In the 1950s and 60s, the first anthology of flamenco singing, published in France by Ducretet Thomson, and later on in Spain by Hispavox, was the great flamenco resource for us young followers of the art-form with limited access to recordings, much less cante recitals. Cult figures such as Antonio Mairena, Manolo Caracol and Fosforito among others would soon come along dominating the flamenco landscape of the era. The young dynamic duo of Camar\u00f3n and Paco de Luc\u00eda existed, each on his own, though they were not yet in full professional circulation.<\/p>\n
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An older man, with fragile physical appearance and a delicate voice, had taken part in the Hispavox anthology interpreting some song-forms of relatively little importance, although the quality of \u201cimportance\u201d always depends on the singer\u2019s interpretation. Bernardo el de los Lobitos (Alcal\u00e1 de Guadaira, 1887-Madrid, 1969), was assigned verdiales, sevillanas corraleras <\/em>and nanas, <\/em>lesser forms, in addition to the nearly obsolete forms, marianas <\/em>and cantes de trilla. <\/em>Singers of the era remark on his vast knowledge, and a professional history that includes the heyday of the caf\u00e9s cantante and tours with Chac\u00f3n, Pastora Pav\u00f3n and Vallejo, as well as his extended presence at major Madrid tablaos. But the memory of his voice is forever linked to the above-mentioned \u201cpalos\u201d (in quotes, because people of my generation dislike this neologism of the 1970s).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s surprising to find that Bernardo \u00c1lvarez P\u00e9rez, his real name (which also passed through the mutation \u201cNi\u00f1o de \u00c1lcala\u201d), was known for being one of the most innovative singers of buler\u00edas at a time when this form, destined to occupy a place of honor in the flamenco repertoire, was being defined.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The nickname \u201cde los Lobitos\u201d comes from a verse of buler\u00edas he used to sing:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anoche so\u00f1aba yo<\/em><\/p>\n que los lobitos me com\u00edan<\/em><\/p>\n y eran tus ojitos negros<\/em><\/p>\n que me miraban y me dec\u00edan<\/em><\/p>\n Por Dios no me desampares<\/em><\/p>\n que yo he perdido la calor<\/em><\/p>\n de mi pare y de mi mare*<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n *Last night I dreamt little wolves were devouring me, but it was your dark eyes looking at me, saying, \u2018for the love of God, don\u2019t abandon me, I\u2019ve lost the warmth of my father and mother\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bernardo\u2019s delivery is sweet, without being cloying, despite his having come of age during the so-called \u201c\u00f3pera flamenca\u201d, bittersweet as life itself. Evocative. Granada flamenco singer Juan Pinilla, holder of the prestigious L\u00e1mpara Minera prize, and admirer of Lobitos, tells me the singer has an ardent following in Granada thanks in part to the influence of Cobitos, <\/em>Manuel Celestino Cobos (Jerez de la Frontera, 1896-Granada, 1986), who lived 60 years in Granada. Pinilla also points out Bernardo\u2019s aesthetic sense that dignified flamenco, and was a strong influence in Morente who knew him well and lived with him in Madrid, causing the young singer to have a clear concept of the elder one\u2019s personality and interpretation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also noteworthy is the work of Bernardo el de los Lobitos, like that of Jos\u00e9 Menese, in the recuperation of rare forms, little interpreted or nearly forgotten, and which served as the basis for younger singers to develop.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Manuel R\u00edos Ruiz, Bernardo was always at the forefront of new tendencies, and surprisingly Pinilla says he had a strong sense of rhythm during an era in which this was not common except for a very few.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Juan Pinilla ended our conversation with pessimistic words about the new aesthetics of flamenco: \u201cThat way of singing Bernardo had, so respectful of the roots, is barely represented nowadays by scarcely a handful of die-hard followers\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That way of singing Bernardo had, so respectful of the roots, is barely represented nowadays by scarcely a handful of die-hard followers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":39477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[194,1625],"class_list":["post-39479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-estela-flamenca","tag-cantaor-en","tag-flamenco-en"],"yoast_head":"\n