MEDINA AZAHARA: 30 years of Andalusian Rock

Metalfan: The band started out in the late 70ies. What was the Spanish Rock scene like back then?. What kind of bands were big at that time?. Who was your competition?
Manuel Martínez: The band was founded in 1978, we recorded our first album in 1979, and it was in the stores in 1980. At the time, the bands that were selling more records were Triana and Alameda, the Andalusian Rock was the wave that the people supported, at least in Andalucía, there appeared a lot of bands that were not from Andalucía but tried to get near to what here we were doing. We were a part of this movemment, but our influencess came mostly from harder bands like Deep Purple, Grand Funk (Railroad), Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep or Pink Floyd, though we were very soon compared with Triana. In live concerts the opinions were different, we were harder, they were more symphonic. Our competition was none other than ourselves, because we always wanted more, this first album sold a lot and this allowed us to headline most of our shows and to be among the most contracted bands.

Metalfan: What kind of music were you listening at that time? What inspired you to start a Rock band? Was it difficult to get things started?
Manuel Martínez: I always liked music a lot, I founded my first band when I was 12 years old. The first band I listened to was The Beatles, then I started to listen to the other bands I told you about. The beginings were difficult because I had to work in all places to buy my first sound system, but with Medina all went on wheels, we had a good record and every record label wants something like that.
 
Metalfan: Your music envolved in time, but without losing its trademark: the combination of Metal with Flamenco guitars, traditional Spanish vocals and arabic themes. What inspired this vision of yours?, were there any other bands that were doing this when you started out?
Manuel Martínez: We come from a town where the arabians lived and ruled for 800 years, still remains a lot from them, above all the magic of their music; this, the Flamenco music and that we were in the mood to play Rock: I guess that was our true inspiration to create our own style, that we developed and polished in the next records Another bands? Maybe the same no, but similar, a lot.

Metalfan: Medina Azahara is now one of the most famous bands in Spain. Were people always receptive to your music? When do you think it was your big break, the moment that trasformed you in a big band?
Manuel Martínez: I guess that was with our first record; we were not a band "made up" for the moment. We were playing music for a lot of time already, and this was obvious in our performance during concerts. The public always believed in us, until the "Madrid wave" came to success and as a result, almost all the bands of andlusian Rock disappeared. The people continued to support us at our shows, but after that, it was a time that we needed to show to the people that we were still alive, and this happened with Sin tiempo, and after it with A toda esa gente, in my opinion the best Medina Azahara album. At least until May when Origen y leyenda will see the light.

Metalfan: Your band is named after a medieval moorish city and, in addition to that, there are a lot of Arabian influences in your music; were did this interest for Moorish culture come from?, are any of you in the band of Moorish descent?
Manuel Martínez: Maybe someone of us are Moorish descent, but we don't know, haha. In the begining we wanted to call the band Mezquita, but it happened that some friends of us started to record an album using this name, and we decided for Medina Azahara, the city that Caliph Abderraman dedicated to his favorite concubine, the most beatiful city of all times.

Metalfan: While you have a lot of fans in your homecountry, Medina Azahara is practically unknown in the rest of Europe. Why is that, in your opinion?
Manuel Martínez: Well, I guess that this is because we never had a company willing to publish our records in Europe, but even so, there are people listening to our music. Notwithstanding, in South America sounds, and a lot. Now, with internet people all over the world can hear your music, all you need to do is to make it interesting for the audience..

Metalfan: How would you describe your music for someone who hasn't hear your band before?
Manuel Martínez: The music is very difficult to describe, each person would make it in a different way. For me, ther ideal situation is that, when someone who hears one of our songs without knowing who is playing can say right away: this is Medina Azahara!

Metalfan: Did you ever gig outside of Spain, did you ever had an european tour?. Wouldn´t you like make new fans in other countries?
Manuel Martínez: Of course, I guess this is our "pending subject"; we played some years ago in London and Zurich, and the truth is that all went very well, sold out.

Metalfan: Do you keep contact with the European Rock escene, are you checking out the new bands comming up, do you listen to anglophone music?. What are your favourite releases for 2008?
Manuel Martínez: We listen all kind of music, we like the music, but I'm not informed about the new releases, my sons inform me about it. They buy almost everyting they can find in the stores. Of course, the release of the new Guns ’n’Roses album was an event I waited for with anticipation, but in the end it was not what I expected.

Metalfan: What do you think about the present Spanish Rock scene? What kind of bands are favored by the public?
Manuel Martínez: The musical scene, and not only in Spain, is in very bad shape, there are a lot of ideas and good bands, but the panorama is desolating because of the evergrowing piracy, a lot of downloads, so every day it’s more and more difficult for new bands to be released. The record labels are giving their last breath. Until the internet won't become the thing we all expect it to be, a place where to buy music and not steal it, the situation will not change for the better. The favourites bands of the public, I don't know, I know we're playing a lot and the people supports us everywere, we are lucky, I guess.

Metalfan: You must certainly be a great live band, I've watching some of the live videos your fans uploaded on youtube. Which were your best live shows, the ones you'll always remember and treasure?
Manuel Martínez: Yes, this is what the people who see us live usually say. About the videos that the people upload to internet, they are never trustworthy, they don't sound good, a lot of them are recorded with cell phones, but the friends of Medina are very happy to see us play in their hometown, this is why we are on the web. Each concert has his own story, it’s difficult to say which is the best, every one of them has something special, and this is really the reason why we like to play live.

Metalfan: When are going to release a new album and what kind of a sound are you aiming for?. What does the future hold for Medina Azahara?
Manuel Martínez: I guess the new record, Origen y leyenda, will hit the stores in May. Of course it aims at the best Medina sound, but let’s not forget that we are now in a new century. The best that the future can bring us is that we be able to continue to play concerts and that  people will keep believing in us, and of course, that God gives us health to go on for a long time.