Juan Carmona
Caminos Nuevos (CD/CD-ROM)
L'impreinte Digitale

Juan Carmona is equally a master of old and new techniques, the traditional and the nuevo flamenco. He now lives and works in France, but his roots are in the cradle of flamenco, Andalusia, where he spent eight years studying and playing with some of the masters. Carmona was the first prize winner in the "Jerez de la Frontera" international flamenco competition. His technique is superb, exemplified by quick clear arpeggios, smooth melodic lines and swift starts and stops.

What is uncommon is the technical mastery of so many styles: rumba, baleria, alegria, and ronde�a. The songs are innovative and tightly structured. The melody and accompaniment flow together with palmas, and on the best tracks, piano, bass and violin are carefully added.

With Juan Carmona are Paco Carmona and Isidro Munoz on guitar, allowing Juan to expand his solo style on many songs. Carmona's strengths lie in the technical interpretation. He stays away from the songs of others, instead relying on only his own material. A special treat on "Borboreo and Pipindorio" is the extremely lovely voice of French singer Fran�ois Atlan.

There is a CD-ROM included that enhances the musical experience of the album. The producers succeed in keeping the focus on the music. It includes video clips of the making of Carmona's music video, a discography of his previous recordings with music, photos, interviews, a written history of flamenco, and even technical details on the recording of the album (in French, for PC or Mac). The art and photos are very appealing and one is rewarded with music at every turn. In whole, a very impressive accomplishment. -Brian Grosjean