Javier Mas article from 2011 in Sofa Sonora

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HelenOE
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Javier Mas article from 2011 in Sofa Sonora

Post by HelenOE »

I took a quick look through the old postings and didn't see any reference to this article about Javier Mas from 2011 so I went ahead and translated it.
Javier Mas, the squire of Leonard Cohen

This artist of the strings has accompanied the Canadian since his return in 2008

ALFONSO CARDINAL 18-02-2011

Javier Mas is one of the greatest specialists in the world on the archilaúd and bandurria. In 2008 he put his projects on hold to dive into the great adventure of his life, accompanying Leonard Cohen on a world tour that has lasted over two years now.

Javier Mas escaped to London in the late Sixties. There he was playing songs by Bob Dylan or Simon and Garfunkel in the streets, and he was hearing the first songs of Leonard Cohen. Early one morning forty years later the musician from Zaragoza would be startled by a call. Leonard Cohen was calling him at home to ask him to help him play guitar again. It was not difficult to recognize his voice. Mas agreed, the Canadian master would return to the road again after fifteen years and the skillful master of the archilaúd and mandolin would accompany him.

But let us go back for a moment to the teenage immigrant from the streets of London. After drinking in all the British music, Javier Mas would return to Spain to travel down all the musical roads that were within his reach. He was the traveling companion of Raimundo Amador and his flamenco blues, he toured with Maria del Mar Bonet and was the bluesman accompanist of great artists like Albert Collins or Elvin Bishop as he turned with his own band, Big Chief, in which Raimundo Amador also played while living at his house. These were years of experimentation, with different types of strings and genres and on a multitude of projects ranging from the blues to Arabic music.

In 2007, Mas was recruited to participate in 'Acordes con Leonard Cohen' (Discmedi, 2007), the tribute disc to the Canadian prepared in collaboration with artists such as Santiago Auserón, Christina Rosenvinge, Enrique Morente or Luz Casal. Also participating in the project were Cohen's girlfriend, the singer Anjani Thomas, and his son. Mas took charge of putting his strings in the arrangements of the songs.

The meeting

When Leonard Cohen was forced to return to the stage to put his finances in order he remembered that album and that guy, picked up the phone and asked for help. Since 2008 he has been traveling around the world, filling halls and accompanying Leonard Cohen in his return. Mas does not only accompany, their collaboration goes much further; his chords draw a new map of the Canadian poet's old compositions. When he asked the singer if he was doing the right thing, Cohen showed him the way. "Play whatever comes from your heart."

"I never know what I'm going to play, I start from scratch, I don’t think anything, and I play what comes from me. It’s a sense of absolute freedom," explained Mas on Elpais.com. And the Spaniard has a special niche onstage, each concert night Cohen plants his knee on the floor and sings kneeling beside the Spaniard. Mas has absolute freedom, he embroiders on the music and Cohen gives him room for improvisation. "I must have done a thousand different adaptations of his songs; every night is different." It has earned him a special niche among the spectacular cast of artists who accompany the poet on the road, but he is still a humble guy who enjoys what he does. "Some songs would be better played solo by Cohen".

Javier Mas in Sofa Sonora
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Hartmut
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Re: AW: Javier Mas article from 2011 in Sofa Sonora

Post by Hartmut »

Thank you very much, Helen!
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musicmania
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Re: Javier Mas article from 2011 in Sofa Sonora

Post by musicmania »

Yes thank you for doing this Helen.
2009 Dublin 2010 Lissadell Katowice LV x2 2012 Ghent x2 Dublin x4 Montreal x2 Toronto x2 2013 New York x2 Brussels Dublin x2

Gwen's Leonard Cohen Journey: http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress.com/

"I did my best, it wasn't much"
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