of December, Pitingo will present his new project ‘Malecón Street’ in the Teatro Häagen Dazs Calderón de Madrid.

In ‘Malecón Street’, Pitingo pays homage (in his own unique way) to the greatest authors of Cuban music, performing well known tracks such as Guantanamea, Nosotros, Son de la Loma and Contigo en la distancia, amongst others.

These concerts will be the first of an international tour which will take the Huelvan artist to the biggest stages in the United States, Argentina, Venezuela etc…

Tickets are on sale, and in the ‘concerts’ section you can find all the information.

With a Flamenco soul and a Cuban heart, ‘Malecon Street’ is the new work with which Pitingo surprised us.

‘Malecón Street’ tells us of the history of those composers that made a lot of artists famous with their songs, but of whom almost nobody can name. Pieces that were recognized by the general public and that are becoming universal.

The union of flamenco roots and soul that Pitingo puts into each piece of work, mixed with the flavoursome arrangements and the earthy sound where each sentence expresses the heart of Cuba, makes Malecon Street a real pleasure for the senses. Our heart and soul are caught up in a web of sensitivity and beauty.

CD and deluxe edition (CD + DVD with a 60 min documentary) will be available on the 29 November

No one wanted to miss Pitingo's new show, 'Olé & Amén'. Sergio Ramos, Gonzalo Higuain,  Arantxa de Benito,  Julio Aparicio,  Merche,  Julio Iglesias Jr ,  Quique San Francisco,  Antonio David Flores  , Nacho Sierra , Lidia Lozano, Paz Padilla, Maria Toledo, 'Torito'... and a long list of known faces and friends saw Pitingo perform at the theatre Colseum of Madrid.

Pitingo has participated in the 'World Cancer Day' performing in a charity event held in Geneva (Switzerland).

Pitingo and the company in charge of  'Olé & Amén'  will wear the orange ribbon in solidarity with 'Sandra Ibarra Foundation Solidarity against cancer'.

Pitingo already has new video for his first single 'Olé y Amén'. The clip for 'She Works Hard for the Money (Lucha por su dinero) ' is now available on our video section.

For the recording of the video, the artist has been joined by some of the musicians who participated in his new album such as Juan Carmona.

Pitingo will be performing the songs from 'Olé y Amén', his new studio album, next 27 and 28 of December at Teatro Häagen Dazs Calderón of Madrid.

The artist will be joined by Juan Carmona for both dates. Tickets our now available.

After more than 150 000 copies sold with his album ‘Soulería’ and touring with more than 200,000 people throughout Spain, Pitingo presents his third and new album: ‘Olé y Amén.’

This album will hold 50% of flamenco, from Bulerías, Malagueñas, Seguidillas, Tangos and Rumbas; and 50% of soul from Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder... also featuring special guests Juan Carmona, John Bean, Farah Siraj or Soul of Prophecy Gospel Choir. Luis Fonsi also makes a duo with Pitingo on "And God help us"

The first single of ‘Olé y Amén’ is the Flemish version of Donna Summer ‘She Works Hard for the Money"(Fight for your money)’

Due to the long list of artists featured on his next studio album, the commercial release of Pitingo's new album, entitled 'Olé y Amén' and originally scheduled for october, has been delayed for a few weeks.

Juan Habichuela, Juan Carmona, Manuel Parrilla, Farah Siraj or Prophecy Gospel Choir are amongst the list of artists that will be participating on Pitingo's upcoming release.

After a short break Pitingo returns to the music scene but this time as a producer along with Juan Carmona Jr. "Camborio". they have a new promise of flamenco that will give plenty to talk about, his first cousin Fernando Soto, with whom they already have shared the stage throughout Spain with the show Soulería.

After more than 125,000 albums sold, The new artist of 2009, sold out their concerts, Pitingo farewell with his show Soulería in Madrid.From Thursday 18 until 28 February at the Teatro Häagen-Dazs Calderón in Madrid.