Rosario Lazo Montoya "La Reina Gitana" was born on April 29, 1974. She was the youngest of seven siblings, and growing up in the countryside, constantly in touch with nature, watching sunrises, and observing the moon and stars, perhaps instilled in her the bohemian way of being that she has always championed. She once spoke of the beautiful relationship with her older sister Nani, who almost acted as a second mother. Nani would ask her to tell horror stories before going to sleep. Perhaps that is why Rosario thinks she is so nervous. Those nerves, undoubtedly, she has channeled into playing the piano in such an extraordinary way.
Rosario Lazo Montoya "La Reina Gitana" comes from a family deeply embedded in Flamenco. Her mother, Pilar, not only was a Gypsy of exceptional beauty but also a superb dancer who never turned professional due to family reasons, although Carmen Amaya had shown interest in having her join her troupe.
Her father, Antonio, who runs the Flamenco Club "El Pescaero," still sings almost professionally. Her grandfather was a guitarist who in his later years dedicated himself to teaching. Her aunt, Rosario Montoya, pursued a professional singing career, and her Uncle Luis was deeply involved in Flamenco in Mexico for many years.
Rosario completed her professional studies at the Real Conservatorio Manuel de Falla, winning the first prize in composition there.
She is the first Gypsy woman to earn a National Title as a Piano Teacher and Performer.
Interestingly, Rosario has always been fascinated by the biographies of the composers she played. She was interested in their personalities, experiences, loves, sorrows, and joys, aiming to understand the life experiences of these musical giants that led them to compose such beautiful scores. Essentially, she sought to know the soul of the composer to better interpret their work.
Her special aptitude for composition, coupled with her passion and dedication to the piano, makes her performances a joy and admiration for all who have had the opportunity to enjoy some of her concerts, blending the brilliance and dynamics of her compositions with the enthusiasm reflected in the audience.
She is accompanied on stage by a group of artists with a long musical career in the world of entertainment, combining the melody of the piano and guitar with the harmony of a string quartet, the rhythm of the brass, and the power of the drums and percussion, all while maintaining the significance of the Flamenco base in singing and dancing.
Her art represents a significant departure from the traditional and well-known world of Flamenco, bringing new ideas and horizons to a culture that is increasingly valued and artistically strengthened, earning recognition for work that strives to improve and reach the audience every day.
Interview with Rosario "La Reina Gitana"
Temperamental, unpredictable, and restless, Rosario Montoya was the first Gypsy woman to achieve the title of professor and instrumentalist, a feat she carries with pride. Her artistic career is a continuous challenge to overcome barriers such as purism and her status as a woman.
At what age did you get your first piano?
As a child, I had one of those typical kids' pianos with little figures, but it didn't satisfy me; I wanted something better. Then, at nine, my father gave me a second-hand PT1, and by the age of twelve, my parents bought me a larger one. I think it had three octaves and, although it wasn't nuanced, it was a bigger keyboard. I will never forget that one, not so much for the piano itself, but for the gift, because my parents spent a lot of money. The last one I had was an upright, bought for me when I started my career, and now a grand piano that was very expensive.
Is your connection with music something innate?
I believe so. I've always dreamed of playing the piano, and as soon as I finished school, instead of going to high school, I went to the conservatory. At first, my parents had a hard time understanding it, but ultimately they got it. I spent three years there studying solfege, and while accessing piano classes, I learned to play the guitar with Juan Junquera and Pepe Moreno. Then I entered piano and completed my degree.
When someone has such a predilection for music, do you ever feel misunderstood?
It could be, but not before, now. When I play bulerías on the piano, they say I'm avant-garde and that I don't play flamenco, but I don't think so. On one hand, and then some believe that because I'm a Gypsy woman, I should be a dancer or a singer, but that's not the case. I have always used the piano to express myself and to play what came from within. Since I was young, I released adrenaline by playing the keyboard and sometimes felt different. My mother has often told me, 'you're stranger than a yellow dog'.
Why flamenco piano?
Well, one day, after listening to a flamenco guitar, I thought I could adapt some falseta to the piano. I started playing and gradually began composing my pieces. I have always identified with this instrument.
Does it bother you to be pigeonholed as a flamenco pianist?
Not at all, because I express myself with it. My profession is as a concert pianist of flamenco. I also have my classical music quartets. This September, for example, I'm playing Carmen and a flute and piano concert by Massenet. I love classical music, and what I play most is that, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart...
Where does the nickname "La Reina Gitana" come from?
It's a curious thing. People think I put it on myself like a diva, but no. My mother, when writing the letter to the Three Wise Men asking for a piano, would say: 'But who do you think you are, the Gypsy Queen? Can't you ask for a doll like your sister?' That stuck, and one day Juan Junquera said to me, 'Rosario, why don't you call yourself Gypsy Queen?' So I told him that's what my mother used to say when I was little. Seeing that two people agreed on the same name, I decided to take it.
On a daily basis, how many hours do you dedicate to the piano?
When I was studying, as I worked giving private lessons to help at home, I played eight hours between one thing and another. Now, as I work in the Conservatory and we have study moments with the students, technique classes, mechanisms, and others, I can play about six hours. It depends on the days because sometimes I'm inspired, I start composing, and I can be playing longer.
Every artist always has a favorite theme when we talk about their creations; what's yours?
The one I like most is called 'A mi mare,' which I composed for my mother. I have a special affection for it. I also appreciate some tangos called 'Quebrantos' that I composed in the last days of the Tribunal of the career, and I also really like 'Mis cinco sentidos' or 'De Caramelo'. The themes are like children, but the one with which I express myself best is 'A mi mare'.
Your relationship with more orthodox flamenco, how is it?
I think it's good. Artists call me and count on me for many things. Recently, Terremoto called me, and the other day I played with Periquín, which for me is an achievement. My touches have a lot of Niño Jero, so I was thrilled to perform the other day at Los Cernícalos. I'm always in contact with flamenco, I go to recitals and listen to flamenco daily. Naturally, I have my favorite singers. I love Agujetas, and every time he gives a recital, there I am.
What is the situation of flamenco piano compared to the rest? Do you think it should be encouraged a little more?
Here in Jerez, I'm very happy because they always remember me. Zarzana and I, who are the two exponents of flamenco piano in this city, are satisfied because we are highly respected. The problem with flamenco piano is that it's complicated to interpret. Current flamenco is very rich in harmony, so you can't just stick with two and a half chords, you have to go deeper, study a lot, and investigate other aspects. The pity nowadays is that there are many pianists who prefer to lean towards jazz and improvise. I respect them, and I love it, but I think there should be more flamenco pianists. Jazz piano is very rich in harmony, but I prefer the facets of eight measures; I feel more comfortable.
Your career is extensive in terms of performances at significant events. Of all of them, what has been the most significant moment?
Playing the other day with Niño Jero has been important for me, but there have also been other things like when I played for the Infanta or when I did it at the Fiesta de la Bulería. Perhaps the latter has marked me the most. Seeing yourself in front of six thousand people and sharing a bill with Capullo or Torta is imposing. I didn't know how the people were going to receive me, on the contrary, I said to myself, when I go out they surely won't last long with the piano and will whistle at me, but no. Quite the opposite, when I saw that people stood up clapping their hands to bulerías in my themes, I was moved. Also, the performances I did at Onda Jerez, which has been an important institution in my career, have been relevant to me.
There are many critics who think that flamenco piano is incompatible with flamenco. What do you think about all this?
I like to respect everyone, but well, when I play bulerías, I play flamenco. Everyone expresses themselves in one way, and I feel flamenco with the piano, just like other musicians, like Bernardo Parrilla, do with the violin. Sometimes people are cruel, but it's well known that this world is not easy.
What are your upcoming projects?
For some time, I've put aside something I've been wanting to do for a while, recording an album. Fortunately, in recent months I've started to revisit the topic and have already chosen what I'm going to do. Also, I'm preparing a project with Ginesa Ortega who will sing poems by Federico García Lorca. It will be in El Puerto de Santa María, and we have already started to prepare it. That and the things that come up each month.
As an artist, what is the situation of flamenco in Jerez?
I think it's currently at its best moment. It can't be exploited more. Classical musicians complain that there's only flamenco, and in a way, it's true. Between the peñas, the Festival de Jerez, the Autumn Festivals, the Flamenco Fridays, the Fiesta de la Bulería, and now even the Noches de Bohemia which have also included flamenco touches, I think the range is wide. This City Hall is giving a significant boost to flamenco, and everyone has their place.
Published in www.jerezjondo.com
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