sevilla spain 1985

when i was 19, i spent some time in southern spain and photographed a group of people living in the streets of sevilla, each for different reasons. the first person i met there was concha, at a place called el cafetín, on the second floor of a building in a small street, drinking tea and smoking joints. but mostly they would hang out in parks, or play a few songs with a cup in front of them, and then go get some food. i had started to photograph a little bit, a portrait here and there, and was planning to stay longer, but on a trip to morocco I caught a bacteria that was later diagnosed as legionnaire's disease...  the photographing stopped, and a long hospital stay started, followed by an even longer recovery. these images represent the beginning of a story about lupe and natalia, nordine, jesus, lobo and suzanna, manuel, concha and others. I will never forget the countless hours of sitting around talking, playing music, listening to tales of the mystical man-in-a-light-suit, known to give an envelope full of cash once in while to a lucky one able to start a new life, a better new life... the story of a few people that went on without my camera as a witness, but i am glad to have had the chance to make those few portraits.