Leonard Cohen

Spain lost one of its great singers and flamenco one of its most brilliant innovators when Enrique Morente died suddenly last December at the peak of his career, only a week after the completion of Emilio R. Barrachina's soulful testament to his life and art. For those not familiar with the singer, experimentalist and composer, Morente was a tenor with a clear, pure voice that gave him an appeal beyond that of the traditional flamenco singers... [He] is most famous for his pioneering fusions with other musical styles, particularly his classic album Omega, which features versions of Leonard Cohen songs.' Barrachina focuses in particular on the songs Morente wrote based on the poems of Pablo Picasso, poems brought to his attention by Picasso's longtime friend and barber, Eugenio Arias. There is background material on Picasso, and his poems and art--especially the antiwar masterpiece Guernica--figure as leitmotifs. We wander the old streets of Granada with Morente's family, including daughters Estrella and Solea who are not just extraordinarily beautiful, but have notable careers themselves as flamenco singers. But the film really comes to life when Morente sings, in particular in the stunning excerpts from two evocatively staged live concerts. Of interest to everyone but a must-see (and hear!) for lovers of flamenco, this film will inevitably become a lasting tribute to Morente and his unique place in the flamenco firmament.

Explore the life of legendary troubadour Leonard Cohen.

Explore the life of legendary troubadour Leonard Cohen.