In the second half of the 1980s, Kiko Veneno had released a masterful album – ‘Veneno’ (1977) – and two solo albums with the brothers Rafael and Raimundo Amador, but still could not make a living by composing and singing. Thus, the Figueres man decided to give himself one last chance in the world of music before throwing in the towel. The result, ‘Échate un cantecito’ (1992), changed everything. Now, the European Film Festival of Seville is hosting the world premiere of ‘Un día Lobo López’, a documentary directed by Alejandro G. Salgado that recalls the creation process of one of the most influential works of popular music still 30 years later. in spanish.
What do you think is the secret of ‘Échate un cantecito’? What makes it a relevant album 30 years later?
I designed an album with a classicalist profession, designed to withstand the flow of time well, and I think those ten songs continue to speak with a very contemporary rhetoric; years have not been able to refute his assumptions or philosophy. In addition, it is a round disc without cracks. Good songs are those that can always survive, constantly redefining themselves according to successive social changes or the personal circumstances of their listeners. And the ‘Échate un cantecito’ ones appeared.
What’s the secret to getting a smooth recording?
It was an incredibly laborious process to finish. It took me three years to compose these songs, to learn the art of good writing. I had all the time I needed to record, and time is an ally of culture. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more scarce. It’s not even customary today to create complete albums without going any further. Now you find a song and immediately post it online, hoping people will buy it. I do not know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzy9U6nqH7k
To what extent has this album been a benchmark to measure your entire subsequent career?
This is inevitable. I was very aware that I would probably never produce such a good album again, but the truth is that I didn’t try either. My only goal has always been to do my best. And I truly believe that if I had devoted the same time and resources to any of my subsequent albums that I dedicate to ‘Échate un cantecito’, I could have achieved the same level of quality.
At the beginning of ‘Un día Lobo López’, in a file image, a very young Kiko Veneno says: “I am not a slave to success, because I have never had it”. How did success affect you when you finally got it?
Because ‘Échate un cantecido’ sold 50,000 copies at a time when Rosario and Rosana sold 1 million copies with their albums and left no trace in their radio formulae. Thanks to him, what I’ve gained is being able to make a living from music and not have to retire and devote myself to anything else. It helped me buy a house, raise my family, spend the summer at the beach, that’s all. I’ve never made enough money to be a slave to anything. I’ve never been like Alejandro Sanz, who hasn’t been able to go out normally for years.
Neither ‘autotune’ nor in 1992 Spotify. What do you think about the changes in the music world in these years?
I feel like the vast majority of songs these days are designed to be indistinguishable from one another, and the consequences need not be explained. As far as Spotify is concerned, it looks like systematic theft to me. If I have a song on Spotify that generates 20 million listeners, I won’t charge a single euro for it, because the platform only pays for songs that generate a minimum of 100 million copies. In the past, record companies paid you to write songs. Spotify, on the other hand, not only makes you money a priori, but also takes advantage of your songs without paying you compensation. And we artists continue to trust that this platform will be our showcase, we continue to feed a cow that is crushing us.
As the documentary states, when you were younger, you described yourself as a rebel. Are you still doing it?
I have always considered myself a rebel because I have never made certain concessions to be able to work or earn money. This kind of attitude is necessary for creation. Rebellion should not be incompatible with the pursuit of reward or sponsorship, otherwise it is a pose.
Is the revolt missing today?
Of course, we are slaves to consumerism and narcissism. People spend half of their salary buying sportswear and then use them just to run between cars and buses, swallowing smoke. There’s a lot of nonsense. Some immigrants come by boat on the beach, and those who bathe stay in their sunbeds. The BBC shows that Moroccan police carried the bodies of immigrants from Spanish territory, but then the Spanish president appeared in front of the press and threw the balls and nothing happened. It’s pretty sad.
Source: Informacion
