Fuel Fandango: "When you take off the English breastplate, feelings of truth come out" - La Provincia

"Let me return to the origin and the fear disappears" Cristina "Nita" sings Manjón in the inaugural theme of the new Fuel Fandango album, in which they have dared to incorporate their particular "cocktail shaker" African and Afro-Cuban rhythms and chart their first album entirely in Spanish.

"I had never written in Spanish and at take off that shell of English Your feelings really come out, you stay exposed, "acknowledges his companion of musical adventures, the Canary Ale Acosta, during an interview with Efe in the traditional tablao Villa Rosa of Madrid.

Through the doors of that capital flamenco temple Suddenly they cross two drums and synthesizers, instruments rarely seen and enabled fleetingly for the presentation of their fourth album, "Origen" (Warner Music), which is partly the result of the musical influence of their most recent trips.

"We came from Africa engulfed with the richness of its rhythms. The purpose was to make an entire album without hype to black, although in the end it fell into a theme, "explains Acosta, the manager in the production duo, before an album in which" the beats per minute have risen. "

The result, as this band has always known for its mix of flamenco, black and electronic music, is a fusion "from the old with the modern and avant-garde", but in a disc of just 35 minutes, with 10 very concise and "frantic" cuts in which "many things" happen.

Nita adds the "Latin root" influences that have also inspired him: Mercedes Sosa ("His voice is a cannon of energy and inspires a lot"), the lyrics of Violeta Parra or the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez.

"For all that I used to make a record in Spanish. English was predominant in the band, although we sang in both languages. I was a little scared to do everything in Spanish, but it was an idea we had for some time. Since we are very rebellious, we refused when they told us to do it. But here it was natural, "he justifies.

It is also a tribute to the flamenco guitar. "It looks like a tablao, next are the palm trees", Nita jokes after having collaborated with the singers Estrella Morente and Niña de Elche on their previous album, "Aurora" (2016). In this case, the collaborations arrive marked by the ropes, with the contributions of Dani de Morón, Rycardo Moreno and Vicente Amigo.

"That was a gift, because he is not an artist who usually lends himself to these stories. We are both from Córdoba and we have friends in common, but we had never agreed. For one of them who plays with him we proposed the topic and we are super grateful. For us he is a great genius and when he called me to congratulate us on the song and my voice failures, I cried, "recalls Nita.

Among the songs, the first single from the album, "Despertaré", a groundbreaking composition in its rhythmic conception, that breathes desert in its arrangements and that in its lyrics speaks "soon stood out.of the strength of women, which is very powerful and at the same time very fragile. "

"Normally everyone composes on their own and then we gather ideas. She sent me the lyrics and the first day we met, the song with the guitar was almost born. We thought that if everything went well, the album would go very fast, but this theme was going around for a year. We wanted to leave it perfect, with a new sonority, and we went crazy to try things, "Acosta acknowledges.

In a faster album than usual for Fuel Fandango, halftime "On the sidewalk" offers some respite from an arpeggio inspired by "The departure" of Victor Jara. The theme starts as a ballad, something surprising for his followers, until it is stirred and turns towards the usual coordinates of the duo, following the steps of the Australian producer Flume.

"There are those who have asked if it is a couple song, but I did not do it with that intention, but to speak of that universal force that accompanies you, of magic. There will be someone who says that I am a mystic "says Manjón with sneer.

The next days 1 and 2 of February will live the premiere of "Origen" live within the Madrid musical cycle Inverfest, with a new live proposal, "even more theatrical", which will subsequently lead to points like the Mallorca Live Nights (February 8th), Malaga (Paris room 15, February 21) or Pomegranate (Industrial Copera, February 22).

In good weather they will continue the route through festivals, to highlight the Interstellar of Seville on May 22, the Festival of Les Arts of Valencia on June 5, Lyric Sounds in Lanzarote on June 6, the Cruilla de Barcelona on July 2, the FIB of Benicàssim (Castellón) on July 16 or the Dcode of Madrid September 12.