France Sunday: Who are you?
Antonio El Titi : My name is Antonio El Titi, I am a guitarist and composer. I have been nicknamed “El Titi” since I was very small in reference to the little yellow bird of Titi and grosminet. I was born in Marseille into an Andalusian gypsy family. My parents and I were born here. My grandparents were born in Spain, in Malaga.
How did you become a musician?
From the womb of my mother, I arrived in the world of music. Like Obelix, I fell into the pot little (Laughter) !
I never had guitar lessons or a teacher. I learned music with my family, self-taught. We are a family of musicians and sportsmen. I practiced music and football, but I preferred to continue in music.
Why did you choose the guitar? Which artists will have communicated the passion of the guitar?
©France 3 Provence-Alps
From my gypsy origins, I began to learn the guitar by playing music from traditional flamenco, such as that of Paco de Lucia or that of Camarón de la Isla. When I was young, I listened to a lot of catchy music because I am a happy boy, who likes to party and especially to laugh!
For example, I listened to gipsy music with the Gipsy Kings, gypsy jazz with Django Reinhardt and even jazz with George Benson! These are songs that I still listen to today.
But you don’t just perform flamenco on stage. You adapt to several musical styles like a chameleon…
Gradually, I opened up to other musical styles. I adhered to jazz music, blues and classical music. This panel allowed me to have a broad mind and to touch on other areas.
When there is a real communion between artists, you don’t need to be born in the same environment to be able to communicate and have a good time. I played with a lot of artists with different origins and musical styles, and each time, we hardly needed to rehearse. It is magic !
With which artists have you had the chance to collaborate?
I have collaborated with artists like Pierre Bachelet, Pascal Obispo, Yuri Buenaventura or more recently with Kendji Girac. It’s always a real pleasure to play with them because each time it’s a different experience.
A particularly striking anecdote with one of them?
©Alain Guizard / BestImage
With Kendji, we were in Mauritius. We had been swimming and he had approached a poisonous fish. He wanted to pet him and he got bitten. We had to go to the hospital. During the concert, he had to bandage his hand, which was totally blue, asleep and swollen! A not very nice anecdote, but it remains a good memory.
What is the most original collaboration?
I had the opportunity to collaborate with DJs like David Vendetta. Yet I do not come from the world of the night. I toured with him for a year, all over the world! He was on the decks and I had a guitar and a microphone. I was doing my show and people were going crazy! It was special, a great experience!
And the one that made you the most proud?
©Le Dauphiné Libéré
I had the honor of making an album as a trio, with Louis Winsber, a jazz guitarist who notably played with Maurane and Rocky Gresset, who played with Thomas Dutronc. Together, we managed to produce an album and a tour, despite our very busy schedules!
What would you advise a young guitarist today who would like to get into the world of music?
When I was young, I was locked in my room a lot with my guitar. I spent 4 to 8 hours a day playing, despite school or football practices.
It’s consecration, it takes a lot of courage and patience. But if we put our minds to it, we really get results! And then today, we have easy access to free guitar lessons on the Internet. It’s much easier than in my time!
What is your news?
Today, I have a group of 5 to 10 musicians, some of whom come from Cuba. We play my compositions and covers live. We make Latin music, and more specifically reggaeton, a style of music that we listen to in clubs. We are one of the only bands in France to make modern Latin music.
I make Latin music to cheer people up, make them smile and see them having fun! It is my great pleasure and my greatest happiness!
Interview by LR
