Mayte Martín
Encyclopedia
Mayte Martín. Flamenco
cantaora (singer), bolero
singer, and composer. She is widely recognized as one of the most important flamenco voices of her generation. She has also devoted part of her career to the Spanish American genre of bolero
.
, Manolo Caracol
, Camarón de la Isla
, Lole Montoya and most of all, Pastora Pavón, also known as La Niña de los Peines
. She also received some formal musical training, and practised her skills as a "cantaora de atrás" (singer for flamenco dance).
In 1987 she won the first prize or Lámpara Minera at the Concurso Nacional de La Unión
(also known as Festival de las Minas). Two years later, she obtained the Antonio Chacón
Prize (bestowed on the best malagueña
at the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba
). At the same time, she started an international career after being chosen by Peter Gabriel
to perform at Womad Festivals. In 1994, she recorded her first album, Muy Frágil, with guitarist Chicuelo and arrangements by Joan Albert Amargós
(the later a regular contributor to other well-known flamenco musicians like Paco de Lucía
and Camarón de la Isla
). In 2000 she published her second flamenco recording, 'Querencia', which was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award to the Best Flamenco Album in 2001.
Although alreadhy well-established as a solo cantaora, she resumed her facet as a singer for dance when she met bailaora Belén Maya in 1996, with whom she has toured the world with the works Mayte Martín + Belén Maya (since 1996) and Flamenco de Cámara (since 2003), winning international critical acclaim.
In 1997, she received the Barcelona City Award, granted by the City Council, and the National Music Award in the category of "Best Flamenco Composer".
In 1993 she started touring with jazz pianist Tete Montoliu
, a professional relationship that lasted until Montoliu's death in 1997. Together, they offered a personal view on bolero
s in their live recording 'Free Boleros', recorded in 1996. In her second bolero recording, 'Tiempo de Amar', (2002), Omara Portuondo
appeared as a guest artist in some of the tracks.
In 2005 she celebrated her 30 years as a performing artist at the Palau de la Música Catalana
, with a concert entitled 'Mis 30 años de amor al Arte', with which she is now touring Spain and other European countries. This concert, which covers both her facets as a flamenco and bolero singer, was recorded on DVD and will be published in December 2006.
or José Mercé
than that of a typical woman cantaora, and she sings flamenco with moving sweetness and deep knowledge of the essence." (José Miguel Gamboa and Pedro Calvo, Guía libre del flamenco, 2001)
"The best female flamenco voice of her generation, undoubtedly; the most complete 'cantaora'. She sings everything, and she sings everything well. At this rate, this 'cantaora' [...] will add her name to the great ones in history." (Ángel Álvarez Caballero, La discografía ideal del flamenco, 1995)
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
cantaora (singer), bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
singer, and composer. She is widely recognized as one of the most important flamenco voices of her generation. She has also devoted part of her career to the Spanish American genre of bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
.
Biography
She started singing as a small child in her family environment, and at the age of 10 she won an amateur singing contest organized by a supermarket. After this, she started performing regularly as an amateur at the peñas flamencas in Barcelona and its outskirts, and became a professional at the age of 16. In the meantime, she acquired a solid knowledge of flamenco styles, mainly by listening intensively to recordings of flamenco cantaores like Juan ValderramaJuan Valderrama
Juan Valderrama Blanca was a Spanish flamenco and folk singer also known as Juanito Valderrama.Born in Torredelcampo, Juanito's recording career began in 1935 and lasted more than 60 years...
, Manolo Caracol
Manolo Caracol
Manuel Ortega Juárez. , was a flamenco cantaor.Born in Seville, Spain, he was descended from a long line of flamenco artists including Enrique Ortega and Curro Dulce, and he was possibly related to El Planeta and El Fillo...
, Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
, Lole Montoya and most of all, Pastora Pavón, also known as La Niña de los Peines
La Niña de los Peines
Pastora Pavón Cruz, known as La Niña de los Peines , is considered the most important woman flamenco singer of the 20th century. She was a sister of singers Arturo Pavón and Tomás Pavón, also an important flamenco singer, and aunt to Arturo Pavón, the first flamenco pianist...
. She also received some formal musical training, and practised her skills as a "cantaora de atrás" (singer for flamenco dance).
In 1987 she won the first prize or Lámpara Minera at the Concurso Nacional de La Unión
La Unión, Murcia
La Unión is situated in the Region of Murcia in the southeast of Spain. It has an area of 24.6 km². It has a population of 16,180. It has the elevation of 86 m. Its average annual temperature is 17º C. It has balmy winters. The sun shines 320 days per year...
(also known as Festival de las Minas). Two years later, she obtained the Antonio Chacón
Antonio Chacón
Antonio Chacón was a Spanish flamenco singer [cantaor].Chacón began earning a living by performing flamenco around 1884. He toured Andalucia with his two friends, the Molina brothers - dancer Antonio Molina, and guitarist Javier Molina. He was later hired by Silverio Franconetti for his café in...
Prize (bestowed on the best malagueña
Malagueñas (flamenco style)
Malagueñas is one of the traditional styles of Andalusian music , derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante. Originally a folk-song type, it became a flamenco style in the 19th century. It is not normally used for dance, as it is...
at the Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco de Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
). At the same time, she started an international career after being chosen by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
to perform at Womad Festivals. In 1994, she recorded her first album, Muy Frágil, with guitarist Chicuelo and arrangements by Joan Albert Amargós
Joan Albert Amargós
Joan Albert Amargós is a Spanish composer and conductor born in Barcelona in 1950. Amargós is an instrumentalist on piano and clarinet, and has composed a number of chamber and symphonic works...
(the later a regular contributor to other well-known flamenco musicians like Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...
and Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
). In 2000 she published her second flamenco recording, 'Querencia', which was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award to the Best Flamenco Album in 2001.
Although alreadhy well-established as a solo cantaora, she resumed her facet as a singer for dance when she met bailaora Belén Maya in 1996, with whom she has toured the world with the works Mayte Martín + Belén Maya (since 1996) and Flamenco de Cámara (since 2003), winning international critical acclaim.
In 1997, she received the Barcelona City Award, granted by the City Council, and the National Music Award in the category of "Best Flamenco Composer".
In 1993 she started touring with jazz pianist Tete Montoliu
Tete Montoliu
Tete Montoliu was a jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. His real name was Vicenç Montoliu i Massana.- Biography :He was born blind, in the Eixample district of Barcelona, and died in the same city....
, a professional relationship that lasted until Montoliu's death in 1997. Together, they offered a personal view on bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
s in their live recording 'Free Boleros', recorded in 1996. In her second bolero recording, 'Tiempo de Amar', (2002), Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo Peláez is a Cuban singer and dancer whose career has spanned over half a century. She was one of the original members of the Cuarteto d'Aida, and has performed with Ignacio Piñeiro, Orquesta Anacaona, Orquesta Aragón, Nat King Cole, Adalberto Álvarez, Los Van Van, the Buena Vista...
appeared as a guest artist in some of the tracks.
In 2005 she celebrated her 30 years as a performing artist at the Palau de la Música Catalana
Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Música Catalana is a concert hall in Barcelona. Designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for the Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 that was a leading force in the Catalan cultural movement...
, with a concert entitled 'Mis 30 años de amor al Arte', with which she is now touring Spain and other European countries. This concert, which covers both her facets as a flamenco and bolero singer, was recorded on DVD and will be published in December 2006.
Critics' reviews
"A born artist. [...] An important number of cantaores of the younger generation have been influence by her. Her image is closer to that of CamarónCamarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
or José Mercé
José Mercé
José Mercé is a flamenco cantaor .He is the great-grandson of nineteenth-century seguiriya maestro Francisco Valencia, who received the nickname Paco la Luz....
than that of a typical woman cantaora, and she sings flamenco with moving sweetness and deep knowledge of the essence." (José Miguel Gamboa and Pedro Calvo, Guía libre del flamenco, 2001)
"The best female flamenco voice of her generation, undoubtedly; the most complete 'cantaora'. She sings everything, and she sings everything well. At this rate, this 'cantaora' [...] will add her name to the great ones in history." (Ángel Álvarez Caballero, La discografía ideal del flamenco, 1995)
Recordings
- Muy Frágil, K-Industria Cultural, 1994
- Free Boleros, K-Industria Cultural, 1996
- Querencia, Virgin, 2000
- Tiempo de Amar, Virgin, 2002
- De fuego y de agua, KLM, 2008, with the sisters Katia and Marielle LabèqueKatia and Marielle LabèqueThe French sisters Labèque, Katia and Marielle , form an internationally known piano duo. They have performed and recorded most of the repertoire for two pianos, spanning the instrumental, chamber, and concerto genres encompassing musical periods from Baroque through contemporary.Katia and...
- Al cantar a Manuel, Nuevos Medios S.A 2009
External links
- Mayte Martin's official Web (in Spanish)
- Mayte Martin's link info on Flamenco World Contains some audio clips.