Cuéntale al mundo tu dicha
y no le cuentes tu pena
que mejor es que te envidien
que no que te compadezcan*

 

*[Tell the world your good fortune, never tell the pain

Better to be envied than pitied.]

 

Amigos no hay amigo
el más amigo la pega
No hay más amigo que Dios
y un durito en la faltriquera**

 

**[Not even the best friend, there is no friend but God,

and a coin in your pocket]

 

That fragment of Pedro Peña’s singing to the rhythm of Lebrija, stirs up memories of times past. Pedro, who left us a few days ago, was one of the few guitarists who also sang and recorded his voice. He had a warm sound that enveloped you with its tenderness and sincerity. His interpretation of “el durito en la faltriquera” is a delight.

 

Thinking about Pedro, what I remember most is that episode of Rito y Geografía del Cante, La familia de los Perrate. We see his late brother, singer Juan Peña El Lebrijano, speaking affectionately and knowledgeably about his family, surrounded by individuals from the Peña Pinini lineage. The program was broadcast March 11, 1972, over 50 years ago, and now the roots of flamenco are diminished because this dynasty has lost its ideologue and figure-head. The flamenco axis of Lebrija and Utrera, in fact the entire flamenco world, mourns the loss of the beloved Pedro Peña Fernández, elder guitarist and singer of flamenco’s heartland triangle, with its distinctive and appealing flavor.

 

A large family full of important names such as the great Perrate and his sister, La Perrata, wonderful singers, Pedro’s children, Dorantes, pianist and composer, Pedro María Peña, guitarist, and the specialized journalist, Pedro’s sister, Tere Peña, among others.

 

The crème de la crème of the flamenco scene passed through the Peña household, major figures such as Tío Borrico, Antonio Mairena, Pastora Pavón, and Manolo Caracol. It was alongside these greats that Pedro Peña learned to accompany, eventually earning a place on the most prestigious lineups during the peak of the summer festival circuit.

 

Pedro was an intellectual man, a thinker with clear ideas about the role of gypsies in flamenco. He was a school-teacher and author of important books that promoted social equality such as Los Gitanos Flamencos, a work praised by major scholars from the world of culture.

 

I remember a brief conversation with Pedro at the presentation of the Flamenco Bienal in Seville years ago. I asked him if people still sang informally at gatherings in his house. His face lit up, and Pedro Peña confirmed that indeed, during the recent Christmas celebrations, a good gathering (not a party, which sounds frivolous) had taken place with his siblings and their mother, La Perrata, adding that they had had a great time.

 

This year, the holidays at the Peña household in Lebrija will have a different atmosphere, and the flamenco community joins in rhythm for the beloved Pedro Peña Fernández, who has contributed so much to flamenco.

 

The classic encore is Lebrijano’s, Pedro’s brother:

 

La Virgen de la Peña

la chiquetita, la chiquetita

la que tiene romero

en su capillita, en su capillita*

 

*The Peña Virgin, the small one who has rosemary

in her little chapel.