Manolo Garcia needs no introduction. His latest works are in plural because it was a double-release that occupied his current tour. Tonight, Almeria will be delighted to hear the Roquetas de Mar Bullring, part of the Cabaret festival. 2019 will see the beginning of ‘Mi Vida en Marte’ which is the first jewel. He also had to work remotely during the unusual moments of the pandemic in order to complete his recording in fall 2021. The original idea was then incorporated into the composition. After adding a bonus track, the year would be frenetic and culminated in “Desatinos plucked”, whose musical nuances were far more complex than the first.
What is your journey to Almeria, the remote and mysterious place?
It’s complicated, so we may end up riding stagecoaches. Depending on your words, I may arrive earlier at some concerts.
Do you have the time and energy to see the places you’re touring? Are you a planner or are you more likely to get lost as you travel?
It all depends on the montage and on how everything goes. Sometimes I try to rest.
-We complain all the time about transportation. But if we weren’t in the middle of it, maybe there wouldn’t be any Almeria to boast about.
It doesn’t rain to everyone’s taste, but I can tell you that Almeria does not have poor communication. It is important to give cities the opportunity for highways and AVEs. It all depends on how many people live there. Smaller cities have less needs and larger cities have more. Many people will value the tranquility and that it’s not overcrowded. Another person may long for the chaos and want their city to be New York. It is ultimately about work for everyone, decent living conditions and good food.
Perhaps we have created an artificial vitality need.
-I like that idea, but it seems we are at a point where we seem to be swallowing with a mill wheel. We throw ourselves in the sack, onto the plate. The amount of money needed to live each month makes living conditions more difficult. Even people with no pretensions are finding it harder to keep the necklace on. We are all being led to strange sinvivirs by something. It’s curious because it can be expensive even for those who want to live simple lives. The utopia of the 1970s, the self-managed lifestyle, the hippie dream, is no longer available in big cities. The aspiration for simplicity is admirable, and we can weather any storm whenever we’re allowed.
It is hard to escape all of this influence, even though you are in the middle Tabernas desert, Wi-Fi still reaches you.
-(Laughter). We have become accustomed to ways of living that make us slaves. Praise be the one who is happy in this society. It is not about having a life of perpetual happiness but peace and calm. They make life difficult. Only if you can escape to a village and even there, you don’t notice, is there an antenna radiating you because everyone wants cell phone. Online work is a far cry from the eight hour work hours of the past and decades of struggle to provide decent working conditions. All those people now work 14 hours a day, and they must respond to 200 WhatsApp messages, which can be very stressful for even the most calm nerves. It is not possible for everyone to work online. Someone must still work the land and produce food.
-Precisely Tabernas looks like a Martian landscape. Do you see the solution to this problem, life on Earth, when you speak about “My life on Mars”? There is hope.
It would be wonderful to believe there is. This is a beautiful planet that has provided light and life for thousands of species of animals, humans and plants. The Industrial Revolution and our behavior have been key in getting us to where we are today. This has led to an increase in temperature. It is clear that this is not the first time the problem has been caused by our actions, which is a well-known reflection. Problem is that it will now go up if it gets beyond the container. Let’s trust that the next generation will respond. We must organize ourselves. We are global, and this condition cannot be taken from us. With which the ship must remain afloat by all, it is a matter macroeconomics, high spheres and macropolitics.
He speaks of young people who must lead. These people are more affected by the digital age than any other group, as they were born with a smartphone in their hands. Can there be a solution to this desire to stay connected and know all the details now?
It’s an odd knowledge. There are a million information and news items. Humbly, I think it is better to read Borges or Baroja books than just reading comments from my neighbor. He will probably give me more. My neighbor and I will meet for coffee. We will discuss football and even philosophize. However, to be speaking alone, connected, sending out bullshit, nonsense, and sorry, that’s not what we need. If 8,000 million people can’t be influencers, then why should we try to influence them to buy so that someone else benefits? Consumption, consumption, and more consumption.
-The number one and two albums that you have released were respectively number one or second in sales. Do albums still sell or has Spotify made it impossible to reproduce?
It’s over, it’s done, someone has decided music should be consumed and not listened to on records at home or in the car. It must be consumed via mobile devices and other technological gadgets. The sales have dropped, although I’m not sure if there will still be exceptions. However, the musician is no longer able to make the album despite having worked hard on it and making money from the production. The plan is to stop selling records. They are the ones who have the upper hand for many years.
How do you feel about Spotify?
It’s forced and not voluntary. Diversity is important to me. If someone wants to be there, it should be possible. I want the records to keep selling. Music fans share a common love for physical support. You can take a few steps towards it and pull out another. This possibility is gone, but there are still many who want to experience the wonderful ritual we used to know in our generation. There is someone who makes the right decision for the benefit of a few. It’s not about art or consumption. As always, great albums are released. While it’s not true that all bad records are made, or that every album is terrible, many people can still enjoy gems on those platforms. But, it doesn’t have to be like that. Although I wouldn’t have thought of announcing things in my music I now find myself forced to listen to it.
“What does it mean to listen to horrible music?” He doesn’t listen to reggaeton, I think.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful of reggaeton. Any genre can be considered respectable, as long as it conveys quality or emotion. It doesn’t matter whether it’s blues, jazz, or reggaeton. Flamenco is not all that great, and neither are pop or rock. There are many wonderful things to be done and a lot to offer. To be truthful, I believe that the greatest songs in the world, which are still in our hearts and minds, were written in the 70s and 1980s. The music industry has changed. Quality now prevails over quantity.
-Worth it taking several years to write “My life on Mars” and just a few months for “Plucked nonsense”?
It is part of emotional fluctuations. There are people who have more flat personalities and those with smaller peaks. I am a multi-disciplinary person. I also love to paint and spend a lot time alone. Inspiration comes when it comes. It’s an appetite. You’re not thinking, “it’s May, new album for Christmas”. That roller coaster ride we all are on is a walk, swimming, dominoes and watching television. I make songs, and they go out.
