Rodrigo Cuevas He is the most flamboyant, flamboyant and distinguished member of the young artist generation who found folklore as a very modern means of expression and assertion. The thing about this Asturian on Sunday Performing at the Concerts de Vivers on July 16, she will not only add electronics to her country’s melodies and traditional lyrical motifs. ‘, he begins to seek out the collision and enjoy the effect like a mischievous child.How are you?!’, One of the previews of his next album produced by Puerto Rican Eduardo Cabra (Visitante en Calle 13). “I wanted to make a record that was more danceable, more fun, and I also wanted to create an artistic tension between the most local repertoire I’ve ever made and a producer completely unrelated to Asturian culture and see how that tension worked out.”
Is it more important to have the ‘summer of your life’ as the song says, a handsome man, a good dance or a good swimming pool?
Everything helps. A good handsome man, a good dance… The pool is really the most indispensable.
You introduce yourself as a folkloric instigator. What is the first thing folklore should shake?
To all the people who hold up the walls and never get into the dance. Shake off people who disagree with things that are boring. In Asturias we have a word called ‘repuntante’. ‘Disgusting’, not ‘disgusting’, like a grumpy person. I’m here to provoke the grumpy people who don’t let them do anything in life. They are heavy.
“repuntantes” to power
But they do. They even come to power.
Man, they’re really coming… You know that well from Valencia.
How do you live this?
Look, with great sadness at first because it’s like they’re bringing things into discussion that shouldn’t be. But at the same time, I think it will cause people to stop being so relaxed and gain some awareness. This album is also about that, about valuing what we have, celebrating it, being aware that learning to enjoy what others have built is an act of responsibility. Celebration is often seen as meaningless and I believe celebrating are the most responsible actions.
Does celebrating just mean having a good time?
Not just to have a good time. Also celebrate the environment we live in, the friends we have, the freedom we enjoy, how delicious the food is, how fun it is to make love. Celebrate that we have so many good things.
How far have we come to make the celebration revolutionary?
Well, to the point where the ‘regrets’ win the conversation. Celebrating has always been revolutionary, but sometimes we’re led to believe it’s pointless.
target of censorship
Censorship turned culture into political debate. A little sad isn’t it?
Yes, it’s sad to see it censored again. But beware, censorship has never gone away: there is Pablo Hassel, there is Valtonyc… People in prison. Twitter users, rappers… But now it’s on the show, it’s a political promise and worst of all, it’s voting on it.
Left-wing homosexual who sings in Asturian and makes fun of what is ‘disgusting’. Do you see yourself as a direct target of censorship?
Yes, of course, but we are all direct targets, even those who practice it. They are like a meteorite removing the general culture that is not leftist or gay. Culture is shared by all of us, on the right and on the left. Those who believe that culture belongs to a part of the population are mistaken. All cultural offerings enrich us all, as long as they don’t kill or humiliate anyone.
When did you discover the exciting features of folklore?
Ever since I started playing tambourine and singing from the very beginning.
Is the problem with folklore that we take it too seriously?
Yes, it was something to be taken seriously, like a ritual, like going to mass. Seriousness has nothing to do with folklore, parts of which are pure inspiration and pure freshness. Folklore has too much sex, too much politics, and most of all, too much backlash, too much humor and whistling.
Knowing that this is what unites you, Guitarricadelafuente, Tanxungueiras, Maiuca, Marala and even Vetusta Morla?
Yes, I think there is a spirit in common with all these people who approach folklore in one way or another, it’s a very heterogeneous group, but they have something in common. I don’t know why this is. We delved into folklore and discovered that it wasn’t as boring as they had told us before.
get off the stage
What happens when idol Rodrigo Cuevas steps off the stage and platforms, takes off his suspenders and returns to his village?
I’m not a mythomaniac at all, so I like it better when I’m in town. It’s not okay to idolize people, it creates unrealistic expectations. And I don’t like it when artists promote this idolatry to make money, gain more fame, and get more jobs. This seems so counterintuitive to me.
Can you imagine your village is like social media where everyone loves you or hates you?
I think it kind of is. It’s not that extravagant, because otherwise it would be unbearable.
By the way, in all the interviews (including this one) and articles about you, it is pointed out that you live in a very small town as if it were a hero. Bothers?
Not that it bothers me, but it’s true that it does bother me a bit. I am surprised when people ask me how is my life there, how are my neighbors. I don’t know, it’s like I’m living in a cave or my neighbors are from another species. True, I think my musical side is much more interesting than my life. For example, the fact that he was going to make a recording with Visitante in the Asturian language had little repercussions.