" Dj Panko is a multi-talented musician and highly skilled Dj
and producer.
He combines energetic and complex rhythms with his own
blend of highly skilled artistry.
As a part of the band Ojos de Brujo won a 2007 Latin Grammy
Award for Best Flamenco Album for Techari
and the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award for Europe (2004). Such a
great person! "
-Mister Panko! You were
born in Barcelona, a city full of sounds and rhythms. That was the main reason
that you wanted to start playing music?
MAYBE IS THIS….
I WAS BORN IN LAS RAMBLAS AND I GREW UP THERE CLOSE TO
THE LICEUM, I COULD HEAR THE OPERA SINGERS COURTYARD BY..
AND IN THE STREET, A LOT OF NOISE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT
WALKED UP AND DOWN SINGING OR PROTESTING IN DEMOSTRATIONS.
I HAD THIS MUSIC INSTINCT SINCE I WAS A KID AND I DEVELOPED
BY
PLAYING DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS LIKE DRUMS, BASS,
GUITAR, SINGING UNTIL I FOUND MY PLACE ON THE DECKS AND THE PRODUCTION.
-You are also known as “DJ Panko - El Mago”. Do you believe that flamenco is a magic power, to charm your audience or is it about vibes and emotions?
I WISH I COULD KNOW MORE MAGIC TO CHANGE MANY THINGS
IN THIS WORLD…
BUT I WORK WITH FEELINGS AND MUSIC!
FLAMENCO IT SELF HAS A LOT OF MAGIC AND A LOT OF
FEELING.
YOU CAN SHOW VERY SAD FEELINGS WITH FLAMENCO AND ALSO
VERY HAPPY FEELINGS.
FLAMENCO HAS A LOT OF RICHNESS IN RHYTHM AND HARMONY
BUT I´M ALSO OPEN TO MANY DIFFERENT SOUNDS AND ESPECIALLY
THOSE WHO RESCUE ROOTS’ MUSIC
LIKE BALKAN, AFRICAN ,LATIN,INDIAN OR GREEK MUSIC.
IT´S ALL ABOUT THE FEELINGS AGAIN..
- When did you become a member of Ojos de Brujo and how was that experience?
IN 1997 WE DID OUR FIRST DEMO
DANI MACACO, JUANLU, RAMON G. , MUÑECO AND ME,
THEN AFTER WE DID OUR FIRST ALBUM IN 2000 AND SINCE
THEN WAS A NON STOP TOUR ALL OVER THE WORLD…TOURING AND TOURING, ALBUM AFTER
ALBUM, LOT OF SUCCES UNTIL 2010, WHEN THE BAND SPLIT.
IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE THAT GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO
MEET LOTS OF MUSICIANS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES OF THE WORLD
AND BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO MANY PLACES IN THIS PLANET.
-Your collaboration with Ojos de Brujo, made you more open minded to mix different sounds or you always wanted to combine flamenco and rumba with music from all over the world?
I THINK IT WAS ALREADY INSIDE ME TO SEARCH FOR MIXING
DIFERENT SOUNDS BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE INTO FLAMENCO WITH OJOS DE BRUJO.
-You have a new band now,
which is called “Lenacay”. What does
it mean and what’s the basic idea of this new project?
“LEN” IS THE WAY AND “ACAY” IS TO WATCH, TO LOOK AT.
THEY ARE TWO WORDS IN GIPSY DIALECT
AND IT COULD MEAN SOMETHING LIKE “TO LEARN BY WATCHING
THE WAY”.
THE FIRST IDEA WAS TO MAKE A SOUNDSYSTEM USING FLAMENCO
BEATS WITH ELECTRONICS BUT IN THE END, IT BECAME A BAND.
-This time, you use
English lyrics too, in some of your songs. Do you think that this will help
more and more people to understand your music?
I´M NOT THAT SHURE ABOUT THIS..
AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, MUSIC IS ABOUT FEELINGS
AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND MORE FEELINGS THAN LYRICS SO, IN
MY OPINION IS NOT SO IMPORTANT. WE DID THIS BECAUSE OUR SINGER HAD SOME SONGS
IN ENGLISH
BUT I DON´T BELIEVE THAT IS A QUESTION OF LANGUAGE.
MUSIC IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.
(BUT YOU SEE, WE ARE DOING THIS INTERVIEW IN ENGLISH! J)
-Which is your favorite
song from the debut album of Lenacay
and why?
and why?
“IDENTIDAD”
IS A SONG I WROTE FOR RAMON IN A MOMENT THAT HE WAS
VERY DOWN AND THINKING HOW DIFFICULT WAS LIFE IN GENERAL…
BUT IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE CRISIS WE ARE SUFFERING
IN SPAIN AND OTHER PLACES….
THIS SONG SAYS THAT THEY CAN CUT SOCIAL SECURITY,THEY
CAN CUT MONEY FOR WORKERS AND EVEN THEY CAN TRY TO CUT OUR PROTEST…THEY CAN
MAKE OUR LIFE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT… BUT THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CUT YOUR
IDENTITY!
I DIDN´T WANT TO LOOSE THE CHANCE TO USE MUSIC TO
REFUSE THE POLITICAL ABUSSES WE ARE SUFFERING.
-You are a very talented
DJ and you have done a lot of productions and remixes. One of my favorite is
your latest “Me duele mix”. Balkan – Flamenco style! Could we expect a whole
record based on these sounds?
FOR THE MOMENT I WANT TO RELEASE AN ALBUM CALLED
“MUNDOLOGIA” WHERE I WILL PUT SOME OF THE BEST REMIXES I DID IN THE LAST 10
YEARS, FROM ALL KINDS OF BANDS AND STYLES OF MUSIC:
FROM FLAMENCO TO BALKAN, FROM CUMBIA TO TRADITIONAL
MEDITERRANEAN SOUNDS, FROM BAIAO TO RUMBA
BUT AS YOU SAID THERE IS A VERY GOOD FEEDBACK ON “ME
DUELE” SO, MAYBE I WILL START DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS VERY SOON!
-We are very
honored to see you often in Greece, performing not only as a DJ but also with
your band! What connects you with my country and when we will hear you live,
here, again?
I LOVE YOUR COUNTRY!
I LIKE THE PEOPLE, THE FOOD , THE LIGHT..
I HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN GREECE AND SINCE WE CAME FOR
THE FIRST TIME WITH OJOS, IT BECAME ONE OF MY MOST POPULAR PLACES TO DJ!
THAT WAS LIKE 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO..
I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE FROM
PAYRRIA (THE BAND) OR IMAM BAILDI AND I LIKE VERY MUCH YOUR REBETICO MUSIC AND
THE MIXES WITH OTHER KINDS OF MUSIC.
I DID TWO REMIXES FOR THEM THAT I LIKE VERY MUCH.
WHEN I´M IN GREECE I FEEL LIKE HOME !
PEOPLE NEEDS MUSIC A LOT IN YOUR COUNTRY
AND ESPECIALLY NOW, SO TO BE ABLE TO RESIST THE HARD
SITUATION.
I HOPE I WILL COME IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
-Thank you very much and good luck for you and your band!
THANK YOU SPERY !!!
I HOPE IT WORKS..
ALL MY LOVE
P.
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