Suso Vaamonde, or the singer-songwriter who turned the two best Galician poets into music

when Suso Vaamonde (Ponte Caldelas, 1950-Vigo, 2000) performed on June 3, 1979 in the square of Ferrería de Pontevedra, in a recital against nuclear weapons, unknown. That feito would cut his life short forever. Also the memories that would be part of Galicia’s cultural and collective non-imaginary. “Marco to his career and, above all, overshadows everyone or others. From that moment he became an artist in the world and it seems that was the only thing that mattered”, he sublimates. Fernando Fernandez Rego, whose biographical text was included this week in the Galician album Consello da Cultura Galega. Lóxico, xa who was the author Suso Vaamonde. Free and dedicated song dun pobo (Galaxy). “They want to write or book for iso, because Suso has many justified cous that many people don’t know about,” he explains.

Naquela’s performance added a stanza of his song Woof!who said: “When they tell me about Spain / I always have a dispute / that Spain is my nai / eu su kučka fillo”. He was denounced and sentenced to six years in prison in 1980 for “insulting the homeland with publicity”. Faced with such a situation, he decided to go into exile. He returned only in 1984, when he spent 46 days in prison in Ourense and was pardoned. “I was really embarrassed that it wasn’t allowed to hang out here and, above all, that a large part of the cultural and political scene of his time remained,” says Rego.

Before that, he flourished as a fundamental artist in Galician music, Pasto do esquezamento for several years and I am currently wanted. “It’s something that came after years of looking the other way in that sense,” says Rego. There are many current artists who have joined Sus and made versions of his music. I really have to be aware: Skarnio, Tiro na Testa, Fondo Norte, A Ukestra do Medio, Os Amigos dos Músicos, Os Tres Pés, Ezetaerre… I know there is an obligation with us now, more pronounced. Or gender or language, or our past or our culture. Anglo-Saxon used to predominate, and now groups seem to be thinking more about personal suggestions than starting from their own.

Rego tells about his vital and artistic journey home of a strong personality and commitment to Galician society. “Suso represents a dedicated song on all levels. In fact, I know that with him, in a certain way, that figure of a devoted singer was lost to the ultimate consequences — support —. Either we were Woody Guthrie, or we were Pete Seeger. Where there was a file on employment regulations, where there was protest, where they were oppressed, there was Suso Vaamonde, they could pay him or not. Letters were never an obstacle”.

“We also have to talk about the fact that Suso is committed to learning the language up to the latest,” says Rego. In this sense, it should be noted that he published three works dedicated to children at times that were not usual. «You are dreaming of a gaiola (1978), Cantaroles for miúda people (1986) i Raptors, raptors and rapazades (1998) are three albums that can be claimed,” emphasizes his biographer. Also that Vaamonde exposed the Galician poets with little attention. “This aspect was his biggest promoter, as recognized by people like Manuel Maria or Celso Emilio Ferreira.”

Singing to Bernardin Graña

More than the repertoire, Vaamonde stood out precisely because he turned Galician poetry or music into music. He said many times that I have the best songwriters at my fingertips for composing. This, along with his ability to set Aley’s lines to music, resulted in some of the best adaptations ever made. “You had moi boas. For me, the best, and I know that these are the best songs of Galician music, yes Back to earth for perdín or love, a song by Bernardino Graña. Just brilliant. Or his album dedicated to Celso Emilio Ferreira, published in 1980, is also very important».

His personality has raised the bar on many occasions. For example, there are chiaroscuro moments in his journey in the group Voces Ceibes. “Suso has always been a person with a very strong character, which is why, obviously, he clashed with members of Voces Ceibes like Benedict,” explains Rego. But I know that in his career it was important to belong to a group, because it helps to professionalize his proposal and, on the other hand, to experience first-hand a distinct political commitment.

Is there anything left? Is there a successor to hox? Rego highlights some current names: «Os Trés Pés, O Leo, Xesús Constenla and Roberto Sobrado keep that name». But ao the tempo of the sentence: «I am sure that his figure, the devoted singer binds the bears, ferrito two years seventy, perduse, as Luís Pastor sings in That Was it one of the singer-songwriters?».