Vikingo de Jerez Interview: Flamenco Mastery

By: Matt Warnock

Photos courtesy of V. Jerez

While classical, jazz and now even rock music have all been “institutionalized” over the past century, working their way into university and college curriculum across the globe, there is as least one form of highly-improvised guitar playing that has, for the most part, shied away from these institutions, Flamenco. Possessing a raw energy and folk-like quality that has inspired some of the best guitarists in the world to immerse themselves in the genre, including Paco de Lucia and Adam del Monte, Flamenco has long been an art form that is handed down aurally from generation to generation, and at least up until now has remained that way, which most Flamenco players seem to prefer.

Rowland Schultz, aka Vikingo de Jerez, is a player who relishes the Flamenco tradition of being self-taught and learning from one’s peers, and his playing reflects the fiery nature of the genre, showcasing both the rhythmic and melodic excitement that only Flamenco can portray. Schultz’s latest album, Buleriando, is an exciting collection of 9 songs, all of which feature stellar guitar work from the talented Australian. The album is an authentic take on the Flamenco tradition, and offers and engaging listening experience for both long-time fans of the albums and newcomers to the genre alike, something that is rare in any genre.

Guitar International recently caught up with Schultz to talk about Flamenco music, which guitars he’s currently playing and Buleriando.

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Matt Warnock: You’re touring Australia this month, how did that tour come together and are you going to be playing only music from the new album, or a mix of old and new songs in concert?

Rowland Schultz: The Tour came together in November 2010 because the album was finally ready to be released. It took me two years to complete from start to finish. Every track on the album features a different guitar, and I think it’s good to have different sounds to work with when recording, unless of course you have that ultimate guitar that has the ultimate sound for every song, which would be near impossible.

As Paco De Lucia says, each guitar has its limits of what you can do with it. On tour I’ve been playing music from the album and also a lot of new music that will be featured on my second disc, which I hope to release this December of this year. I plan to release a new disc every year if possible.

Matt: When you go on tour do you bring a percussionist with you or do you play solo?

Rowland: I’ve been touring so far with Michael Kontochristos, one of Australia’s finest Flamenco percussionists. He’s also well versed in Arabic percussion and is featured on the album. Laura Uhe, a Flamenco Dancer who has been working with me solidly for a number of years, is featured in all the shows nationally.

In Sydney, at the Basement, we featured special guests based locally, Stuart Henderson on Drums and Percussion, Dave Ellis on Double Bass and Tomas Dietz a guest Flamenco dancer and Palmero. In Adelaide I’ve invited Shaun Doddy to perform with me, and I’m trying to do that wherever I go because it’s a great feeling to involve local talent.

Matt: After you finish your tour of Australia are there plans in the works for a European or American tour in 2011?

Rowland: I’ve been invited overseas for some international guitar festivals later this year, and some world music and flamenco festivals have taken a big interest in me. So yes, there’s definitely a strong possibility that I will go overseas this year. But first, I’m taking a break from everything for three months this winter to record my second album, and recuperate from the last ten years of hard work which has brought me to where I am now.

Also, if I get the invites I’m expecting to perform at festivals here in Australia, and there’s a possibility the tour will continue into 2012 after the break. Although I’m really looking forward to the break after the tour, just sitting back and watching this album do its thing while I create the next one.

Matt: Your music has a strong Flamenco sound, do you feel that because of this your music will appeal to fans of classical and jazz music as well as Flamenco?

Rowland: I think the Flamenco I compose is appealing to everyone and anyone when listened to with their hearts. There are some definite exciting parts in my music modally, which would interest any jazz musician and may even get them curious as to what I’m doing on the album. I’ve received a strong, positive reaction from the album worldwide so far, and I’m looking forward to what that brings about for me.

I would hope technically that the album would impress Classical musicians as I’ve never had a teacher or formal training whatsoever. I sent a copy to Ginesa Ortega, one of Spain’s most famous female flamenco singers. She has been encouraging me for many years now. She wrote back saying she really enjoyed the album and stamped her approval that it was very flamenco and wished me a lot of Gypsy luck.

I also spent some time with Maestro Antonio Vargas here in Melbourne and Sydney on his last visit, so he was able to hear early stages of the recordings. Some un-educated Flamingo tourists have tried to suggest what I’ve done on the album is Fusion. So it was good to re-confirm again with Antonio that the music is nothing but Flamenco, and in essence highlights some of the major influences that Flamenco incorporates like Gypsy, Arabic and Indian.

I’ve studied flamenco since I was a very young boy and this album is my expression within flamenco. Some tracks change modes up to four times and others change time signatures and use different accents, a lot like an Indian Raga does every twelve-beat bar. That’s how I look at it. It keeps it interesting, complex and challenging. I stand behind the album and have heard from leading Flamenco’s that I accomplished what I set out to do, which is an extremely satisfying thing indeed. Also, I could never have achieved this without Michael Kontochristos the percussionist featured on the album who is, in my opinion, a musical genius.

Matt: You play an Oud on the album, how did you become introduced to this instrument and what is it about the sound of the Oud that inspires you to play it?

Rowland: I first saw the Oud played by Gypsies in a Flamenco concert which literally blew my mind. That was when I was a very young boy and of course the flamenco guitar was my first choice, and later I picked up the Oud. But the Sound of the Flamenco Guitar has many Oud-like Qualities, so you could say that the sound of the Oud within a Flamenco guitar is what inspires me to add more of that to what I do.

Two of the biggest influences in Flamenco are Gypsy and Arabic music. From my understanding and research, the first guitars used to accompany the Cante or Flamenco voice were similar to an Oud without frets, instead having movable pieces of string wrapped around the fret-board to change modes much like a Turkish Saz or Baglama.

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Matt: Who builds your guitars and why do you choose to play these instruments?

Rowland: My first guitar was a Conde Hermanos, handmade in Madrid 1973 by Faustino Conde and was handed down to me by my Godfather, who was a Flamenco aficionado. Since then I’ve acquired a few more Conde’s which are featured on my album. I’m a big fan of Conde Hermanos guitars, they have a very Gypsy like sound, which is my sound. I’ve also been presented with guitars for performance and recording by Andalusian Guitars, which are endorsed by Paco De Lucia. Their sound and playability is unrivalled to the hundred plus guitars I’ve had the opportunity to play since I was a boy.

I haven’t tried every luthier-made Flamenco guitar, though I really enjoy the Andalusian Guitars for performance, and also recording, as they have different colors than most other guitars and are also a lot louder and clearer than your classic Flamenco guitar, so in large ensembles and in recordings everything is crystal clear. I’ve recently been developing a custom flamenco guitar with Trevor Gore of Gore Guitars here in Australia who endorses me. We’re having a lot of fun experimenting and trying different things to achieve the ultimate sound and playability for how I play.

Trevor comes from an engineering background, so he has a very down to earth approach and has been getting a lot of interest from classical guitarists and steel string players. When we first met we were already discussing the first guitar he was going to make me. His guitars are definitely the loudest I’ve ever heard. The tone is also quite neutral so you can bring out whatever you like in the guitar depending on how you play.

This is very appealing, because most guitars have a particular character and generally you’re stuck with it, so I think that Trevor is onto something. As a guitarist, I think most will agree that we always seem to be searching for that little bit extra in tone or playability. It would be nice one day to quit that search, so I hope one day to get the perfect guitar for me, the Holy Grail.

Matt: The album has a very organic feel to it, how much of the music was conceived beforehand and how much was improvised on the spot?

Rowland: The album was written over a long period of time. Some of the ideas are from the first few weeks of having learned flamenco technique’s on the guitar as a boy, back when all I wanted to do was compose flamenco and release my first album. The Oud songs are all completely improvised. My favorite is the last track, which also features sacred Yemenite Harmonic Chanting by a good friend of mine here in Melbourne, Boaz Modman.

Overall, I wanted to recreate the Analogue sound in the Digital world. Many people have commented on the sound being warm, like a Vinyl Record. I’d like to press it on to vinyl to hear what that would sound like one day. All the compositions changed and evolved over the recording process. I’m proud of the album and am very happy that I waited to get everything how I wanted it to sound and play. I hope people enjoy it.