Israel Fernández & Diego Del Morao, Amor

Israel Fernández is a flamenco vocalist that is causing a stir in the community with his powerful voice and maturity at such a young age. After the tribute to La Niña de los Peines in his album, Universo Pastora Fernández has shown himself to be one of the most charismatic and influential figures of the genre. Diego del Morao is a Spanish flamenco guitarist and the son of the late Moraíto Chico II. Morao attended El Carbonero’s school and has recorded live albums such as Confí de fuá, No hay quinto malo, and La rosa blanca. He has performed with the likes of José Mercé and Luis Carrasco. Together, Fernández and Morao are releasing a new album of eleven songs titled Amor.

Bottom Line:  Amor is a project that finds Fernández expanding past the sounds heard in Universo Pastora.  Fernández does not limit himself to recreating a specific work, but chooses melodies that best defines his flamenco present, weaving the songs with lyrics of his authorship, but always based on an in-depth knowledge of the repertoire. Morao’s and Fernández’s passions and strengths are complementary, both have stunning techniques rich in the flamenco tradition, and together they soar. “Alegrías De Santa Ana” opens with a rubato melody that shows Fernández’s passion and impressive range. Morao’s guitar solo is a technical whirlwind of flurries with his effortless picado technique. “Soleá Del Cariño” is another highlight with Fernández’s pulling emotion form the vocal melody. “Querencia” features Fernández’s upper register singing and more of Morao’s beautiful guitar work. Overall, Amor is a beautiful project that combines eminently talented artists’ passion to create a cohesive musical journey. That’s the short of it!