Víctor Monge SERRANITO
(Profile)
A young master
His career is so intensive and successful that it is difficult to discern his trajectory landmarks. But undoubtedly the first recording is one of the most important. In Serranito´s case it took place when he accompanied Rafael Farina in his song “Salamanca” in 1959. His way of playing was so admired that the record company La Voz de su Amo engaged him immediately that very day to make his first record with four solo compositions.
In the following years he got consolidated with a hectic activity, already immersed in the flamenco surroundings, with a privileged position in the art of the guitar playing. He performed with the most prestigious artists of the time, and was a pioneer in the Flamenco Festivals accompanying El Lebrijano, Antonio Mairena, Rafael Romero “El Gallina”, José Menese, Enrique Morente, Gabriel Moreno, among others. He went on a few tours around the world with the dancer Lucero Tena and the singer Gabriel Moreno, with who he made some records in Hispavox.
Eager to learn and evolve, he meets Narciso Yepes at 21 and he learns form him, among other techniques, pizzicatos or scales with three fingers, something very discussed in the guitar forums. In 1965 he gives several guitar concerts sharing the same poster with Manuel Cano and Paco de Lucía.
It is in 1969 when he definetely starts out a trajectory as a flamenco guitar soloist that lasts until the present day, with his own shows, always of a great visual impact and an excellent musical quality. In 1970, Serranito´s fame had crossed borders in the days of an impenetrable flamenco world. The virtuosity and magnificent performances of this young guitarist were widely commented in all the forums sensitive to this art. An evidence of this is the invitation which he gets, from the very Andrés Segovia, through the prestigious guitar maker José Ramírez, a close friend of his, to listen to him personally, making an exception, giving him like this, his opinion in writing.
"My relationship with Andrés Segovia was very nice, because although he was a bit anti - flamenco, he used to say that I was the one he disliked the least. He gave me lots of advice and he made a lovely criticism of my musical forms, in which he emphasized the pure flamenco techniques".
The following year, 1971 he got the chair of Flamenco Award in Jerez de la Frontera, awarded by the Chair of Flamencology, and he got the National Concert Guitar Award “Ramón Montoya” in the 6th Córdoba Contest, where Ricardo Miño got the Accompaniment Award and Beni de Cádiz got the Singing Award