And I think that Andalusian artists transmute that energy

and project it onto the world so that they know us for who we really are.

For me, the lives of others, the essence of others, the history of others.

An animal that flies.

Today I spent a long time watching birds flying from about 70 floors up.

Nature inspires me a lot.

I'm inspired a lot by the truth behind all things and behind all people.

That essence that transcends appearance

and what really remains when we leave.

That is what inspires me to make music.

Flamenco... flamenco is my root.

Flamenco is always within me.

Lately, I've been listening to Chaka Khan and Kendrick Lamar. But before singing,

I listen to Manolo Caracol, [the song] “Granaína y media granaína” — [singer Manuel] Vallejo, [singer] La Niña de los Peines —

who are very important artists in the history of flamenco.

Flamenco is my root and all the music I learn are my wings.

So what I want is for them to be connected, one with the other.

It's like how I know the culture of others: R&B, hip hop, pop, rock, heavy metal, classical music — which I love.

I want others to know my traditional music: which is flamenco.

The classical music of my land.

La history of my people.

Andalusia is so rich

It's so strong and it has imagery and an imprint so large

that it is often not valued.

Look, our art has become so internalized and associated with us...

Federico García Lorca...Vicente Aleixandre...

Picasso...

Camarón de la Isla...La Niña de los Peines.

I mean, Niña Pastori...I mean, c’mon!

So much art per square meter.

What happens is that many times, so much art that is part of everyday life and our normal life...

From the outside is seen only on the surface and not for its depth.

So, there are people who make the mistake of falling into stereotypes

and look down upon the land of culture.

But that's not our problem.

I mean, what is not known is not valued.

If they don't know us, they can't value us.

So, what I want with my art, with my journey around the world,

with my tour in the USA, is for others to know Andalusia for what we really are.

and not for the stereotypes that you pointed out.

What do you think?

I think I'm getting to know the world a lot.

Many different cultures, many incredible people in art.

And I want my music to continue blending,

to continue getting to know other cultures,

and for it to be evident in every song.

I dream a lot about going to Mexico.

I dream a lot about being able to make music here.

Because I composed songs when I traveled to Canada last year,

I'm sure that inspiration for many new songs will come from this tour.

I'm working with really cool producers from outside of Spain, which I can't mention right now.

But I just want my music to reflect my journey

and if I discover new countries, new cultures, new languages,

new ways of understanding life, that it is reflected in the songs.

Oh. There was a feeling that I couldn't express because the word for it didn't exist.

It was a feeling of...

being totally intoxicated with beauty.

And of regaining faith in human beings.

When I saw the Trevi Fountain, when I heard certain music...

it was the immense beauty that I felt when I heard the story of, for example,

I met a couple — two older gentlemen —

who are gay and they were finally able to live their love at 70 years old.

After spending their entire lives not being to love each other.

And when I met them and saw them so happy, so old, and finally being able to be themselves

and to love in their own way in a world that accepts them more and more every day.

I was dying of love and I was dying of beauty,

and there was so much beauty that, in the end,

the way to define it was to invent the term ultrabelleza (ultrabeauty).

And to say that I am ultra-beautiful, that I'm much more than just beauty.

I am something that transcends

that I hope will remain forever, that it will be perpetual.

And that's how the concept of [the album] Ultrabelleza came about.

That was like the sun in the solar system: Ultrabelleza.

And each song was like a planet orbiting around it.

So each song is different from the others because ultrabelleza is

the celebration of diversity and that everyone knows that

no matter where you come from, how you feel, how you love, what color you skin is,

that there is nothing wrong with you — that you are worthy.

So I molded that idea until it became compact and the planets could orbit around it.

Each song was different from the others, different natures, different sounds,

different color palettes, different identities,

but all coexisted perfectly in the same solar system

and were part of a single thing, which is [the album] Ultrabelleza.

The first song I'm going to sing is called Juramento (Oath).

And I wrote it while sitting on the Sacromonte looking towards the Alhambra (in Granada, Spain),

listening to Kendrick Lamar.

And I came up with the idea that maybe Fifty Cent was strolling with his girlfriend

through the gardens of the Alhambra and proposing to her, asking her for an eternal love oath.

So the next day I went to the studio.

and I tried to reflect on this idea and shape it to sound like this.

Hopefully Fifty Cent hears the song sometime.

The second song I'm going to sing is called Aprendiendo a volar (Learning to Fly)

and it talks about how I'm learning to fly,

that I've already taken flight to be able to reach you, even if it's just for a moment when I claim the sky from you.

And that's how I feel on my tour here, in the USA, sharing for the first time with American audiences.

These songs that make me fly

and I want everyone to fly with me and for us to have a great time

and let ourselves be carried away by pure emotions every time we're on stage.

So there I was, learning to fly.

Well, I want to share my joy with you because I'm really excited to be here and feel so welcome.

I think Andalusia is a land that welcomes, but so does the US.

So thank you for having me here. It's a real pleasure and an honor.