PUBLICITY CONTINUED ...

Pasatiempo, Santa Fe's weekly arts & Entertainment Magazine, May. 25 - 31, 2001

BROTHERS in Song
Nuevo Flamenco Fusion
By Craig Smith for The New Mexican

Talking to David and Michael Manzanares in person is a pleasure. Over the phone, it's a bit of a challenge. They have similar voices and being close brothers, they tend to finish each other's sentences. If you've heard the Abiquiu-born pair's music, you know that closeness carries over into their work. They're definitely on the same sonic track, even if they don't always talk about it.

"We're out here working hard in 104 degrees, " David said recently from Palm Springs, Calif. Michael added, "Having a good time playing and working." But then, work and play seem the same to them. Both mean music.

After serveral years performing mostly in Northern New Mexico, the brothers relocated to Southern California in September. It was a career-enhancing move, and it seems to be paying off. Their recent schedule includes dates in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Indio, La Quinta and Indian Wells.

Los Manzanares return to Santa Fe for a Saturday, May 26, gig at their old stomping grounds, El Farol, 808 Canyon Road. They're scheduled to play from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

On May 30, they hit Albuquerque's Club Rhythm & Blues at 9 p.m. Then to Arkansas City, Kan., for PRAIRIEfest: return to Santa Fe for a June 8 gig at El Farol, and to Taos for a June 9 show at the Sagebrush Inn.

"Since last fall, we've had a series of bookings and lots of exposure around Southern California," David said. "That was what this whole move was about -- to come out here and expose our sound to the West Coast. Nuevo flamenco fusion is what they're calling it out here.

"There are a lot more people -- rather, there are a lot more opportunities out here," Michael said. "It's allowed us to get additional exposure. It's allowed us to place our material on radio programs, some national and international radio.

"We've gotten music on several soundtracks. We've done something for Paris Television. Those kinds of things just snowballed."

Its doubtless helped that the area was already somewhat familiar with flamenco fusion. A number of Southern California bands often play Gipsy Kings covers, as well as music by New Mexican Ottmar Liebert.

"A lot of bands are playing his music," David said. "He's a big influence in this genre out here. So hat's off to Ottmar."

The move hasn't changed the Manzanares' sound, however. It remains what it became in their years at El Farol -- what David calls " a great combination, an exciting combination" of influences.

From time to time it may change and move in apparently disparate directions. But that's on the surface. Their core base sound is constant.

"That base is what's getting people up, rocking out," David said. "This genre allows us to say exactly what we wanted to say in music."

David and Michael work mostly with their band now, so their duo work has become rarer. "Sometimes, really, they're the most fun," Michael said of those twosome gigs. "We can sometimes come up with new stuff right there" --speaking of unspoken communication.

Another change is that while each brother still writes music on his own, they do more collaborative composing.

"(In the past) we both would write more individually and then flesh it out together," David said. "There's a little bit of that, but for the past several years we've done a lot of co-writing."

Being busy is just what a band wants, so the busy brothers are happy brothers

"It's been a fun ride," David said. "There has been a change in the way we do business. We continue to do our own bookings, but we (also) hooked up with several agencies and bookers in Southern California. The people we hooked up with are very excited about our sound. That's really tipped up the exposure."

But for now, "We're looking forward to those New Mexico fans," Michael said.

To hear samples of Manzanares' current music, or to follow up on their schedule, visit the Web site manzanaresysol.com.

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