Search - Ketama :: Konfusion

Great "aflamencada" music

L. K. Coleman | New Orleans, LA USA | 08/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like "aflamencada" music (i.e., flamenco-inspired music, sometimes called "flamenco fusion"), these are the guys for you. I can wholeheartedly recommend this as well as any other album by Ketama for this style of music, for they are superb musicians, and their very flamenco backgrounds provide that earthy "umph" which separates their music from the limpid and mediocre stuff out there masquerading as "new flamenco" (viz., Otmar Liebert et als. ad nauseum). Mind you, this is not "new flamenco" (with the exception of one or two cuts found on each of their albums), which is still flamenco but done in a progressive, modern style. The members of Ketama represent, for me, the difference between really good "aflamencada" music and a lesser quality product which is, in many instances, a mere imitation: Each of these musicians were first completely immersed in flamenco, with a complete knowledge of its forms, rhythms, stylings, and techiniques BEFORE they went on to study and experiment with other forms. Flamenco is very rich and very demanding, and it is almost impossible to capture its vital flavor without years of training and experience. This is why the many non-flamenco quitarists who have been attracted to and inspired by flamenco nevertheless produce a sound that is hollow and lacking in that "certain something" that informs flamenco: You can't do it a hit and a lick - it's an all or nothing proposition. It's also why the really worthwhile exponents of flamenco-inspired music almost exclusively started out in flamenco rather than vice versa. (The Gypsy Kings actually did come out of a certain limited type of flamenco training and exposure - but they're a whole discussion in themselves. Suffice it to say that I would not so easily dismiss them and their music entirely - just to appreciate it for what it is.)The members of Ketama are all gypsy and all related (as most Spanish gypsies are - which is why they always call one another "primo" (cousin)). The Carmona's are the sons of two brothers, Juan Carmona and Pepe Carmona, who use the nickname "Habichuela." Juan and Pepe grew up in Sacromonte, the gypsy barrio of Granada which, ironically, usually produced very bad flamenco artists. The Habichuela's (and the Maya's, Juan Maya "el Morote" and his brothers) were great exceptions, and being very talented and popular as accompaniests, moved to the much more prosperous venue of Madrid. Their sons, the Ketama boys, grew up in Madrid, and naturally had very different experiences than their parents. At home they were exposed to incredibly good flamenco since the day they were born, but in the greater community of Madrid they acquired new and different tastes. Ketama is the result.By the way, on their first album, it is represented that the name "Ketama" comes from a Moroccan town known for its hashish. Not so: Madrid's flamenco studios have for years been full of Japanese students, fanatical for flamenco, but who remained unquestionably Japanese. They formed an interesting and, to some extent, humerous sub-culture in the Madrid flamenco scene. This is where the "K" that the group habitually uses comes from - the Japanese language. The name "Ketama" is Japanese slang for the male member (derived from "Ketana," the traditional long sword of the Samurai warrior). I'm sure the Habichuela boys thought it a great inside joke."

It's No Konfusion, Ketama Are Gypsy Kings

benidorm34 | New York City | 02/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you think that the Gypsy Kings are flamenco, then this is not the album for you. Ketama are much more sophisticated in their melodies and rhythms. They are part of the "nuevo flamenco" and at the foreground of a musical style all of their own, flamenco jazz. "Nuevo flamenco" is a not so new movement. Groups like Ketama and Pata Negra have been around for quite a while. New acts like Jarabe de Palo and Navajita Plateá are rapidly moving up the charts and into the international market. They will have to fight for a rightful spot among the "nuevo flamenco" elite.The Carmona brothers have grown tremendously in this last decade, showing great maturity and versatility. Konfusión is their best album to date. It is full of rich melodies ranging in diverse musical styles. Each song is unique and complex. If you are a musical connosseur, this album is for you."

Heavily Jazz-Flavored Flamenco

Jeff Harrington | San Diego, CA | 01/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As always, Ketama has put together a solid album in "Konfusion." It seems that with their last album, "De Aki a Ketama," they reached the pinacle of their revolutionary Flamenco-Jazz fusion and have now turned in a slightly different direction. While this album doesn't demonstrate the same rhythmic sophistication as "De Aki a Ketama," in which they really did an amazing job of exploring unorthodox rhythmic patterns and meters, it does have a smooth Pop+Jazz+Flamenco sound that promises to please new listeners. Also, the lyrical content of "Konfusion," for those who understand Spanish, is far more thoughtful, interesting, and, even, intellectual than anything found in Ketama's earlier "party" albums. In short, this band is brilliant. "De Aki a Ketama" is an absolutely indispensible album and "Konfusion," while more introspective, will not disappoint any of us who have come to expect the highest caliber of music from this band."