WOMAD

Los Activos

From Spain

Flamenco has been a part of Spanish culture for five centuries. Its exact beginnings are unclear, although it is most likely to be a fusion of gypsy and Arab styles. What is clear is that its resurgence in Spain since the end of the Franco years has been phenomenal. A style that had been moribund for some time and sanitised for tourists suddenly became, once again, a genuine expression of popular culture. Some flamenco artists followed the path of Paco de Lucia, who fused the music with jazz and rock. This was the foundation of nuevo flamenco, whose stars include Ketama, and which led to one of the great crossover bands of the past five years, Songhai, which featured Ketama with British bassist Danny Thompson and Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté. Flamenco has also developed at the roots, among the communities of the dispossessed and disenfranchised. This makes it much like the blues in some respects - indeed, like the blues, much flamenco music is based around a 12-bar framework. Los Activos is the result of an active programme to channel the interests of young people from a poor area into music, to bring a sense of self-esteem and a connection with the past to teenagers from Andalucia. Los Activos began as a workshop group in Huelva in 1987. Over the years, many members have passed through its ranks, and the group has built up a reputation for innovation in the area of compas, a part of flamenco that concentrates on percussion and rhythm. The group played at the European Gypsy Congress in 1994 and since then has travelled to Portugal, France, Austria, Italy and America. They've also ventured south into Africa, performing at refugee camps in Algeria, an experience that no doubt proved the point of this intensely moving style's roots: a music by and for the people. This year, Los Activos released their first CD, 'Hasta Los Huesos', and this festival appearance is part of their European tour.