Search - Caminantes Si Hay Camino: Grandes Compositores on DVD

Two Worlds of Music and Poetry

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 06/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

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As part of his TV series "Caminantes," producer/director Luis Kelly has brought us 2 very diverse faces of creative genius, one of "El Unico Rey," the heart and soul of Mexico's music, the legendary Jose Alfredo Jimenez, and the other, the "Cronista Musical de la Ciudad de Mexico," Chava Flores, whose wit and wisdom made him like "a writer of mirrors, so that you can see yourself reflected and laugh". Well produced and edited, both are interesting, though the Flores piece doesn't hold the same level of personal interest for me, and is more concentrated on describing Flores through interviews, rather than through examples of his music. Each episode is approximately 45 minutes long, and no subtitles are available.

In "El Unico Rey," Jose Alfredo Jimenez is well honored, with many examples of his music excerpted from the films they were performed in, by a variety of the top singing stars of the era, including Pedro Infante, Miguel Aceves Mejia, Javier Solis, Lucha Villa, and Marco Antonio Muniz. His favorite song, "Ella," is given several interpretations, starting with Infante's marvelous version from "El Gavilan Pollero," after much tequila and many tears. The interviews with Jimenez' family are wonderful, and filmed in the house he lived in. They begin with Jose Azanza Jimenez (sobrino), the author of "Mis Viviencias con Jose Alfredo Jimenez," and speaks of how we are moved by his uncle's songs "... porque le puso letra a nuestras emociones." There are extensive talks with Paloma Galvez (esposa), and she tells of their first meeting, his start as a songwriter, and reveals how their love grew, and how to her, he was so handsome. His children Paloma and Jose Alfredo, are also very touching as they describe their father. The song list is: "Paloma Querida," "Ella," "Yo," "Quatro Caminos," "Vamonos," "El Siete Mares," "Amaneci en Tus Brazos," "Tu y las Nubes," "Llegando a Ti," "Arrullo a Dios," "El Rey," "La que se Fue," "No Me Amaneces," "Que Te Vaya Bonito."

"El Folklorista Urbano," Chava Flores, was born in the heart of Mexico City, and his songs reflect its people and are a "humorous commentary on the human condition." He was wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 2 years and even used that experience creatively for his songs, while he tried to prove his innocence. There is some terrific archival footage of the city in this documentary, and the interviews are with Flores' daughter Maria Eugenia Flores, Enrique Rivas Panlagua and Cruz Mejia, both producers at Radio Educacion, and Mauro Mendoza Juarez, director of La Trouppe, the theatrical company that is seen performing Flores' songs as musical sketches, and we also hear Flores interpret his own work."