ElConstitucional.es exclusively interviews Sergio Pastor, a composer who graduated from the Higher Conservatory of Music of Malaga and current director of the Brass and Drum Band of the brotherhood of El Cautivo, on the occasion of the premiere of “Memoria, Compromiso y Fe”, an alternative anthem dedicated to Málaga CF as a gift for its fans. The piece is scheduled to premiere on January 23rd at La Rosaleda, during the match against Burgos, although since Friday, January 16th it has already been available on the main digital platforms.
Question, Luis Corpas, ElConstitucional.es: Today we are here from the newspaper ElConstitucional, from the MásQueTele section, to speak with Sergio Pastor, who has composed an alternative version, let's say, of the anthem for Málaga Club de Fútbol. Hello, Sergio, how are you? How are you doing?
Answer, Sergio Pastor. Hello, how are you? Fine. I'm very grateful for this interview.
Q. How did the idea of composing this anthem for Málaga come about? Was it something personal, an initiative of the club, the conservatory?
R. It was a personal initiative, and it's because living the "Malaguismo" day after day, both in the stadium and outside, and seeing that in all situations, both good and a little less good, the fans have always been there. Even in moments when the team has been doing a bit worse, they have supported the team even more, so, at the end of the day, this need to make this gift to the fans is understood for the love they show the club.
Q. I'm going to share this, but Sergio and I were classmates at the conservatory, and as a composer and from Malaga, I've heard a **marked 3/4 time that gives me the impression of alluding to malagueñas**. What other musical references or artistic elements from Malaga have served as inspiration for you to create this piece?
A. Regarding the instrumentation, the orchestra; what you've mentioned: clearly the beginning with **guitar**, the **castanets** that enter in the *tutti*, in the chorus of the anthem, there's also strings, we'll call it the chorus part, in the tutti part, **the strings are also playing figures related and rhythms related to malagueñas**. And regarding Malaga, for example, the lyrics at the beginning that mention **sea and mountain**, which are more characteristic than these words to define Malaga.
Q. Of course, because the lyrics, as you rightly mention, also speak of memory, commitment, and faith, that's how it's titled, right? What do these words mean to you and how did you seek to reflect with them the feeling with which you have been expressing the Málaga fans, so that they might feel more identified?
R. After all, what I wanted to focus on with the lyrics is the feeling of being a Málaga fan, also the Málaga legacy, because after all, it's a legacy that goes from the elders, from grandparents to children, to grandchildren, from parents to children. So, well, I wanted to capture everything that it means, everything that being a Málaga fan is in these lyrics, words that are also used a lot, perhaps in other chants, or that are related to being a Málaga fan. As a loyal Málaga fan, as you said: "memory, commitment, and faith". Let's say that all of the lyrics of this anthem are related to the Málaga fans, Málaga Club de Fútbol, Málaga as a city, and the reference to the official anthem 'Málaga la Bombonera'; at the end of this piece, with a touch, adding these melodies of Málaga la Bombonera.
Q. What role have the Conservatory Orchestra and Choir played in shaping the anthem?
R. Well, from the very beginning when I presented this anthem to the conductor, Ángel Luis Pérez, he has been a fundamental part because even the Conservatory, with the support of Málaga, has, as I say, provided these 146 souls who have given life to this anthem, and it has been a fundamental part because without them, without these musicians, without the conductor, without Ángel Luis, without Javier, Luis, all those who have supported this project, this project would not have been possible. And well, I am very grateful for that, for this support, both from the Higher Conservatory of Music of Málaga and from the club.
Q. So we can say you've had good backing. And how would you like fans to feel or use this anthem? Do you foresee it ever being sung at La Rosaleda or malaguistas using it more as a symbol?
R. Well, my dream is to hear fiction sing it, of course, to have them play it in the stadium, to have them sing it. So for me, as a composer, above all, that they feel it, that they make it their own, and that it moves them, for me that's like achieving the goal of this project.
Q. If you have anything else to add, upcoming projects, also comment on the premiere of the film for which you were also the composer, in which you also participated with Diana Navarro, right?
R. Yes, the short film El cautivo. Well, I composed the music for the soundtrack, and one of the pieces is a song with Diana Navarro. And well, the truth is that it has also been a very beautiful project in which we have had different ensembles such as the JOPMA, the Young Provincial Orchestra of Malaga, the Eli Hoshana Ciudad de Lucena Choir, and well, the truth is that it has been a very beautiful project both in its process and in its premiere and afterwards. (He also tells us, off-camera, that the Brass and Drum Band of the brotherhood of El Cautivo, which he currently directs, also participated in the soundtrack).
P. Well, on a personal note, congratulations on all these projects. You have a colleague here for whatever you need, and it's a pride to see how colleagues who have worked with you are starting to take off their careers like this, so congratulations.
R. Thank you very much for your words, Luis, and it's a pleasure to be with you here in this interview.
Q. Well, thank you very much.
A. A hug.