Iñaki Domínguez Madrid

Madrid

Updated Monday, April 8, 2024-00:38

José Luis Vegas

was born in Burgos, next to the cathedral. At an early age he began playing the drum, a drum he had made himself from a sardine can. Years later, he became part of a military band. That would be around the year 1955. It would not take long for him to play in the towns in the Burgos area in the summer season. By then, he already had his own battery.

In 1964 he arrived in Madrid to play on the capital's nightclub circuit. «The

Alazán

room

, in the Castellana», he tells me, «was a place where people went to see the girls. There were some impressive girls. They were

clients

, but they didn't pay. But it wasn't a

whoring

place . Then there was

Morocco

, which was a place on Marqués de Leganés Street, near San Bernardo [the room is still operational today], there were whores there. It was a special room, where the drink was very expensive. Elegant people were there. You could have dinner and everything. Then, in the

Black Swan

there was the

whore

of the century. It was on Cartagena Street, almost on Avenida de América. It occupied the basement of a cinema. There I had a problem, because it was forbidden for me to talk to any client. I had to leave it because they saw me with an aunt having something in the area. She was crazy about my bones, but not because I was handsome, because she played the drums well.

From Cisne Negro, José Luis went to work at

Melodías

and then played at the Consulado room with

Los Benet

, a group of the time. «In the Consulate there was youth. That was cane, sailor fabric. There were live groups that made a ciborium noise. You couldn't even talk.

Los Tyfones

played there

. They called them that because you heard them and they sounded like a typhoon. "That was horrible, there was no one who could stand it."

José Luis was born in 1936, about 10 years before the members of Spain's first truly rock generation. The age difference reflected a difference in musical tastes: "The boss complained because we bored the girls. The clientele was 16 year old people. "We ended up playing at the

Pasapoga

, which was the best nightclub in Madrid."

On the Carretera de la Coruña there was also the

Nueva Romana

, an open-air nightclub that later became the

Four Roses

. Once abandoned it was occupied by members of the Dominican community. It was there where

Lucrecia Pérez

was murdered by several Nazi skins in 1992. «In Nueva Romana, Paco Gento had a friend who was crazy. Her name was Charo. "He was also related to another woman named

Naima Cherky

, an Egyptian dancer, a spectacular aunt."

The musician José Luis Vegas.

Among other famous people, José Luis had problems with

Manolo Escobar

: «Some of these people believe they are gods. He didn't like my way of playing. I told him: 'If you're interested, okay, and if not, no.' I played with

Lola Flores

at the

Riviera

, which has been open for many years. She is very old. Lola Flores often came in at the wrong time. I told her, and she was so angry. I told her: 'Be careful, Lola, you've sneaked into this part.' 'How?!' she asked me. 'That I am Lola Flores!' 'Damn, delighted!', I replied. The other one said... 'I'm Lola Flores, no one has told me that.' 'And my name is José Luis... I am a musician and no one like you, not even 80 people like you, are going to teach me how to keep the rhythm. I'm a professional. Have you never heard of José Luis?' 'No'. 'Well, I'm José Luis Vegas.' And he went to talk to the owner of the establishment. "'Don't worry, I'm coming with you.'" And Lola said: 'You don't need to come because you're a little cool.' No one had ever dared to say anything to her, although she often snuck in. In the end they didn't kick me out, I left. Lola sang like a carter, she had a disgusting voice. But she had what no one had, the elf, which no one knows how to explain what it is. She wagged her tail like no one else. But hey, that's what they say: 'Raise fame and go to sleep'."

He continues: «With

Camilo Sesto

I played in an orchestra. He took all the street chicks, but he ignored them. He was in love with a 50-year-old woman who could be his mother. "He was 20 years old."

José Luis made a living from music for many years, but he had to give it up at the end of the 80s, when many nightclubs opened and nightclubs closed. «In the past, there were 50 nightclubs in Madrid. For those who were good, there was hard work. Then they started paying a DJ and we musicians were left without work. Only wedding halls remained, until not even weddings remained. At that time, I went to work in the post office.

So many years working in old-school establishments finally took their toll on José Luis: «After a medical examination, I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. The doctor asked me if I smoked. 'I've never smoked,' I replied. 'But I have smoked everything because I have been a musician, and by breathing so many hours in smoky places, I have smoked all the cigarettes in the world.' The same thing has happened to many waiters, and some have failed. For now, I'm still here."

Inaki Dominguez

He is the author of

Macarras interseculares

, edited by Melusina, [you can buy the book here],

Macarrismo

, edited by Akal, [you can buy the book here],

Macarras ibéricos

, edited by Akal, [you can buy the book here], the

The true story of the Moco Panda

. [you can buy the book here] and

San Vicente Ferrer 34

[you can buy the book here].