Flamenco Maestros
A series looking at the flamenco greats and their recordings
By Marcos
No 9. "Serranito"
Victor Luis Monge Fernandez, better known as" Serranito," first came to my attention in 1971 when he was awarded the "Premio nacional de Guitarra Flamenca" by the Catedra de Flamencologia in Jerez and the "Primer premio Guitarra Flamenca de Concierto" at the fifth Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco held in Cordoba. These prizes resulted in a recording that was to export his special sound and aire to many countries. On obtaining this album I was immediately enchanted and mesmerized by his technique and the tone he produced. The awards were also to elevate him alongside Paco de Lucia and Manolo Sanlucar to form a triumvirate that was to dominate the instrument during the seventies in succession to Sabicas and Nino Ricardo.
'Serranito' was born in July, 1942. not in the cradle of flamenco-Andalucia- but in the Spanish capital of Madrid into a relatively poor background. His interest in the guitar was initially prompted by his father and at the age of ten he was already mastering the fingerboard and working professionally as one of the Serranos, hence the nickname Serranito. From these early public performances he went on to establish a formidable reputation in Spain during the sixties culminating in his solo record of 1968 that was to assist his ambition to concentrate solelv on the concert flamenco guitar. In 1970 he combined working at the newly reopened "Cafe de Chinitas" with visits to foreign capitals like London where he gave a memorable recital at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. During the seventies he performed at many of the world's leading venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. In more recent times he has continued to tour appearing at leading guitar festivals while also maintaining a high profile in Spain. In 1984 following a concert for Cordoba festival he was invited to be one of the judges at the third Bienal in Seville which that year turned the spotlight on the flamenco guitar. Apart from judging the competition he also gave a concert of his compositions with the Orquesta Betica Filarmonica.
1985 witnessed his return to New York as one ofthe artists chosen by the Spanish Government to represent flamenco art at the acclaimed "Festival Latino" where he gave a recital featuring many of his famous compositions including Mi Vuelta a Rocio with guitarists, Francesca and Angel Cortes, completing his new trio. Last year he returned to Cordoba as a guest recitalist along with Rafael Riqueni for the eleventh Consurso.
Playing a Ramirez guitar (often of rosewood construction) he has been one of Spain's leading players for over two decades and is highly respected by guitarists of both the older and younger generations. I remember Pepe Martinez often speaking very highly of him and admiring the flamenco he was creating. His contribution to our art has been to extend the frontiers of technique still further, introduce new chords, reinterpret the toques and like Paco de Lucia, explore the possibilities of counterpoint in flamenco music. With a superb technique and the desire to innovate he has like all the greats created his own style. His name has of course been linked with the famous three finger picado but far more important is the complex music he has created and which he executes with such precision and dignity. Having devoted much of his career to "flamenco de concierto" he excels in toques like solea and taranta while many of his compositions have been published and his records distributed and appreciated world over.
Discography:
Copies of "El Flamenco en La Guitarra de Victor Monge Serranito" (Hispavox HH 10-251 Flamencos"1966) and "Aires Flamencos" (Hispavox HH 10-349 1968) are now very difficult to find and have become very much collectors' items. Two tracks from his debut album are available however, on the "Antologia de la Guitarra Flamenco" (Hispavox 10-326) which give an indication of how well he played at 24. His technique is very clean on the guajiras while the bulerias is performed with attack and fire being an excellent example of the way in which this toques was played and sounded in the sixties. All the Serranito attributes (stunning picado and czcellent phrasing) are present in this early recording. Many of the falsetas and crafted modulations seem very familiar now and have been imitated by countless players.
Over the next few years his playing matured considerably culminating in the guitar prizes at Jerez and Cordoba and the release of one of his finest records "Virtuosismo Flamenco" (Hispavox HHS 10-392 1971 and re-issued in 1979 as S.20.047). On hearing the opening track Presagio, a taranto, one is immediately impressed by the serene quality and beautiful sound which he produces ranging from a delicate but warm tone to a more prominent rounded sonority. Here he performs the highly developed complex variations of the modem flamenco guitar with great sensitivity in an almost classical interpretation. Utilizing some outstanding thumb work he develops themes and moulds each falseta to fit the overall composition. On this masterpiece for solo guitar he has e xpanded the technical frontiers already pushed to the limits by guitarists, such as Sabicas. The picado runs are amazing, not so much for their power and speed, but the ease and smoothness bv which they are played. I have illustrated in cifra (with thanks to Pastorito) the unique introduction to this taranto. Another highlight of this album is the soleares, Inspiracion, which is very introspective and signalled some of the revolutionary changes that were to occur in the seventies to both the music and the technique of the flamenco guitar. This was a very fresh and innovative solea demonstrating why he took both prizes. He blends new variations with some clever embellishments upon the older established themes performed again with phenomenal picado and thumb technique. This album also features a number of toques including zapateado and campanilleros, where Serranito is joined by Luis Habichuela, Felipe Maya Ian Davies and Jose Ortega, in arrangements for five flamenco guitars. On the bulerias they achieve an exciting sound full of contrasts extracting the toque from its gitano roots and giving it a highly polished and refined classical treatment. Gitana in memorv of Carmen Amaya and still played by the Serranito trio, is again an outstanding composition. On Side One there is another gem-Las Tres Morillas-which he performs with great depth of feeling and lyrical interpretation while on Side Two he opts for a more earthy flamenco sound in the alegrias. This is particularly interesting being played in D and reminding one of the earlier Mi Inspiracion by Paco de Lucia. This well balanced and programmed disc closes with an example of another Serranito attribute, his tremolo, as he plays por fandanguillo. An album well worth hunting for in its original pressing with sleeve notes courtesy of Segovia.
In 1976 Columbia released Victor Monge Serranito (TXS 3054) which marked the beginning of a new direction that his music was to take including the move towards compositions with orchestral backing. This was very much a flamenco album of the seventies with both sides opening with commercial bands that were also used as the A and B sides of a single. Despite a somewhat dated backing by today's standards Serranito's technical ability and musicianship shines onLuz de Luna, the bulerias, which getts the album off to an exciting start and also on the more laid back Junto al Mar, which I still find charming.
Other toques, like guajiras, and sevillanas are also given the orchestral treatment and are representative of what other flamenco guitarists, like Paco Cepero and Manolo Sanlucar were doing at this time to find a wider audience for this art form. This album is worth collecting as it does contain two masterpieces in the solea por medio and granaina. A la Perla de Triana is one of my favourite all time Serranito tracks where from an inventive introduction featuring some tasty chords, he goes on to really play with the compas and demonstrates that he can also be a master of the jondo style of playing
There are some very intricate falsetas and thumbwork and without the orchestra he really cooks and serves something up for the purists. The granaina being largely based around a theme and some involved arpeggios is a more traditional composition and provides quite a challenge for both left and right hands. This album also includes a skillful interpretation of the campanilleros which in 1976 won him first prize at the Bratislava folk festival! The LP. was also released a year later in Britain on Decca (Espana Viva PFS R 4415) but the Spanish version is a better deal complete with double sleeve and historical photographs.
Columbia released yet another album entitled "Victor Monge Serranito" in 1981 (TXS 3217) and this is his best and most interesting to-date. It opens with Mi Vuelta del Rocio and once again we are presented with that distinctive Serranito tone, rapid picado runs and more orchestral, percussion and electric bass backing. Of particular interest to guitarists would be the outstanding and highly original set of sevillanas played in the medio key. After the intricate alegrias, Bahia de Cadiz and some further pieces with orchestra, Serranito's brilliance emerges once again on two solos tucked away at the end of the recital. The bulerias, Aire de Fiesta is played with tremendous energy and with no technical inhibitions he is able to perform the exciting variations in a relaxed and free manner. Included amongst the guitar tricks, palmas and jaleos is demonstrated the ability that comes with a life time's experience on the guitar. The album closes with a full length solea, Ya estoy en Triana which performed in contemplative manner is Serranito at his best as he weaves new life into this toque with duende. If you can find this album purchase it just for these last ten minutes of electrifying pure flamenco.
Among his other recordings which are still available is an album of duets he made with Manuel Cano in 1967 entitled "Tension de Sonoridades para dos Guitarras Flamencas" (Hispavox HH 10-300). He recorded an album of "Palillos Flamencos" also for Hispavox with Manuel Mairena and Lucero Tena, and the better known "Leccionde Castanuelas" for Columbia also with the celebrated Cuban dancer. For his accompanying style one must hunt for the many 45s and 33s he made in the late sixties with the singer, Gabriel Moreno on Hispavox or the Columbia album "Figuras del Flamenco 2." Finally, if you can find it, I can thoroughly recommend the "Misa Flamenca" (Philips 843 179 PY 1967) where on one of the most treasured LPs, he accompanies such singers as Rafael Romero along with Ramon de Algeciras.
'Guitar International' magazine. February 1988
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