Interview with Paco Muñoz, singer and writer

Francesc Muñoz i Martínez (Valencia, 1939) is one of the most important singers in our country and beloved Valencian language. Dénia passing through to late 80 deeply marked his life and career as a singer, directing it towards a more Mediterranean music, "that is what really wore on and did not quite know ". During exos years in Dénia is gestaría "Dins d'una terra sea", disc on which is included "The vell montgó", A standard song for Valencia de la Marina.

Paco Muñoz grew up with a brother of his mother, who was cured of Ontinyent and Alzira. With 10 years he began his seminary studies. He finished the race and then chaplain served fourteen years in the municipalities of Castelló de la Ribera, Puçol and Montserrat. Of those years has many fond memories, as the singer explains: "It was the time of Juan XXIII, a time of change very strong within the church ... but then reverses in the process of change and this is when many of my friends are out". The interest in music and woke up in his years in the seminary: "I remember the Escola Cantorum came many motivated mainly because rehearsing had more time to play soccer kids - said fun- studied Gregorian music, made all possible courses and today continues liking. The day less thought I released an album of Gregorian, you will catch a scare that pa what! " He says laughingly.

Paco Muñoz was pastor until 1975. "Initially I did not ask secularization and I am teaching a year and peak in the Escolapios of Valencia and then is when Ovidi Montllor gives me the push to devote me to sing. In the 1976 I first concert at the Teatro de Valencia El Micalet ". His first record, "The llibertat the picaren", appeared the following year with a prologue by Toni Mestre, co-author of the song "That you passa, valencians?".

Among the first initiatives carried forward at the beginning of his career was the collection and dissemination of Valencian popular songs for young audiences and creating stories, hand Edelvives publisher. "Vocationally, I made a cassette of songs for children with an editor of Barcelona and took my friend the writer Joan Fuster to hear. He, lifting the finger of his left hand told me: Until you do ten like this, for my house back. And I dedicated myself to collect and record and sing songs for children. "Most people think that popular songs he sang were mine, but they were not. The moment I start to work on this issue many older people who remembered and sang them, and I passed them "were still alive. Its children's production includes a dozen cassettes with the generic title "Paco Muñoz sings per als xiquets", Later collected in three CDs and one with new songs published in 2008.

The performances for young audiences began in a casual way, as Paco Muñoz tells us: "In Valencia, around the year 1984, in the Municipal Nurseries, did every Sunday theater for nanos. The organizer, Manolo Olmos -very mine- friend told me that when he started the theater because there were almost no children were playing. As I had a cassette for nanos, we discussed the possibility that sing two or three songs for them to come children and then I announced that beginning the theater. One day, the theater group did not show up and we had to extend the performance and was a success. Then organized three days of theater music and one day a month " In those years, Paco Muñoz becomes the only Valencian singer dedicated almost exclusively to the children's song. In 1986 16.000 school acted at one hundred ten schools in the bullring of Valencia, in a festival organized by the council. Children singing has brought him many perks: "It was unpayable -it states- , and direct has given me the possibility to make songs for older what I wanted to do "

What has brought have been dedicated to the world of the song, Paco Muñoz has no doubt note that "What more grateful I am to have sung is the opportunity it has given me to know a world of poets I admired and had read about but never thought it would come to have direct dealings with them, and thanks to I got to know them sing. It's nice to get to know and deal with people who have admired deeply "

In 1988 move to Paco Muñoz's wife, Pepa Lopez Real, Denia, the Vessanes College and the family settles in our city for two years. "At that stage I did the album"Dins d'una terra sea "- which includes the well-known song "The vell Montgó"-, which is a very strong cut on my recording career. Until then my tendency was to French music of Brell, English music of Elton John, and from there, I enter a world of habaneras, boleros, more Mediterranean music ... ".

From that time Paco Muñoz holds many memories and experiences. His friend Joan Fuster told him that "going to street Campos to walk and wander. " "And Fuster was telling me: man, speak properly! And I said to him: if it is true ... I do not do anything, I wander. And he would answer me: No, but that was what the ancients called philosophizing, which is much finer. You said you were going to Campos Street to philosophize! Okay, I told him, from now on I'll say that I'm philosophizing for Dénia "Tells us laughing. "It was a very nice experience, especially because from there they were born a lot of projects and songs." "Definitely my stay in Dénia marked me deeply to the point that my song "From meua terra" I say that when I die I take the arm of the old Montgó ". Paco Muñoz especially remembers his first concert in Dénia, which surpassed the Sant Antoni square and filled the adjacent streets: "It was the first time in a concert by Paco Muñoz for older people had that beastiality, I remember that concert very much"He highlights the singer.

Paco Muñoz has shared the stage with singers and artists, including Joan Manuel Serrat, Luis Eduardo Aute, Ovidi Montllor, Lluís Miquel, Raimon, Dyango and most singers Valencians. When asked about the concerts that have been special for him, Paco Muñoz refers to a performance he shared with Serrat in the Viveros de Valencia: "For me Serrat was a milestone. Singing in his company, with the affection with which he treated me ... it was a very nice touch, and that let me use his computer and helped me all she could. I remember that at three o'clock said, a Catalan never does anything for free, so please I would have to charge. Tell me what you want, I said, and left me stone: I want to meet Vicent Andrés Estellés and I know you're really his friend. And I said, anytime. And he said unto me: for tomorrow at eleven o'clock. And he knew, and connected very well, even Serrat got that night and the manager will take her to the concert offered that night, and gave him four songs. So this concert brings me good memories, both by Serrat and Estellés ".

Paco Muñoz is proud of his friendship with Joan Manuel Serrat: "I consider myself close friend of his, he has supported me all my life. Whenever I talked to him he has finished telling me what yours is suicide, singing in Valencian in the Valencian Country is impossible. If you need money, let me know, you already know qye I'm here to do whatever you need. Serrat is a lovely person "

Precisely, Serrat was who advised him to create his own record producer. "As things -afirmaba Serrat- multinational stop making records in Valencia, and if you want to do whatever you want, make thy record they are". Paco Muñoz company Paco Muñoz Produccions "For a long time it has been as an NGO, where he has been able to record many young people who had no record. When I burn a disc to a young lad always I give a margin of credibility of a disc. Since the production we have been able to carry out projects really nice ... I'll meet 72 years and I continue trading at Social Security as an independent for mantenarla open, because it is a field that can do many things. "

On the sensations when performing live, confesses that Paco Muñoz "Before the public I have not gotten never be quiet until the second or third song I made a flan, always. When you take the stage and see the love people, you get excited much, it touches your heart ... So the doctor, when I detected the injury in the heart two years ago told me it's over, because if you do not emocionaras ... but since it's not, you have to stop. " Denia and Jávea There have always been overturned so many people at concerts ... In the last recital in Bocairent, a small town, there were more than three thousand people singing alone the "Serra de Mariola" while I spoke to them! "

Throughout his career, Paco Muñoz has received many awards and recognitions. Other mentions awards of Catalan Language Writers of the Valencian Country, the Micalet d'Honneur, the Vicent Ventura de les Universitats, the Sant Jordi of the Fundació Scout Sant Jordi. The latter award made him spatial illusion "Because when he was a priest had my own group of scouts." "Serrat every time I say you have given me a prize ago that you're dying? And I say, no, man, no! And Fuster always told me the same thing: you work, work, have a good funeral, buried in this country very well "!

The last concert of Paco Muñoz took place on July 3 this year at the University of Valencia. "Live I'm just doing what was pending last tour, when I became ill. I flunked five recitals and remember that when I was calmer the -now heart is very well- thing would gradually. This recital recorded it by friends of a television and we did a DVD of the entire recital called "Paco Muñoz. Concert at Claustre ". Last 9 November it presented and projected in the auditorium of the University and my idea is that as there are so many people who wanted me in this life, I want to make a gift, that DVD, you will not go on sale public, friends arrive at cost. It is fine, lasts an hour and three quarters, the songs are edited, version "Vell Montgó" She's beautiful ... She was wearing a jazz guitarist, Dani Flors, who is an animal and on that subject she makes a thunderous and great solo. The DVD shows that musicians love me very much, they are watching me at all times! ... Being surrounded by all these people is wonderful! ”

Today Paco Muñoz continues to work at a slower pace without stopping. "My friends Serrat and Aute tell me, if you can not sing, do not sing, but still making songs. There is a beautiful poem by María Ibars talking about a sailor who wants to go out into the world and she tells him that if he wants to see the world do not need to leave that up to Montgó and from there look much world. These days I'm writing a song based on the poem, in which I say that I am the sailor, who did not listen to Mary and I went and now that I'm back I agree, did not need to see much more of the world to understand what had happened. For here are the shots…"

On the other hand, Paco Muñoz is especially involved in supporting young singers. "I'm trying to work within what I can, support the young people who are coming out, there are many, so people know they exist, they have a chance to sing in a good condition. It's one thing I've never understood, but when things are difficult, coppice poets, singers, writers. Now here is a generation of writers, poets, storytellers ... the problem is that institutional support is zero. So I think we have to unite all we can to publicitarles and so they can be released. For me it is less hard to leave knowing that behind comes a whole batch of people with a lot to say "

We reached the end of the interview and Paco Muñoz takes the opportunity to again express the esteem he feels for Dénia: “These days I am putting music to the poem “Cap al sud” by Toni Prats, a high school teacher who lives in Dénia, who has won various poetry awards. In that poem he narrates from when he leaves Valencia until he arrives in Dénia, and says that when he sees the Montgo he's already home. I have that feeling too. My wife makes fun of me, because at the height of Tavernes de la Valldigna you can already see the Montgó and she says: Look at it, are you comfortable yet? I have the feeling that going to Dénia is like going home... the number of friends, people I don't know who stop me on the street and tell me that they really like the Montgó song... and you stay wider than long"

More info: www.pmproduccions.com

TextAmparo Sevilla
Pictures: Facilitated by Paco Muñoz