Spanish pop star C. Tangana: 'All I ever wanted was artistic recognition. Now I have it'
MEXICO CITY — A spotlight fell in the darkened concert arena on a long table strewn with drinks, ashtrays and dinner plates, as if a leisurely meal had just taken place.
Sitting around it were a dozen musicians and Antón Álvarez Alfaro, the Spanish singer known as C. Tangana, who was holding court in a pin-striped, double-breasted suit.
Once known as a flashy rapper on the Latin trap scene, Álvarez, 32, has reinvented himself in recent years, creating a rich sonic universe that blends traditional Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean sounds with contemporary pop production.
After leading the crew in a rousing flamenco about an "ungovernable" female lover — driving the rhythm with furious hand claps — Álvarez slowed things down. As guitarists plucked the tune of "Sabor a Mí," a classic Mexican bolero, he began to sing, his voice transformed
