FLAMENCISTA: An Online Flamenco Dancewear Shop dedicated to quality and exceptional service.

• Custom-made flamenco shoes, hand crafted in Spain…flamenco
• Gorgeous designs incorporating the best Spanish materials…
• World class personalised service and communication, targeting native English speakers…
• High quality products with affordable prices and competitive delivery charges…

Sound too good to be true?

Flamencista is the brainchild of two cousins, Kyriako and Agi. It is a Spanish-Greek-English company based out of Granada, Athens and London. The concept for an online shop, dedicated to flamenco dancewear, was initiated during an inspirational, Christmas family gathering in December 2009. The first web site was launched just two months later, in February 2010

Flamencista co-founder and owner, Kyriako (right) with the co-founder of 'Castañuelas del Sur' (castanets).

Flamencista.com is an online flamenco store that specifically provides custom-made; shoes, boots, skirts, shawls, castanets and flamenco accessories with a special dedication and commitment to high quality service.

Kyriako and Agi set up their (e)shop because they felt there was a need for Spanish flamenco merchandise to receive a much improved level of representation at affordable prices.

Kyriako first went to Andalusia as a student and loved it so much, he stayed on for an extended period, sowing the seeds towards a 21st century, culturally connected e-company, to service the growing international flamenco community.

Flamencista co-founder and owner, Agi.

Agi, with his know-how of customer service excellence and marketing, provided the essential London (English-speaking) connection, which has further assured the success of this new online flamenco shop.

Together they decided to name the business “Flamencista”, the Flamenco Specialist.

All of the  members in Kyriako’s and Agi’s families threw themselves enthusiastically into the Flamencista “cause”; running Flamencista’s well-organized showrooms, manning booths and stands at flamenco exhibitions and events, and serving customers wholeheartedly, offering services which, at times, ran 24/7!

Invisible and always behind the scenes, their friend Tchoukie whose linguistic studies and Washington D.C. background, served towards monitoring correspondence in English and furthering the company’s dedication to bring quality flamenco products to a truly international customer base. Another staff member, Billy, provides the internet-savvy support, web design and digital presence to the ever-growing company.

Manuel Garcia Ortega (teacher, performer and Flamencista co-founder)

Kyriako remains committed to sourcing exceptional standards in craftsmanship, the highest quality Spanish materials, and forging connections with Spanish family businesses that have crafted handmade flamenco goods for generations.

In his pursuit for the perfect Flamenco products, at the perfect prices, Kyriako is assisted by his mentor, Manuel Garcia Ortega, a flamenco visionary who is trying to promote the art from all around the world. Manuel has guided Kyriako’s every step, steering both him and Agi in the right direction.

The impressive results of all these joint efforts has been nothing short of spectacular, assuring Flamencista with, only the cream of the flamenco crop when it came to suppliers.

Case in point, Luna, an iconic figure in the realm of the handmade flamenco shoes, is a 60-year old craftsman who runs the Luna family’s traditional flamenco footwear workshop in Madrid and handles Flamencista’s “express” line of flamenco footwear. Translating into no long waits of 40-50 days for Luna’s handmade, custom-made and hand-stitched shoes and flamenco boots: Signed, sealed, delivered, they’re yours in no longer than two weeks.

Luna employs only older and more experienced craftsmen who have devoted their entire life to making the perfect flamenco shoe, working the way their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers used to work. A rare, traditional and reliable level of craftsmanship.  Luna is a great example of the handful of traditional flamenco shoe craftsmen to be found in Spain and is exclusively represented online by Flamencista.

Manuela Carrasco exclusively wears Flamencista shoes.

Touched by the impassioned efforts of the two Flamencista partners, Manuela Carrasco, flamenco’s first lady, graciously accepted to sponsor Flamencista, exclusively wearing another Flamencista shoe made for Flamencista by the Malaga based, Osuna family, who have also been creating masterpieces for many generations.

Acoustically brilliant flamenco shoes are coupled online with the perfect flamenco skirts and flamenco dresses! Granada based Pepe, potentially one of the best Spanish tailors specialising in Flamenco clothes, is the creator of all Flamencista’s dancewear, which is 100% handmade and, once again, custom-made for a perfect fit.

Flamencista also offers a range of other flamenco accessories such as flamenco shawls (mantones), flamenco hats, castanets, earrings, combs, head flowers, and fans; all handmade examples of 100% Spanish craftsmanship that Flamencista has dedicated itself to.

Needless to say, behind every purchase, there’s an enthusiastic Flamencista partner or family member ready to serve you with a Spanish, Greek, or English smile!

The customer experience offered is truly world-class and this is confirmed by the countless testimonials published on the web site.

VISIT » http://www.flamencista.com

If you have ever bought flamenco products online you will know that service to English-only speakers can be a problem.

If the Flamencista range of flamenco shoes are anything to go by, you will quickly discover that with Flamencista.com, choice is fully supported by quality, service and affordability.

Flamencista flamenco shoes, sorted into five collections:

• The Ultimate Manuela Carrasco Collection
  Co-designed and signed by Manuela Carrasco, this is a high quality shoe for professional flamenco dancers. Custom-made to your measurements.
  Priced at around $220 USD
• The Elite Collection
  Double stitched cow-hide and a two-ply leather sole. Built to last and live up to the demands of professional teachers and dancers. Again custom-made.
  Priced around $190 USD
• The Professional Collection
  Designed to create an acoustically perfect sound. These shoes are also available as in-stock or custom-made.
  Priced at around $150 to $160 USD
• The Semi-professional Collection
  Designed for advanced students or students looking for a better quality beginners shoe. Custom-made.
  With glued soles, these shoes are priced at around $109 USD
• The Amateur Collection
  Made from a lower-grade leather and synthetic soles, making these shoes the perfect entry-level choice for absolute beginners. These shoes are also available as in-stock or custom-made.
  Priced around $90 USD

The Aussie dollar will convert to even cheaper prices than the USD ones above.

Custom made Flamenco boots for men are also available and priced at ~$220 USD. These are 100% leather from the insole to the hand-stitched leather sole. Available in black, brown, mauve or beige.

For shipping to Australia on most of these shoes, you can (of course) expect to add a competitive $50 to $55 USD, which still makes Flamencista shoes a very wise choice and one that’s backed up by great service, seven days a week.

Flamencista also make and sell;

• Flamenco Boots ~$220 USD,
• Practice Skirts ~$111 to $135 USD,
• Performance Skirts ~$135 to $161 USD,
• Silk Shawls, Large Shawls, Mini Shawls,
• Castanets, Fans, Hats,
• Flowers, Earrings, Bracelets, Brooches and Combs

Check out the Flamencista website today – http://www.flamencista.com

EDITORS NOTE: All prices are an estimate based on the time of publication. Actual prices may differ when you visit the website.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: The  Flamenco Australia Magazine is very happy to have Flamencista on board as our newest sponsor. By supporting our sponsors, you are keeping us open and running. Agi has offered all of our readers a 10% discount… When you place your orders, simply enter the Voucher Code: OZ 2012

You will always be able to find this article and code by clicking on the Dancewear link in our home page navigation.

What is pure?
What is historical?
What is correct?

Ask any flamenco professional about its origins and you are likely to receive more and more contrasting answers, the deeper you dig.

These debates reach their pinnacle when you pit ‘purist’ against ‘fusionista,’  but perhaps the most interesting of these questions is the one we are repeating here and asking our more seasoned flamenco readers to respond to…

What should you understand before beginning to study flamenco?

Comments are open below and ready for your input.

Hola Flamenco (2012)

Screengrab from Hola Flamenco

This new flamenco documentary is a musical and visual journey through the cities and towns of Andalusia, extracting knowledge and character from its interaction with talented flamenco dancers, singers and musicians.

In the broader Australian culture, flamenco is vastly misunderstood. Many non-aficionados see flamenco either as a style of guitar playing or as a specific dance, like Tango. Many of our Australian flamenco initiates come to the art form via the academic world of dance classes, often with the motivation, “I want to learn the flamenco.” What follows is often a steeper than expected learning curve into the deep-seated world of flamenco culture.

One of the interviewees of  ‘Hola Flamenco’ – Adi Akiva from Israel , now living in Seville – states, “I’m a dancer, but before everything else, you have to be an ‘aficionado’ of flamenco.  So… If someone dances, plays palmas, sings, but doesn’t understand the other parts, they miss out on much of what Flamenco really is. Because in the end, Flamenco is how you live. It’s expression; it’s a way speaking, of walking down the street, more than just the dancing and singing.”

This forthcoming documentary is full of these personal and candid insights, interlaced with video footage from classrooms, performances, festivals and casual flamenco gatherings.

Hola Flamenco is the latest project from, producer, director, videographer, travel writer and lover of flamenco, Avatar St. Louis of New York City.

Knowing personally how hard it is to get Australian film festivals to screen flamenco films and documentaries, I asked Avatar St. Louis about a possible release date for a DVD version of his film.

“The festival application season is approaching, and I don’t want to limit any options by releasing the entire film too early.  However, we have enough material to release more free content in episode-like installments, similar in length to the trailer.  Those should start coming by May; after festivals, the plan is to seek options for distribution, including DVDs.  There’s a short (25-30min) version of the film and a longer feature-length version that is around 50-55 minutes.  Things are about 90% complete (the video editing alone was 3 months of almost nonstop work), with a few rough edges to be smoothed out in both.  But, we’ve begun initial screenings with Spanish-speaking friends and Flamenco performers in NYC, and things are looking great.  A lot needs to be decided in the weeks ahead, but for now, almost all options are on the table.  We plan to release a version will be released for free online sometime in 2012.  At this point, I just hope everyone enjoys the previews!”

With an independent venture like this, Avatar is grateful for all the support he can muster. A simple way to support his flamenco film would be to subscribe to the film’s official Youtube channel and get those view counts up. Additionally you could share this post around on your Facebook and Twitter accounts using the buttons below.

If you would like more information or contact details for Avatar St. Louis you can contact me via email:  editor [at] flamencoaustralia.org

Don’t forget to weigh in and answer the following Question in your words.

THE QUESTION: What should you understand before beginning to study flamenco?

One of the great flamenco festivals, Festival de Jerez 2012, is in its 16th year and just around the corner.

Known among the international community as a classic flamenco pilgrimage destination, this esteemed flamenco festival takes place in city of Jerez de la Frontera, famous for vino de Jerez or Sherry.

As a flamenco holiday or a first visit to Spain, you will be guaranteed an unforgettable experience with 29 performances over two weeks and around 45 workshops (10 still with places available).

February/March is also a decent time to visit Spain and specifically Jerez de la Frontera with its Mediterranean climate coming out of a mild Winter and heading towards Spring. Temperatures will around 20°C,  ideal for some intensive flamenco dance tuition under some of the great names in modern flamenco.

If your planning to attend, this is the last call to start planning your trip and booking your classes as workshops as most of the flamenco dance classes are now full!

For flamenco dance students who are still in the process of planning their 2012 Festival de Jerez trip, we are only listing the Workshops which still have available places.

Available Festival de Jerez 2012 workshops listed by level.

*Information correct at time of publishing, only!

Beginners:

• LEONOR LEAL
  Introduction to Tangos dancing
• MARÍA JOSÉ FRANCO
  Introduction to Alegrías dancing

Basic:

• ALICIA MÁRQUEZ
  Technique of alegrías dancing with Bata de Cola
• JUAN PARRA
  Technique of Farruca

Intermediate:

• INMACULADA AGUILAR
  Technique and style of Soleá dancing
• BELÉN MAYA
  Technique and style of Caña with Bata de Cola and shawl
  Last Places
• ANDRÉS PEÑA
  Technique and style of romance dancing
• JAVIER LATORRE
  Technique and style of Soleá por bulerías
  Last Places
• ANTONIO EL PIPA
  Technique y style del baile por Siguiriya

Expert:

• JAVIER LATORRE
  Style and choreography of tarantos-tangos dancing

For full details, class registration and performance schedule visit…
http://www.jerez.es/nc/en/areas_tematicas/festival_jerez/courses/program_of_courses/

Festival de Jerez 2012 – from 24th February to 10th March

EDITOR’S NOTE: My favourite aspect of running the Flamenco Australia Magazine is receiving postcards from Australian flamenco’s visiting Spain. Well, I publish them under the banner of postcard… They usually come in the form of emails with photo’s attached.

Spain is the other side of the world and for many it can seam unreachable! If you can’t get there… The next best thing is someone willing to share their experience.

Reflecting the three original muses, the life of an artist consist of three aspects; Practise (doing), Memory (seeing, hearing, understanding, feeling), Expression (sharing)…. The body, the mind and the heart!

So if your ever in Spain, lend me your heart for a few minutes!

Flamenco dancer, Roshanne Wijeyeratne, kindly did just that before returning to Australia last week. One of Australia’s ever rising flamenco stars, Roshanne is Adelaide based and spends a great deal of time, each year, in Spain. I hope you enjoy these postcards as much as I do…

Hi Paul,

You mentioned to me that you were interested in hearing what I am up to here in Spain, so I thought I would give you the run down…

Me receiving my certificate from La Truco

Usually I travel to Sevilla every year for professional development and training in flamenco, but last year I undertook my first prolonged study period in Madrid and after participating in an intensive course organised by La Truco “II Ciclo Dedicado a la Formacion Completa del Baile Flamenco”, I was awarded the gold scholarship (Beca de Oro) to return in 2011 and complete the third cycle of the course.

So, this year I had the opportunity to complete “III Ciclo Dedicado a la Formacion Completa del Baile Flamenco” at Amor de Dios which ran for all of August and ended with a final presentation at the end of the month. It was 8 hours a day of training in:

• Abanico
• Manton
• Teatro
• Palillos (Castanets) with Bata de Cola
• Bata de Cola
• Classical Ballet
• Tecnica de cuerpo
• Tecnica de pies y Baston.

The course is very comprehensive and is taught by La Truco, Marina Claudio, Nuria Truco, Pepa Molina, Maria Juncal, Dagmara Brown, Carmela Greco and Alfonso Losa. It was gruelling but I am proud to say that I completed my scholarship and that the scholarship has now been passed on to the next participant the teachers have chosen for 2012.

Before the show in madrid 2011 (Eleonora Manica on the left and Anna Carolina Maier on the right)

Excitingly, I also made my debut performance in Madrid at a tablao called Artebar alongside fellow dancers Eleonora Manica and Anna Carolina Maier. I had been offered a job working there last year, but unfortunately was not able to perform because I had to head back to Australia, so it was nice to get the chance to perform this time. The show was a total success and an amazing experience. The place was packed!… They could not fit any more people in the room (granted it was a small venue)… There were people squeezed into gaps and sitting on the floor. Two of my teachers, La Truco and Pepa Molina, also came to see the performance, which was a real honour. Our friend from Cadiz, Pablo even came to the show!

After all the training and the performance in Madrid, I decided to make my way back to Sevilla! Attending classes with Manuel Betanzos, who has been a regular teacher of mine since 2003, and in the evenings, training at Manuel’s studio with Andres Pena and Adela Campallo. There are so many other wonderful teachers in Sevilla who I have trained with, and also who I have yet to train with, but I feel like for now I am finding the right places for the things I want to work on…

Performing at the 2010 presentation at amor de dios (my arm looks a bit weird but oh well)

Funnily enough, Andres’ class was filmed one Friday for a live TV show called Pulsando España (Pushing Spain) and I was plucked out of the group to be interviewed about my flamenco life and why I dance flamenco haha… Although my Spanish is not perfect, I think I did ok… that was fun, and I was introduced as being from Australia, so I felt proud representing Australia live on Spanish TV!

To sum up this trip to Spain… “I’ve just been working my butt off over here and as always, very much looking forward to returning to Australia, as I have learnt so much that I cannot wait to share with everyone.

I return on October 12th to begin working on the State Opera’s Carmen which will run for 4 nights in early November at the Adelaide Festival Theatre.

I will also resume dance classes at Alma Flamenca, and workshops and performances throughout Australia!

Rosh
xx

–» To contact Roshanne, please visit http://www.almaflamenca.com.au

The CD came out in January 2011 and since then Rowland has been busy preparing for a new album. BULERIANDO is available to purchase online on itunes.apple.com…

You can read our album review here.

You can also listen to a few tracks from the album via myspace.com/vikingodejerez.

After a quick visit to the Ballarat Multicultural Arts Festival (Nov. 11), Vikingo and his flamenco performance group will play; the Promethean in Adelaide (Nov. 12), The Hispanic Fiesta Johnston St Fitzroy @ The Spanish Club in Melbourne (Nov. 19&20 @ 7pm), Open Studio (Nov. 25), The Spanish Club (Nov. 26) , The Basement in Sydney (Nov. 30), and finishing with The Clarendon Guesthouse in Katoomba (Dec. 2).

Laura Uhe

The all new Vikingo de Jerez lineup is a national collection of flamenco artists that have been carefully selected for their immense talent and dedication to flamenco.

The cast includes:

• Rowland Schultz (guitar)
  Self taught flamenco guitarist, originally from Sydney. Rowland now spreads himself across three states.
• El Titi de Algeciras (cante)
  Born in Algeciras, Spain in 1942 into a gypsy family, El Titi came to Australia in 1966 and he has a long history of flamenco culture both in Spain and Australia and has devoted himself to the flamenco art form.
• Laura Uhe (dance)
  Laura Uhe is a sought after flamenco dancer both in Melbourne and nation-wide. Originally trained in Perth, Laura has studied and worked extensively with Antonio Vargas and many other Australian flamenco legends.
• Shaun Doddy (percussion)
  Shaun Doddy is a renowned Adelaide based drummer and flamenco percussionist, he has worked extensively with the Liana Vargas dance company.

Shaun Doddy, Rowland Schultz and El Titi de Algeciras

El Titi, is now visiting his Mother and family in Spain. He comes from a long line of gypsy flamencos and his mother, although not a professional performer, is one of the most respected family fiesta singers in Algeciras and was a great inspiration and teacher to the now legendary Camarón de la Isla.

EDITORS NOTE: We recorded an interview with ‘El Titi’ before he left and we will be publishing that insightful interview later this week. A highly entertaining glimpse at the life of one of Australia’s most entertaining and historically important flamenco characters.

“…when I realise the people I come from, I feel so proud. To be a gypsy for me, is to be like a king. More! I am a Gypsy, I can be a King one day, but a King can’t be a Gypsy, ever!” El Titi de Algeciras

‘El Titi’ is very excited to be touring across Australia when he returns from Spain. A great opportunity to hear his stories and cante live on stage, supported by excellence and the equisite dancing of Laura Uhe.

With more dates to follow, these dates are confirmed:

After chatting casually with Valentino, I began by asking him about the Revolt Artspace venue…

“Kensington is a great and up and coming scene, it’s only a few minutes from the city. Revolt is an awesome venue… quaint little art spaces, a theatrette and the ability to cater for massive shows. The management are great, all very experienced in the music industry and active in promoting the variety of alternative shows that they host there.”

Valentino, with his ensemble, is very focussed on showcasing Melbourne talent, from flamenco dancers to flamenco fusion artists. I wanted to find out about Valentino’s early influences and so, I asked him when he first picked up a guitar.

“I was very young… At the age of three I started playing my first bar cords, influenced strongly by my Dad – he is a full-time musician and pretty much, always has been. Watching him rehearse at home, playing the guitar, and singing, I naturally picked it up. One day Dad heard his guitar playing on its own, discovered it was me, then went out and bought my first guitar the very next day. He taught me the basics, I practised a lot, and then as time went on I started gig·ging, with him, around the age of twelve. I fell into flamenco around fifteen when I first heard Paco de Lucía, even though Dad had always been listening to flamenco music.”

Valentino’s father, Stanche Gikovski, immigrated to Sydney in 1969 and moved to Melbourne six months later. A working musician for most of his life, he can also sing in six different languages. Valentino explained…

“We’re Macedonian, we listen to everything including; Spanish, Mexican and of course Balkan music. Dad performed a lot, in Melbourne, during the 70s, doing all the club work. A tough time for immigrants playing ethnic music. He was one of the pioneers here!“

Stanche Gikovski now performs in Valentino’s ensemble as his main vocalist and over the last three years has worked extensively to embrace more and more flamenco.

I wanted to get to that crucial period in any Australian-born flamenco’s life, their first trip to Flamenco Spain. Valentino responded with both excitement and nostalgia.

“I did the holy grail trip, the journey or flamenco pilgrimage, as they call it. I initially stayed up with Belén Fernadez and her husband Albert, playing for her classes at Amor de Dios before moving down to Seville, where I met my mentor, and teacher, Carlos Heredia. A gypsy in his own right who taught me what no one else could have taught me. He took me under his wing, to all his shows and all his concerts around the provinces of Seville. I was at his house, near on, every day, ‘living it’ with him.“

I am slowing learning the art of interviewing people, it’s about saying less and letting the subject roll. Some advice, I read, from Michael Parkinson talked about interjecting as little as possible, and if you do, cutting yourself off with a pause that the interviewee will often fill with a story, off the script. I say this because at this point in the interview I interjected with, “Living the lifestyle…” and Valentino filled the gap.

“Yeah, living the lifestyle, but I was pretty much used to that lifestyle. We come from Bitola, a town in Macedonia with a lot of gypsies and large gypsy neighborhoods, it was the same sort of mentality. I grew up surrounded by a lot of gypsies in Melbourne as well, having parties every night, musicians turning up at 3 o’clock in the morning and staying on, partying all night. Understanding that musical gypsy mentality, I wasn’t treated like a foreigner when I was in Spain. Carlos introduced me to all the Amador brothers, lots of singers and a lot of gypsy families invluding the Gastor families. He taught me how to accompany, and how to sound flamenco!“

Valentino's mentor 'Carlos Heredia' © www.carlosherediaflamenco.com

I always like to ask, because of my curiosity, about the perceived differences between the cities that Australian flamencos visit, when in Spain. Valentino compared Madrid to Seville.

“Being in Madrid was a different kettle of fish, very technical, very astute, people were very weary of what you were going to do and where you were going to do it, but when I went to Seville, it was different, it had this awesome soniquete!“

I am trying to understand this ‘Soniquete,’ so I leaped on the term when Valentino mentioned it, asking him for his definition…

“My interpretation… It’s a flamenco groove that you need to have. To me it’s a magical term to describe that feeling when all performers, in a group, are one. You’re sitting on that groove and things are happening. It’s a constant thing you must have, to have that groove going, to have the instinct and the feeling of what you’re doing and according to the style that your playing. To be aware of what’s happening around you, to be listening to the other musician’s grooves, and to let the performance become the communication of what’s going on!”

He later added, that this is led by an understanding of a culture that is filled with cante.

“With guitar you can learn, you can learn falsetas, you study flamenco guitar. With dance you can learn steps and choreography, but good cante is hard, something needs to be there and even then, worked at for a very long time. A good cantaor can often play guitar aswell, they understand dance, they understand where everything goes and they have something! From a guitarist’s point of view, in Seville, on any corner, if you start playing flamenco guitar, you are bound to attract somebody who can sing flamenco, coming out from the woodwork. We don’t have that culture here. A flamenco guitarists should understand that culture, and try to understand all that a good cantaor knows!“

I talked with Valentino a bit about the different styles and palos within flamenco, his favourite being Bulería, but he was quick to point out that he can’t separate them. He mentioned that, with Australian audiences, he likes to ease them into flamenco using other instruments and more familiar sounding styles like the Rumba. Explaining, that in one number, in the upcoming show at Revolt the ensemble performs ‘moondance’ within a Bulería and with a female singer singing in English. Valentino also likes to offer opportunities to some of the flamencos who we rarely get to see perform. he is currently hard at work, in the lead up to this upcoming Revolt gig, rehearsing with two new flamenco dancers.

As much as he would like to have a culture of cante in Melbourne, Valentino knows he needs to work with what we have here… good musicians from other disciplines who understand, at least, other gypsy cultures and who can work within the flamenco framework.

The line up for the upcoming show at Revolt in Kensington is as follows:

• Stanche Gikovski (vocals)
• Holly Brick (bass)
• Tristian Reardon (percussion)
• Inge “La Rosa” Muhlhauser (flamenco dance)
• Laura Uhe (flamenco dance)
• Sherif Tawfilis (palmas)
• Karen & Sherrie (support dancers)
• Marylin (vocals)

This new show at Revolt will also play with the floor plan and layout of the venue. The musicians will be on a stage of their own, allowing them to get closer to the audience. The dancers will then be showcased on a separate round stage, towards the center of the room. This (extended) Valentino Flamenco Ensemble will perform two forty minute sets, starting at 10pm, with general admission and no allocated seating. People will be able to get up, move around, and get drinks from the bar situated inside the room.

Teasing towards another upcoming Gig, working with Gypsy and Balkan musicians (some time in November), Valentino became very passionate about the wave of new flamenco… I will leave you with that inspiring quote…

“…every one has a phase. Flamenco – as I have had it mentioned to me, a lot, in Spain – is about evolving. We know about pure flamenco, we learn from that, but we can take it to another level to discover what we can do with it, as artists. I’m all for evolving and bringing in different sounds, as long as it retains it’s ‘flamenco’ and a respect for flamenco. Some of the new fusions sounds and recordings around now are awesome, they just sound great and I’m all for it! It’s all about moving forward! We have some of the best musicians here in Melbourne, across a broad range of genres, so if we can’t move forward here, where can you? Sometimes, as we look back to Spain, we forget what we do have access to, right here on our doorstep!”

Valentino Flamenco Ensemble perform…

DATE: Friday, 30th September 2011 – 10pm

VENUE: Revolt Artspace. 12 Elizabeth Street, Kensington.

CITY: Melbourne

COST: $20/$15

BOOKINGS: on (03) 9376 2115

http://www.revoltproductions.com/MelbourneEvents/ByEvent/Valentino_Flamenco_Ensemble_1

With a lot of international attention on our website lately, we sure now how to show the world that the Australian Flamenco Scene is alive and Stamping Loudly.
Before we get into the rest of the Gigs for September… One lesson, for all lovers of flamenco, that has been recurring lately is, “Make the Effort To Understand the Importance of Cante.“

For me personally, coming to flamenco from a love of flamenco dance and percussion, this has taken some time. But, the more I understand about good cante, the more enjoyment I get out
of ALL the many aspects of flamenco and the culture around it. I am therefore, personally, very excited to be attending the Olayo Jimenez workshop in Melbourne this Sunday afternoon and the performance which follows, the following weekend.

MELBOURNE can still book for the Olayo Jimenez singing workshop and fiesta on (03) 9416 0095
…and it is open to all lovers of Flamenco.

ADELAIDE also has a singing workshop on the 25th September,with Mari Olivares. Call (08) 8272 7633

Workshops like this have slowly changed, and improved, the way I view the art form. Trust me! Just go… You will have FUN!!!

Bookings for the Melbourne SEUNA FLAMENCO show at http://trybooking.com/RDH

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Latest Giveaway: Courtesy of Claudia Chambers you can enter to win either a Requena Premier Cajon or the full Learn Cajon DVD. Entries close Sunday 2 October, 2011.
Full details at… http://www.learncajon.com/blog/2011/09/premier-series-cajon-give-away/
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SEPTEMBER GIG GUIDE
Check out the full calendar online for additional details
http://flamencoaustralia.org/flamenco-events-calendar/

16th September (Friday)

• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta for 2-5 year olds
• NSW – Bandaluzia Paddington
• VIC – Arte Kanela Flamenco
• QLD – Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Brisbane
• S.A.- Flamenco Friday

17th September (Saturday)

• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta
• NSW – Bohemian Spice cabaret show
• VIC – Arte Kanela Flamenco
• QLD – Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Brisbane

18th September (Sunday)

• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta
• VIC – OLAYO JIMENEZ WORKSHOP
• VIC – De Los Santos Juerga
• QLD – Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Brisbane

19th to 21st September

• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta

22nd September (Thursday)

• NSW – Bandaluzia Surrey Hills
• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta
• VIC – Arte Kanela Flamenco

23rd September (Friday)

• NSW – Amaya Flamenco
• NSW – Bandaluzia Katoomba
• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta
• VIC – SUENA FLAMENCO Show Melbourne
• VIC – Arte Kanela Flamenco
• S.A.- Flamenco Friday

24th September (Saturday)

• NSW – Babies Prom Fiesta
• NSW – Bohemian Spice cabaret show
• VIC – SUENA FLAMENCO Show Melbourne
• VIC – Arte Kanela Flamenco
• QLD – Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Sunshine Coast

25th September (Sunday)

• S.A.- Mari Olivares Singing Workshop
• QLD – Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Sunshine Coast

27th September (Tuesday)

• QLD – Flamenco at Bread n Butter

28th September (Wednesday)

• QLD – Bandaluzia Brisbane

29th September (Thursday)

• NSW – Bandaluzia at Bangalow
• S.A.- Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Adelaide

30th September (Friday)

• NSW – Bandaluzia at Bellingen Global Carnival
• VIC – Valentino Flamenco Ensemble
• S.A.- Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Adelaide
• S.A.- ‘Open Floor’ Flamenco Night
• QLD – DALeCANA Flamenco Company

1st October (Saturday)

• NSW – Bandaluzia at Bellingen Global Carnival
• NSW – Bohemian Spice cabaret show
• S.A.- Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Adelaide
• QLD – DALeCANA Flamenco Company

2nd October (Sunday)

• S.A.- Sebastian Sanchez Workshop Adelaide

We Ordered 3 x ‘Flamenco Flamenco’ DVDs
From Three Different Shops Online

PRICES AND RESULTS ARE BELOW

Flamenco Flamenco by Carlos Saura: This is the sequel to the much-loved film, ‘Flamenco’ also directed by Carlos Saura and it shouldn’t need much introduction to our regular subscribers. Except to say that this is finally coming out on DVD.

The DVD gets officially released, in Europe, on the 14th of September 2011. Unfortunately our attempts to source the DVD (within Australia) are currently on hold due to distribution, copyright and classification negotiations. We hope to have good news on that soon.

ISSUES: There are many issues when ordering products and DVDs from Europe; regional coding to protect local distribution right, shippings costs, and the service and support offered by the respective companies that have flamenco products available to overseas buyers.

THE EXPERIMENT: For your benefit and to conduct an independant test of prices, postage costs, delivery times and buyer support, we decided to conduct an experiment… We have ordered 3 copies of Carlos Saura’s ‘Flamenco Flamenco’ DVD from 3 different online shops that currently have the DVD available. One of these DVDs will be given away to one lucky email subscriber.

COUNTDOWN TO OFFICIAL RELEASE



We Will Update Our Order Status as Information Comes In
ALL ORDERS TOOK PLACE ON 9th SEPTEMBER 2011

EsFlamenco.com

‘Flamenco Flamenco’ DVD – Buy Online Link: http://esflamenco.com/cd-dvd/flamenco-flamenco

• DVD Listing Price: €18.90
• Postage Option One: with DHL +€20.72
• Postage Option Two: with Correos +€23.80 = €42.70
• No Postage Option: Mail out only
• Payment Options: Paypal – Credit card – Money order
• Support: Spain Ten Points SL – 91 435 2724

TOTAL COST AUD: $57.57 AUD
*DELIVERY TIME: more details soon…
SUPPORT ISSUES: …
PRODUCT ISSUES: …

ORDERED: Friday, Sept 9th 2011 via Paypal (1 Australian Dollar = 0.741804 Euros)

REPORT: Most expensive DVD price and most expensive DVD price, but from past experience they do have excellent service… I could have saved ~$5 with the cheaper postage option but I wanted to compare their Correos option with that of DeFlamenco and it still would have resulted in the most expensive overall price. We also have a contact at EsFlamenco could probably get you a discount code, will update if that comes through!

DeFlamenco.com

‘Flamenco Flamenco’ DVD – Buy Online Link: https://www.deflamenco.com/tiendaflamenco/veri.jsp?cod=2860

• DVD Listing Price: €14.90
• Postage Option One: Correos 8-15day postage +€22.00 = €36.90
• Postage Option Two: Seur International 2-4day postage +€35.00 = €49.90
• No Postage Option: Store pickup Madrid (+0) = €14.90
• Payment Options: Paypal – Credit card – Bank Transfer
• Support: tienda@deflamenco.com

TOTAL COST AUD: $49.75 AUD
*DELIVERY TIME: more details soon…
SUPPORT ISSUES: …
PRODUCT ISSUES: …

ORDERED: Friday, Sept 9th 2011 via Paypal (1 Australian Dollar = 0.741804 Euros)

REPORT: Cheapest DVD price and pickup option if you know someone in Madrid could save a few dollars. From past experience they also have good rewards, prompt service and discounts for repeat customers. More news soon…

Flamenco-World.com

‘Flamenco Flamenco’ DVD – Buy Online Link: https://www.flamenco-world.com/tienda/shop.php?&vshopferca…

• DVD Listing Price: €16.90
• Discount: 5% off code – a3uu3btpt (valid to 3rd October) = -€0.85
• Postage Option One: International shipping +€17.90 = €33.96
• Postage Option Two: Only one option for international orders
• No Postage Option: Pickup not offered at checkout
• Payment Options: Paypal – Credit card – Bank transfer – Bank check
• Support: Zerobox SL – infotienda@flamenco-world.com – 91 468 7778

TOTAL COST AUD: $45.79 AUD
*DELIVERY TIME: more details soon…
SUPPORT ISSUES: …
PRODUCT ISSUES: …

ORDERED: Friday, Sept 9th 2011 via Paypal (1 Australian Dollar = 0.741804 Euros)

REPORT: Average price (discount code didn’t make much difference) but, they had the cheapest postage and overall price. A lot of subscribers do send me reports about the bad service they get from this company. We’ll wait and see on this case

Of course it would make sense to buy a few things, rather than a single purchase, to save on postage per item, but we wanted give you a simple comparison to base your buying decisions on. If you can wait a few more weeks to watch this DVD, you may want to place YOUR ORDER after we get ours and report on the best service. We will also post and product issues when they finally arrive. In the meantime…

PLACE YOUR BETS!
Which will be the first DVD to arrive?
Comments are open below…

The full cast list is below and here is the trailer…

FLAMENCO FLAMENCO DVD (2011) Scene & Cast List

Part of an ongoing commitment to keep you informed, entertained and inspired. This puzzle is a celebration of the many great flamencos who have passed away, but left a legacy of inspiration behind them. So from many of the clues, you are looking for NAMES of flamencos lost. For example, great names like Enrique Morente and Moraíto Chico who both died recently… neither of which have been used in this crossword. Some of the clues are easy, but some are a little cryptic and a good dose of flamenco knowledge will be required to answer all the questions!

Subscribers to the Flamenco Australia Magazine may print copies and distribute to friends and students.
A4 Printable Version: Flamenco-Crossword-001-printable.pdf
TO PRINT: Click the link above and then click the print icon. (Adobe Reader may be required)

COMMENTS ARE OPEN: So let us know if you have solved it and would like more. Although,

*SPOILER ALERT: These are extended clues. Try the printed version first, test your knowledge with less information on the harder clues.

A4 Printable Version: Flamenco-Crossword-001-printable.pdf
TO PRINT: Click the link above and then click the print icon. (Adobe Reader may be required)

Across Finger snapping A flamenco family grandfather and dynasty patriach (died 1997) Signalling change Died (aged 72) of breast cancer in 1995 (singer, dancer, and actress) Originally male (a dance) Born Florencia Perez Padilla in 1918 (famous with partner) Buried without a funeral in Cuba (male dancer) Hassa (Jaleo meaning…) ______ de Carmen (place) Niño Ricardo was a child ______ prodigy. Performed at the White House for President Kennedy (M____E_______) Can express either sadness or happiness (lyric) Author, Purist and Flamencologist Diego del Gastor, a simple man wanted only for food, wine, and ________. Born in Italy, raised in New York (male dancer) A blind singer. (D______) A joyful dance from Cadiz

Down Flamenco Jam (event) We clap Response to duende _________ Méndez Garrido (Singer 1934-2004) His Monument in ‘La Línea’ reads “voz del tiempo” _____ are considered to be a pure source of flamenco. The mother songs sung by the likes of Tio Luis (1760-1830). Learnt, playing as a flamenco guitarist. Went on to elevate guitar to the concert hall (______A) One of the first to play solo flamenco guitar in a concert setting (R____M______) “The Dancer” (“_______ el Bailarin”) Cante _____ Sought by all (soul force)

A4 Printable Version: Flamenco-Crossword-001-printable.pdf
TO PRINT: Click the link above and then click the print icon. (Adobe Reader may be required)

ebastián Sánchez, a very easygoing and grounded individual, is Australian-Spanish, and a professional dancer who takes his flamenco seriously. His parents are Spanish and he has two brothers and two sisters. Sebastian’s father is from Jerez and his mother is from Zaragoza. They came to Australia in 1974 as migrants with Sebastián’s two eldest siblings. The Sánchez family lived in Brisbane for over twenty years, where Sebastián and his other sister were both born. In the mid 1990′s his parents decided to retire to Malaga and having just finished high school, Sebastián decided to return with them, living in Spain for nearly eight years before coming back to Australia to obtain a university degree.

THE INTERVIEW: Interviewing Sebastián Sánchez as he sat in a motel room, two hundred kilometres East of nowhere and deep in Western Queensland, I was able to get a very relaxed and honest response to some probing yet casual questions. What Sebastián had to say was crucial and insightful for anyone studying flamenco. I hope, like me, you will find this detailed and descriptive window into his flamenco lifestyle engaging and invaluable… But before we get into it… let me first set the scene…

THE TOUR: With the support of Red Chair, three flamenco dancers, one flamenco guitarist and one flamenco singer from Spain set out to take flamenco to a broad range of towns, covering every corner of Queensland – a uniquely Australian flamenco tour that included places such as Burketown on the Northern Gulf, Proserpine on the Eastern Whitsunday coast, and Quilpie (about as far due west from Brisbane as the train track will take you, as long as your experienced at riding in cattle cars). Over the course of 30 days, this talented group performed 16 shows in some pretty full-on and far-out places – beginning out near Mount Isa and ending in Toowoomba. They performed in ‘A’ grade, ‘B’ grade and even some ‘C’ grade venues. The venues ranged from big theatres, down to council halls, and even a street party in a remote town populated by only 650 people.

'Flamenco Fire' Queensland Tour (photo credit: Google Maps)

According to Red Chair, the focus with this tour was to avoid big cities and concentrate more on getting flamenco out to people who would otherwise never see flamenco in their lifetime. The added benefit of this was the performers, including Olayo Jiménez from Spain, got to explore the diverse countryside of Queensland and meet its people.

Olayo Jiménez is no stranger to our shores, but I couldn’t resist asking Sebastián how he has enjoyed the tour and specifically the Australian Outback.

“In every show he puts out 110%, people are really responding well to his art, he’s enjoying the wildlife, but I think he likes the beaches more. He’s been living near the sea in Spain, in Malaga, so I think it reminds him of home.”

If you’ve never been far from Australian cities (or even to Australia if your one of our many international readers), Burketown, for instance, is what Australians call ‘a one pub town’, which says more about the town’s people than the town’s facilities. It implies that the pub is the be-all and end-all of the town’s cultural activities. Burketown lies 25km from a remote coast (the Gulf of Carpentaria), north of the gulf savannah grass plains and 2661 kilometres from its state capital (Brisbane).

In Sebastián’s words, “Everyone is at the pub. That was an interesting place, but the people who came to the show really enjoyed it!”

I asked Sebastián how people have received the cantè (flamenco singing), since I believe that for many Australians it is an acquired taste, and often the last aspect of flamenco that they appreciate.

“With flamenco cantè, I find that it’s hard to appreciate it on a disc and on a CD, but once you see it live, in your face, you see the emotion – and Olayo definitely sings with a lot of emotion and expression – it’s easier to connect! You’re right, cantè is usually the last thing that Australian audiences usually connect to, but dancing with cantè, and playing with cantè, makes the show, and makes it a lot better. It has more soul to it. There is so much you can do with guitar, the cajon and other instruments, but to get to the traditional aspects of flamenco, to what flamenco is all about, you have to get to the roots (in my opinion) and cantè is where it all came from!”

For Sebastián, as a flamenco dancer, cantè is the soul and source of inspiration. He has spent extensive time in the last few years learning flamenco in Andalucía, in classes accompanied by a professional flamenco guitarist and singer.

“Learning to dance with cantè is the hardest and the best way to learn how to dance flamenco.”

Sebastián talked a little about the idiosyncracies and differences between flamenco in the different towns and regions of Spain, highlighting the differences between Seville and Jerez against the more progressive flamenco of Madrid. The latter containing more musicality, embracing instruments like the electric bass or the violin and a reliance on the cajon as opposed to the classic musical lineup – singing, palmas and guitar – seen in Seville and Jerez.  It seemed timely to ask about his style and more specifically about his relationship with the flamenco guitar.

“I like my guitarist to always play relaxed. I don’t want to be on edge, to get every single intricate part of my footwork right to every Golpe. He needs to accompany, and he has to feel relaxed playing with you. When you don’t have a singer, you rely heavily on a guitarist to come up with some really cool falsetas that you can do an escobilla to, or a rematè to. But when it takes it to the point of being millimetrically, metronomically exact to your footwork, I find that improvisation can just fly out the window. When you are doing a fifteen minute choreography, there have to be moments were you are free to do a bit of improvisation, and that’s when your guitarist needs to be relaxed and watch you as a dancer. He needs to be following the dance and not looking at his guitar, his monitor or the ceiling – and that’s not easy!”

Sebastián adds that there are a lot of fantastic concert guitarists in the current world of flamenco, but he describes flamenco guitarists who can accompany dancers as possessing another skill; one, open to a separate school of thought and, of mastering another technique that needs to be studied. As a dancer Sebastián likes freedom both for himself and for his guitarist, describing the opposite as living on either, the edge of perfection or, utter failure and possibly a breeding ground for tension among the group. A tension he has avoided on this tour, working with flamenco guitarist Damian Wright, who he was quick to praise.

Not wanting to focus the interview entirely on himself, Sebastián talked about the Brisbane flamenco scene where he initially studied under Simone Pope (also on tour with Flamenco Fire), an incredible dancer in her own right and the source of training and support for most of the professional flamencos that have come out of Brisbane. This brought me to asking about the other dancer touring with them throughout Queensland – Natalie Slect.

“Natalie has been studying flamenco for ten years now. She has studied in Jerez, in London and has always been one of Simone’s top students. This is her first time touring with Flamenco Fire, having come from ‘Jaleos Flamenco’, the performance group created by Simone Pope and Andrew Veivers. Natalie is doing a great job!”

Sebastián mentioned that the highlight from this tour has been travelling with a group of flamencos who all get along so well with each other, and getting to see some of the amazing countryside that the vast state of Queensland has to offer. This group – with this tour behind them – have all lived a very unique brand of truly Australian Flamenco. A story that I felt had to be shared with some further insight into how an Aussie guy comes late to flamenco and then lives the flamenco lifestyle with gusto, grace and humility.

Sebastián started studying flamenco dance with Simone Pope in 2001, one week after seeing her perform at a multicultural festival. Initially not taking it seriously – studying to be a business analyst at university was his first priority – he would attend two weekly classes in a row and then wouldn’t attend for a month and then come back again. I asked Sebastián what the turning point was that inspired him to go professional.

“The turning point was a couple of things. After a few years dancing with Simone I thought I was a good flamenco dancer (to tell you the truth), the arrogance of being the only male dancer in class, you get a cockiness about yourself. I was working in the government, as a business analyst after graduating, making good money and then I went to Jerez to do a couple of courses on my holidays. When I came back I had changed!“

On his return to Australia, and sparked off by a workshop with Tomas Arroquero, Sebastián became overwhelmed with a feeling that he only wanted to do flamenco, and he decided to go and live in Seville for a year, which turned into two years and then three. Initially supporting himself by teaching English, working at backpacker hotels, and working in bars, Sebastián trained to the point where he could eventually visit Russia to perform, teach, and hopefully return with savings. He did say that the secret is to live a very humble lifestyle.

“All us flamenco dancers, getting trained up in Spain, are very humble and often share an apartment, share studio rooms and live a very basic lifestyle.”

It’s coming up to four years that Sebastián Sánchez has called ‘Flamenco Spain’ home, travelling back to Australia and also to Russia to teach and perform. When he’s in Australia he spreads his wings wide to perform nationally and pass on a knowledge learnt from the likes of Andrés Peña, Rafael Campallo, Alejandro Granados and Manuel Betanzos. As Sebastián was praising his main teachers and giving me a detailed window into Manuel Betanzos’ school in Seville, I felt it was a perfect time to ask Sebastian to share some secrets with us. This is what he had to say…

“When dancing flamenco you must express your personality, you just can’t dance flamenco to how someone has taught you. Yes, you have to learn technique… Yes, you have to listen to your teachers… Yes, you have to listen to their advice, but you have to bring in your own personality. You can’t just bring personality with little technique. You need a base to put that personality on otherwise it doesn’t look real or respectful. It’s important that you learn A LOT of technique, you learn A LOT of body posture and body placement, and foot technique, and ‘soniquete’ in your feet. With the sound of our feet we need to be careful not dance very hard all the time and, instead, learn to be more percussive (in the groove).”

One of the things that I really liked about Sebastián was his understanding of being a student (in Australia and Spain) combined with a deep respect and understanding for flamenco from a performer’s point of view. He went on to share his ‘Four Important Secrets for Advanced Students” – but they are worthy of their own article, and so, you will have to wait until the inspiration (from this article) has faded a little before we give them the attention I believe they deserve. I will however leave you with this, my favourite quote from the interview!

“When you’re in Australia, you’d love to teach how you learnt in Spain, you would love to tell people, to their face, about the things you clearly see, but I find that Spanish way of teaching too confrontational, they might take it the wrong way. In Spain it’s quite normal for teachers to say what they see – ‘you’re not dancing great’ or ‘I really love what you just did… Ole!’ – in front of the whole class.”

Maybe flamenco schools across Australia should put up that old saying ‘Leave Your Ego at the Door!’ It’s good advice.

Thank you Sebastian, I love this photo. Flamencos in the red heart of Australia, Ole!

THE FOLLOW UP: In the next article Sebastián will urge you to take your flamenco a little more seriously. For Sebastián, flamenco is not a yoga class, it’s a cultural thing. He is living proof that even in Australia, it is possible to bear all the fruits that a flamenco lifestyle has to offer. I look forward to bringing you part two of Sebastián’s interview, where he will be urging you to take your flamenco a little more seriously and offering some more advanced tips for serious students and serious lovers of flamenco.

Look out for Sebastián Sánchez and Olayo Jiménez as they embark on tours nationally over the next few months. Both of them will be visiting most cities (separate tours), collaborating with local flamenco artists in performances and conducting workshops.

Sebastián Sánchez Upcoming Gigs

• Perth Workshop: Casa de Compas – 5th to 9th of September 2011
• Perth Performance: Kulcha Spring Season with Flamenco Puro – 10th and 11th of September 2011
• Brisbane Workshop: Simone Pope’s Flamenco Studio – 16th, 17th and 18th of September 2011
• Caloundra Workshop: Red Chair – 24th and 25th of September 2011
• Gold Coast Show: Flamenco Juerga at the Bread and Butter Restuarant (Kirra) – 27th of September 2011
• Adelaide Workshop: Alma Flamenca – 29th September to 2nd October 2011
• Sydney Performances: October (details TBC)

If there is only one thing you take away from this interview… “make an effort to see, understand and learn some more Cante!”