asturian Rodrigo Cuevas, The 2023 National Prize for Current Music comes to present his latest album “Manual de Romería”, which is proud of another project: the rescue of the “La Benéfica” theater in his town in L’Infiestu, which he manages together with an association. “I would like to see it in its glory, that is my goal,” he admits.
This album was produced by Eduardo Cabra (Calle 13), why did you go to him for an album with a traditional Asturian influence?
Note that the name comes before the album. I made it clear that I wanted to work with him before composing. I offered it to him, I had nothing to teach him, and he told me he loved what I did. I was a huge fan of what she did with Rita Indiana Trending Topics, who I’m a super fan of; again from Calle 13 but I saw the second one further away. These are sounds that have a certain origin in folklore but are understood as dance music. That’s what I wanted for the album.
Combining traditional and contemporary sounds opens the work to new ears, but also runs the risk of distorting it.
I think it’s always distorted. We use it to suggest a scenario that has nothing to do with the traditional. We use their melodies and rhythms and nothing happens. This brings many more people closer to the traditional world, and those of us who make these proposals ensure that it remains alive by combining it with the popularization work of what tradition is. It is our duty to combine these two and popularize them.
Why “Hajj Handbook” as the title?
I wanted to talk about the pilgrimage and entertainment part of folklore that is about to be forgotten. We try to give a vision of something elevated when the basic thing is something we enjoy, something fun.
The previous album is considered an icon among albums music traditional. Were you paralyzed by expectations as you started preparing for the last one?
The expectations of others and your own are always there. These are heavy things. It’s impossible to get all of this out of your mind, but the artist’s job is to abstract all of this and combat it, because they create fear and distract you from your focus: You start doing what others want, not what you want. entering swampy land.
Were you always free to implement your themes?
No one is free; What you need to do is find the path that aims to be free. We all have chains.
It will be difficult for you to get rid of the chains.
Don’t believe it; It is so liberating that it becomes easier; It’s like he’s removing the shells inside. It hurts but it releases.
Does the Asturian repertoire included in the album come from collections?
There is less traditional music on this album. There was more in “Manual de Cortejo”, it was like a selection of traditional songs that I wanted to reinterpret, but almost all of this album was written by me, except for “Casares”. A traditional theme from the collection of David Omaña, from the town next to my grandmother’s. Eduardo Cabra was also with me while I was field collecting and these are the four songs that the ladies and gentlemen appear to be singing. I always like to include songs that have references from informants, I don’t like to start with a band’s versions because it’s hard to know what’s traditional and what’s from the band.
He talks about the songs sung by Josefa Diebra, Manuel de Cortejo, Mariluz Cristóbal…
Yes, Eduardo came and we were in Asturias, Zamora and Leon. We went to the shoot to record rather than to do fieldwork.
However, the album’s opening song is by the Corsican band A Filetta.
I have long loved Corsican vocal polyphony. I am very excited. Last year they invited me to play there, in Córdega, in Calvi, and I met the organizers, the band. I suggested they join and they were delighted.
In “Sing Me Ramo Verde” you confess the hatred they poured on you tyranny that he had to swallow as a child. Was it difficult for you to put that into a song?
It was organic, but I had a hard time finding the point where it wouldn’t be cheesy. It’s sometimes difficult to feel comfortable talking about such feelings. It was one of the issues that cost me the most. Yes, it cost me dearly. There are still attacks on homosexuals, but we have made a lot of progress. In recent years, this hate speech has been legitimized by the presence of the far right in institutions. No one dared to say it out loud, and now they say it loudly and without fear. This is what we have to do.
Are you learning to deal with hatred over time?
This is something you have to work on because it stays there and pops up from time to time. It doesn’t go away, it’s like a scar that doesn’t bother you but affects you when you see it somewhere. It never ends for those who are harassed or abused. You never deleted it.
Should we listen to our craziest selves?
It’s okay to bring out the wild side to play, have sex, and have fun. You have to let go a little or everything is too light.