“A Spanish piano recital will collide, head on, with Perth’s finest Flamenco performers.”

Deanna Blacher one of Australia’s divas of Spanish Dance and the cultural fountain from which most of Western Australia’s flamenco dance talent has sprung, will take center stage as a virtuoso on Castenets. Deanna Blacher is critically acclaimed internationally for her work in elevating the Castenets to virtuoso solo status in the concert hall.

Flamenco dancers; Karen Henderson and Nicola de Rosa will weave amongst the percussive notes, invoking the passion of the untamed gypsy and expertly center her with the trained and disciplined core of a modern dancer in a bold attempt to bring duende to the stage.

Steve Richter will accompany on Cajon and turn up the heat on the crackling fire of flamenco footwork that is sure to wake up every soul who attends.

A truly unique chance to experience the atmosphere of a Spanish Tablao in a concert setting with all the professionalism one would expect from a world class event.

The piano recital that underlines this performance will feature a virtuosic repertoire inspired Spanish folklore and flamenco created by iconic Spanish composers such as Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados and Lola Fernandez.

Zen Zeng is part of the ‘Keyed Up’ programme presented by the UWA School of Music.

WHEN: Sunday, September 5th – 5pm

WHERE: Octagon Theatre (University of Western Australia)

BOOKINGS: Click here to book » Online at BOCS Ticketing

Flamenco performance group ‘Flamenco Areti’ and guitar trio ‘Caliente’ will come together to present !Venga Ginga Flamenca!

!Venga Ginga Flamenca! promises to be a thrilling showcase of music and dance taking it’s inspiration from the gypsy cultures of Brazil and Spain.

Two performances only!

WHERE: Nexus Multicultural Arts (Lions Arts Centre)
Corner North Terrace and Morphett Street
Adelaide, South Australia.

FRIDAY EVENING SHOW: 8pm – 27th August 2010
SUNDAY MATINEE: 4pm – 29th August 2010

COST: $25 adult / $20 concession and Nexus members

BOOKINGS: (08) 8212 4276
ONLINE: Buy Tickets

The Nexus Multicutural Arts Centre is just 5 minutes walk from the Adelaide Train Station and operates as a dynamic arts and social networking arena that encourages cultural diversity and collaborations.

Flamenco Areti is a premier Flamenco dance school and Performance Ensemble based in Adelaide, directed by Areti Boyaci (also performing regularly at Escobar in Adelaide every Friday night.)

The Caliente Trio are an exciting guitar trio faithful to their Brazilian origins. Consisting of Al Valodze, Mike Bevan and Dylan Woolcock, this exciting trio capture the soul of Brazilian music and blend it with Flamenco, Tango, Gypsy, Argentinian and African influences. They will also share their unique sounds with audiences at the Bellingin Global Carnival and the Adelaide International Guitar Festival later this year.

The last performance on the 11th of June was a packed house. For those that missed it , here is your chance to experience a night of flamenco that evolves from original guitar compositions to exciting dances rhythmic flavour and often ends in an impromptu fiesta.

Rowland Schultz (Vikingo De Jerez) is a self taught Flamenco guitarist discovered by Tommy Emmanuel in 2007.

‘Awesome music. Your stuff is really incredible’ Tommy Emmanuel

Rowland is inspired by the Gipsy Flamenco artists of Andalucia Spain and has been described as a Phenomenon by ‘Duquende’ the Duke of Duende who also happens to be Paco De Lucia’s most favored Gipsy Flamenco singer (Duquende is currently on tour with Paco De Lucia & Co 2010).

Rowland is also an accomplished Oud player and has infused the sound of the Oud into his unique Flamenco guitar technique. His style and drive as a flamenco guitarists has attracted the attention of leading Flamenco Artists and Musicians worldwide including Duquende, Tommy Emmanuel, Ginesa Ortega, Arcangel, Antonio Vargas, Misirli Ahmet, Harri Stojka and Lulo Reinhardt.

As an extravagant addition to the 7 piece troupe, Fernando Mira will grace the well worn planks of Open Studio’s floor.

WHEN: Friday 20th August 2010
204 High St, Northcote
$12 at the door
Show begins at 8pm sharp, we advise you arrive early to find a preferable seat.

Showcasing;

• Rowland Schultz (Vikingo De Jerez)
  Original Flamenco guitar compositions in the first set followed by…
• Laura Uhe, Aya Kitaoji, Fernando Mira and Chantelle
  Flamenco Dancers
• Los Cortes Gitanos
  Special Guest Gipsy Flamenco Singers from Spain.

The first one has been recently aired on Rage (ABC TV) a few times and we promptly receive a few emails from subscribers every time it airs, asking if we caught it or could track it down…

Luckily Marina in Sydney was right on top it…

This first video is fantastic and a very modern use of flamenco in a music video clip, even though it actually came out in 2007/2008.

The musician is ‘Iron and Wine‘, the current vehicle for Sam Beam (Austin, TX). Sam is a prolific song writer and many of his songs featured heavily in the film ‘In Good Company’ (2004) and more recently ‘Twilight’ (2008).

The following song is titled “Boy with a Coin.”

The set up… Sam Beam accompanying a flamenco dance class, the surprise is that while it’s not flamenco he’s playing, the music has an old rich sound to it, expertly played with a warm and catchy tone… It’s worth listening to the song without the visuals and it would obviously make for a surprising and exciting warm up song for any flamenco dance class (just to ease them in).

“A boy with a coin he found in the weeds. With bullets and pages of trade magazines. Close to a car that flipped on the turn. When God left the ground to circle the world.”

The dance class begins and the girls effortlessly go through a stunning marking and upper body choreography undercut with melodic guitar, haunting vocals all driven by a steady stream of palmas… The teacher looks on sternly, silently critiquing every move (as perfect as they are). Her bata de cola falling around Sam’s chair is the only hint of what is about to come…

“A girl with a bird she found in the snow. Then flew up her gown and that’s how she knows. That God made her eyes for crying at birth. Then left the ground to circle the Earth”

She picks up her skirt and the girls hand over the floor… Yaelisa’s bata is dropped like a witch preparing a spell and stirring a cauldron… And then the real magic starts!!!

“A boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans. Then making a wish he tossed in the sea. Walked to a town that all of us burn. When God left the ground to circle the world”

Her skirt has an extension and duende all of its own, skillfully cast and controlled she weaves a spell upon the dance floor as her frill gives birth to a flock of little… duendes?

The whole song and its performers are finally reduced to a silent enlightenment.

Wonderful stuff!!!

And of course very palatable with your Aussie friends who are not flamencos and who are unfamiliar or put off by traditional flamenco cante. 

I think the cinematographer is Davina Lee?
The Director is definitely Lauri Faggioni of Black Dog Films.

I recognized Yaelisa (also the choreographer), Melissa Cruz and Fanny Ara from the video night article we published early this year on Caminos Flamencos (An exquisite San Francisco Flamenco Company)…

Yaelisa along with her partner Jason McGuire and they company have built up a popular following in the USA by continually creating modern and innovative theatrical presentations around flamenco.

Here is the full list of flamenco dancers appearing in this video clip: Yaelisa, Melissa Cruz, Fanny Ara, Mizuho Sato, Clare Catalina, Paloma Rios, Evelyn Nacif, Briseyda Zarate and Vanessa Acosta

The second video is a Spanish Ad for Nike…

t the heart of this community is Lorena Cabezas, living a rich and full life in Tasmania, but in her own words “…never enough flamenco.” Lorena predominantly studied flamenco under Diana Reyes, Antonio Vargas and Liana Vargas. Lorena is very inspired to “heat up Hobartians” via flamenco and really keen to organize artists and teachers to come and visit.

Marina Tamayo from the Flamenco Australia school in Sydney will be braving the cold, rolling on the leg warmers and traveling down to Hobart in August (2010) to conduct a two day workshop in Flamenco Dance.

As this is the first time that Marina will be teaching flamenco in Hobart, I asked her what she is looking forward to the most, “So many great things, being surrounded by fresh air and green forests.  Immersing myself in dance for the whole weekend without having to go home to cook dinner or to change nappies…OLE.”

And as to what students and first time students can expect, Marina had this to say. “I always conduct my workshops to suit the students.  Overall we will keep it dancer friendly, with practical choreography that can be used for performance and also a non complicated tool in understanding how to mount a dance of the same palo. We will learn in Beginners Fandangos de Huelva and Intermediate levels Seguriyas I also touch on the compas breakdowns, what to look out for in the guitar/dancers relationship.”

“We will spend the weekend having a wonderful time dancing and learning in a positive and educative environment whilst celebrating flamenco.”

All levels are welcome to attend the workshop and private classes will also be available by appointment.

Marina will teach the Fandangos of Huelva with fans for beginners

The Hobart flamenco workshops take place on the 7th and 8th of August 2010 and over these two days Marina will teach; Fandangos de Huelva con abanico (The Fandangos of Huelva with fans for beginners)  and Seguiriyas (for the intermediate classes).’

Marina Tamayo is one of Australia most active flamenco dance teachers as well as producing and promoting many small and large scale flamenco events each year. I asked Marina what keeps her going, and keeps her undertaking little projects like this upcoming trip to Hobart…

“The love of Flamenco… the music, the dance, the song, the passion, the freedom of expression all these elements and more keep me motivated to do more work and to create. This project in Hobart is as big as my work on stage or film its has the same priority. I have been to Tasmania to trek the national parks and just fell in love with the place so any excuse to work there is a bonus. I am super grateful to be invited to Hobart. Can’t wait!”

Marina Tamayo – Flamenco Dance Workshops Hobart 2010

• SATURDAY 7th August
  • Beginners – 2:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Inter/Adv – 5pm to 7pm
• SUNDAY 8th August
  • Beginners – 12:30pm to 2:30pm
  • Inter / Adv – 10am to 12pm

The venue will be the Hobart Regatta Grounds, Hobart (John Colvin Stand).

The cost is $100 for each 4 hour workshop over two days.

For bookings contact Lorena:
flamencohbt [at] gmail.com

CALL – 0409 517 002

The 9^th day of the 30^th Edition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival was another intense day of class, and The Concierto de los Alumnos in the historic Sala Oríve.

© JoseAntonioRodriguez.es

The 9^th day was the 4^th day of class, and here I will give you some more insight to the 3^rd and 4^th days of class. The 3^rd day of class began with José Antonio listening to each student in the alto level of the course play non-rhythmic or free toques. Commonly referred to in cante as hondo (deep, profound) or cantes grandes. But these forms do indeed have an inner rhythmic impulse that must always be present, as all of our faculty have expressed repeatedly in the three years I have been in the course. He would also comment on falsetas that were not characteristic of the particular toque or form, (genre) either in the cante or in the toque. He also imparted to us that the salida from Fandangos Grandes or from Malagueñas must be present in transposition to the other profound relatives to the Fandangos, (Malagueñas, Tarantas, Granaínas, Mineras, etc). If those salidas are not present, it does not sound indicative of the form or genre, and one cannot say that their composition is of that particular genre. Also if one opens a Granaína in E minor, it is dangerous. Without a salida to the Andalusian cadence in B Greek Doric, immediately, it will sound like a Vidalita or a Milonga, depending on the meter you choose for the Granaína. It is even more dangerous to end a Granaína in Em. One could play B augmented as a final chord and get a similar effect without breaking the rules of the Andalusian cadence.

Manolo Sanlúcar y Carmen Linares album

Later in the class of Manolo Sanlúcar, he spoke of the compositional process. He said this to the class after a student played, “It is important to have a process and manner of composing, the same way you have a manner of getting dressed, and the hair dresser has a manner of cutting your hair, and you have a process or manner of grooming yourself.” Manolo added, “How can composition not have a process… except whim?” He went on to show us his process and one result of it, the fifth track on Locura de Brisa y Trini. He played it over and over again… live… and talked about it as he played… and in between uninterrupted playing. It was spellbinding and surreal. He went on to say that this concept is historic and not understood by many outside of this room of present company. He said that when Carmen Linares began to use this concept, (born from intuition) freely, it became part of the flamenco lexicon of cante. One must understand this system in order to effective accompany Carmen Linares in all of her musical being, therefore it is unquestionably valid.

Day 4 of class began with José Antonio telling us that velocity is a result of knowing how your hands work when you play slowly, and softly, and that when you play louder or faster, the movement should be no different. This is profound, and José Antonio, is certainly showing us here that he has completed his training, and is indeed a Jedi, and strong with the force.

“Velocity is a result of knowing how
your hands work when you play slowly”

Another unrelated tip, C minor 6^th, can also be spelled as a B7b9 (no root) in Granaínas and be used as a substitution for the tonic chord, but not used as a final chord.

Maestro Sanlúcar says that a common problem is that young guitarists are not using important identifying features of the toques, such as the D7/F# in Tarantas, and Granaínas. All of our faculty have imparted this to us repeatedly… well to those who have been here repeatedly. They will surely repeat this information several times before the course ends.

It is not necessary to change the scheme of the toques in flamenco. There has been one new form in the last 70 years, Rondeñas. Manolo also says that a Guajíra is actually a Vals Perúano, and that if your work does emphasizes the ¾ meter, even as the 6/8 is present, it is a Vals Perúano in the Greek Doric Mode, or Minor, or whatever mode one is playing in that meter.

Another axiom Maestro shared with us is that one needs to play with their own identity, not to play one phrase in one character, and then sound like another artist in the next. “Study the forms (recordings/artists) to study their treatment, for understanding.

Another is that the raised third scale degree should only be used melodically at the final chord in resolution, for example in the common arpeggio lick that is played on beats 7-8-9 in Soleá, should use G-natural to create discourse, tension, and resolution.

There is more that was said that is in Manolo’s book, Sobre la Guitarra Flamenca: Teoría y Sistema…. Ediciones las Posadas, Córdoba, 2005. So I will say for now, get the book, and after you do, if you need my translation, send me an email at cwhitehead@csufresno.edu

Sala Oríve - Córdoba

I played in The Concierto de los Alumnos last night for the third time. The Sala Oríve is truly an impressive place… I can say it is the oldest hall in which I have ever played. The Sala is one of the most beautiful, spectacular, and awe-inspiring places in the world. You have to come here just for this! And the sound there is so good it is beyond words. My personal video of my performance is of poor quality, but I will see if I can get my hands on a better recording of my performance to share with you!

Hasta pronto!

Corey

The 8^th Day of the 30^th Edition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival was most memorable for two reasons, what happened in class, and the historic recital of “La Mujer de la Guitarra Flamenca,” Celia Morales.

began the day assuming I was to go upstairs to Maestro Sanlúcar’s class, so I arrived there early and was rehearsing my composition until he walked by and told me I was in the wrong class. I can only say here, that there was something more in that moment that he said before telling me I was in the wrong place that I will leave between the walls of the Palacio de Congresos, and the ears of those who were present. It inspired and humbled me beyond words. I have never been so inspired. Then I gathered my things and went to the class of Manolo Franco where we learned a Bulería por Soleá that showed all of us why Maestro Sanlúcar has called Manolo Franco the world’s greatest flamenco guitarist.

Then, each student in the alto level of the course played their compositions for Manolo Franco. The class is focused on rhythmic flamenco forms. The room was frigid, it was early, and all of the guitarists showed their poise as each delivered high level performances, except me, I was nervous, and fumbled a bit where I was normally self-assured and Manolo Franco did not have much to say about my performance. So after the break, I went upstairs to the warmer and more spacious room where Maestro Sanlúcar’s class is held. And something strange happened, I became extremely calm in his presence, and watched a brilliant performance by another student. Then I volunteered to play, and I played the best performance of my entire life in front of him and the students in two highest levels of the course. This is the most stressful environment one can imagine, and I felt out of body at times, I cannot explain it, I felt something special in that place at that moment. I am now at the risk of sounding metaphysical, or a little bit crazy, (Maestro says that “If one is not a little bit crazy, you will create nothing”) but I heard from a close friend that Vicente Amigo was in the Patio of the Palacio de Congresos at the moment I was playing. All I can say is I was first moved, and infected with the love of Flamenco from Paco de Lucía, and then went crazy when I heard Vicente Amigo, and then was certified nuts for flamenco when I heard Maestro Sanlúcar. And at this moment Maestro Sanlúcar showed why he is the Grand Maestro of the flamenco guitar.

Maestro Sanlucar

He expressed that he loved my composition, it was of a very high artistic level, and he liked my performance. But, told me that in places I was leaving the melodic note at the end of a phrase unsupported by a harmony, or a chord. And in another case, he changed my parallel 3rds to 5ths an 6ths. In both cases he said that it was “Como música pobre.” But then he gave me the remedy. That is why I came here. To get my tail kicked. He then demonstrated specific harmonies that were profoundly moving, and very flamenco! Then he showed me that even strong ligado when used to often is not preferable to playing with the lexicon of flamenco techniques, melodic inflections, and most importantly, melodic discourse. Maestro Sanlúcar showed me how to develop, transform, change, and adorn, the themes in my work, and all those that I have written, and will write.

I was forever changed. I have been here for four years now and in the course three times, and finally, I played well enough for him, and flamenco enough, to get the best lesson I have ever had in my life from him. He made me play the work again several times, and in detail showed the aforementioned melodic and harmonic secrets of his playing that so changed Vicente Amigo in his formative years. This is why I came here at first, but now I am here only for Maestro Sanlúcar and our esteemed flamenco faculty, but I still wish to meet Vicente desperately, and I have heard many people tell me they see him everywhere on the streets, con la gente, immersed in his own culture, the unique flamenco culture of Córdoba. It does affect your flamenco, being here, immersed in the culture. I have plans to immerse myself in it, that will be publicly revealed soon. And it will only be then that I can complete my training, as Luke Skywalker traveled to the Dagobah System to complete his training with Yoda.

Jedi Sanlúcar y Padawan Whitehead

I study with Maestro Sanlúcar, because I aspire to know how he has created a sound that from his own intuition, found something new while composing in his house. When he discovered it by intuition, it led him on a search for six months, using all of his knowledge, to compose a theme and justify it within the Greek musical system from which flamenco is most closely related. This system is explained in application in detail on video at the You Tube channel called Flamenco Professor. However, to truly understand it one must study here. This system using the Greek Mixolydian and Greek Hypo-Mixolydian modes for example G# to G# with three sharps in the key signature (resemble our modern Locrian scale, but descending) as the melodic material over an E9 chord, with occasional inflections to other pitches such as, Eb and Bb. This scale can resolve to any of the Seven Flamenco Key Centers, (or other key centers). And then he went off playing and singing from his album with Carmen Linares, and explaining what he does, but not with his mouth… with his fingers.

In one unrelated moment he gave a memorable statement at a moment when he was defining for the class what is correct or not correct in respect to the Art and Culture of Flamenco… he held the guitar out away from his body as if to put it right in our faces, and said,

“This… [playing] is where we find the truth, not by speaking”

In a moment from last year’s class when a student asked, “How do I know when my composition, or phrase is flamenco?” Maestro Sanlúcar said, “When a 5 year-old from Jerez says it is.”

I have many more, but will ask Maestro Sanlúcar for permission before I share them.

Then there was the concert in the evening, Celia Morales. She showed the compositional prowess of one who has studied with Maestro Sanlúcar, and gave a commanding performance. She had a moment in her Tangos where she stopped… seemed to be lost… and shaken… and then humbly asked the audience with respect to start the work again, and delivered her best and she dominated the very same work that had shaken her, and brought the crowd to a roar, and then to their feet! It was extremely moving, and inspiring.

I am going to stay home and practice tonight. I have to miss David Russell to do so ! But there is still work to do that will not end until the hotel staff cuts me off… from playing flamenco

Hasta Pronto,

Corey

The 7^th Day of the 30^th Edition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival was yet another special day as all of Spain continued to celebrate their World Cup victory. I briefly watched celebrations in Madrid on TV that had not stopped since they began. In fact they only intensified and became more organized. In fact I am writing this article on the 8^th day of the Festival and the celebration continues… but in Córdoba there was a different kind of scene. The customary colloquialism, “Que pasa tío?” was replaced by the glow of pure joy.

Palacio de Congresos cordoba

I arrived early in the doors of the Palacio de Congresos at 9:30am for the first day of class with Manolo Sanlúcar. I sat in the patio of this 8^th Century work of art and played until many old friends began arriving and the reunion began. Manolo Franco, Paco Serrano and José Antonio Rodríguez and all of the students were brought together in a long conference room on the 4^th and highest floor with Maestro Sanlúcar. He read each student’s name and assigned them to one of four levels, and then he addressed the entire group. The lecture was profound, and inspiring, and with a sober and commanding presence the Maestro had every person listening to every nuance so intently, one had completely forgotten about the World Cup. This was the World Cup, of Flamenco Pedagogy, and performance…
The level is extremely high again this year. The majority of these players are professionals and young aspiring professionals, from Spain. There are two student concerts, on one July 15^th and the other on July 22^nd, and the competition performances on the 18^th and 20^th, are going to be of an extremely high level, like the World Cup.

Then the evening brought the captivating Eva Yerbabuena Flamenco Company to the Stage of the historic Gran Teatro. The program was titled “Por qué lluvia.” The curtain rose and the stage was filled with singers, and dancers, frozen, without movement. The scene was set in the calle in front of a rustic, yet grand and majestic puerta. The costumes were later extremely traditional, but at this time, all were dressed as if in the street. The backdrop upon which the scene was cast was at times translucent. (Later under different lighting, the entire group of singers, and instrumentalists were visible.)

Eva Yerbabuena 'lluvia'

Then in this silence Eva Yerbabuena came dressed like a child, a maiden, a virgin, to the stage down the center aisle through the crowd, as if she was sleepwalking, or hypnotized. She ascended the steps placed at the front of the stage and then fell into a fetal position as the others were frozen. They began to writhe, and tremble, and shake violently… and then her condition seemed to infect several others and they began to show symptoms of her infection. The next scene, called “Tremelo” featured modern dance movement that continued as a theme to the show, which juxtaposed the traditional flamenco art with modern dance… as if in a struggle of traditional flamenco versus the modern conceptualism. The compás was absent, building tension and anticipation, and then the stage exploded into a display of compás, soniquete, duende, and passionate modernism that continued until the work closed as it opened and the protagonista walked off the stage the way she entered.

Eva Yerbabuena

The cante was powerful and authentic with the four cantaors, Enrique el Extrameño, Pepe de Pura, Jeromo Segura, and José Valencia. The guitarists, Paco Jarana and Manuel de la Luz were extremely strong accompanists and supported the dominating dance performance on par with the level of the bailaors and bailaoras. They were Mercedes de Córdoba, Lorena Franco, Eduardo Gurerro, and Fernando Jiménez. They were all equal to their leader until Eva unleashed a fury of footwork that had her levitating and moving across the stage for several phrases until she brought the crowd to a roar with her thunderous and agile remates. The percussionists, “El Pájaro” and Raúl Domínguez were equally impressive.

Tonight I will go the see “La mujer de la guitarra flamenca” Celia Morales at 21:30.

Hasta pronto!

Corey

The sixth day of the 30^th Edition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival was unlike any other day in the history of the Festival, and Spain. The apparent tension in front of every television, big screen, and radio was somehow transmitted to the empty streets as I walked about for a moment during the game and felt the same tension I felt in front of my television in my hotel room, that something big was about to happen. I returned to my hotel and I continued to rehearse in front of the screen waiting for something to happen in overtime. And soon enough something happened….(winning the World Cup Final would surely send the Spanish into a frenzy, but the way it happened intensified the euphoria) the Plaza de Las Tendillas erupted into a fiesta unlike any other Spain has seen. The celebration delayed the start of the evening concert and the walk to the venue was lively to say the least!

Leo Brouwer’s Aleluya por Córdoba (Brouwer was the Director of the Orchestra from 1992-2001) and caused him to arrive a bit late because of traffic. The only kind of intense traffic here is foot traffic, so it was a bit unusual to see the streets filled with cars…. and that they were also waving the Spanish flag.

In this concert Paco Serrano and Javier Riba interpreted Albéniz Flamenco, with the Plectrum Orchestra of Cordoba. Javier Riba and Juan Luis González as director interpreted Castillos de sal and by Javier Villafuerte Acerca de la felicidad, by soloist Javier Riba. Paco Serrano joined Riba for duo arrangement of Albéniz favorites including Granada. Also participating in this concert were the Guitar Orchestra of Córdoba under the direction of José Manuel Hierro which interpreted Poeta (Vicente Amigo) Entre dos Aguas (Paco de Lucía) Caballo negro (Manolo Salúcar) among other well-known themes. The Coro Ziryab closed the show with all performers onstage minus soloist, Serrano. This choir, under the direction of Leo Brouwer, exhibited something unlike I had ever seen… a choir with compás, soniquete, aire…. Duende! Need I say more to you lovers of Flamenco? I lived history! Thank you Maestros Brouwer, Serrano, Riba, González, Hierro! Thank you Córdoba! And the game was historical also!

I am off to see The Eva Yerbabuena Flamenco Company this evening! I will give a full report tomorrow. And soon will give some insight to what I am learning in class

Cheers,

Corey

Editors Note: Daily updates from the Cordoba Guitar Festival – Day 3 to 5 – sent in by Corey Whitehead!

The third and fourth days of the 30^th Edition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival brought Pepe Romero and Duo Assad to the stage of El Teatro Cómico. It is difficult to rest, rehearse and go to all of the concerts and recitals at the Festival, so we had to pick our spots in cases to rest, sometimes during a concert. So we missed Pepe Romero and saw the Duo Assad concert on Friday, July 10^th. They were in typical form, astounding the audience with their mastery of ensemble performance, breathtaking technique, and world-class repertoire (and compositions). Odair played solo works of Sérgio from Odair’s new solo CD, they were crowd favorites along with Sérgio’s Grammy-winning composition (for two guitars) from 2005.

Jose Antonio Rodriguez y Manolo Sanlucar

Saturday July 10^th was much anticipated by all flamenco fans as “F-2” Arcángel and José Antonio Rodríguez (JAR) (with Chico Gallardo-2^nd guitar, Agustin Diassera-percussion, Pedro Vinagre-Bass, Coros y Palmas-Los Mellis, Baile-Mercedes de Córdoba). F-2 is the union of two of the most significant artists in the flamenco music scene. This project naturally unifies their styles creating the concept that represents the two (2). As these two have crossed paths, in this encounter, we are submerged in an atmosphere that is absolutely overflowing with ideas that give us music for the creation of flamenco of a high level, in concept and in foundation. They are revered for their technique, technology, and manner of feeling flamenco, that brings to this presentation, an equilibrium between the guitar and the cante. F-2 was born with the intention of being a fabric of ideas from a laboratory of art, in which they have included special guest artists, for that they are the summation of the natural manner of a project, alive and full of energy, recognizing equilibrium and passion. Together they share a vision that enlightens the world of Flamenco from the “Ciudad de Las Ideas” and through their formation have continued the Renaissance of Thought and Ideas that exists in Flamenco, and gives it new life, as the Gualquvir River flows from Córdoba, F-2 flows from Córdoba, and from the inspiration of Manolo Sanlúcar to Sevilla, Cádiz, Jerez, and on to Sanlúcar de Barremeda.

The concert began with the entire group and it was immediately apparent that the supporting cast was up to the task. Los Mellis were powerful cantaors and were exhibiting soniquete of the highest order with Agustín Diaserra and the palmas of Arcángel. The arrangement was breathtaking, as was the performance of the dynamic duo. The concert progressed with a traditional duo without the group. JAR was exhibiting a clinic on accompaniment of cante. Then the entire group was joined by the prima ballerina of The Eva Yerbabuena Flamenco Company, Mercedes de Córdoba. She was mesmerizing. A particularly interesting part of the evening was when Arcángel joined JAR at front stage and played guitar! Yes! He played guitar accompanying JAR and at times, himself. It was quite memorable. Another memorable moment was when the group without JAR accompanied Arcángel por Bulerías de Jerez. The main vocal microphone failed and all that remained were the PZM mics for the dancer. They picked up the feet and palmas, and the vocals of Los Mellis, but not Arcángel, he remained poised, and delivered a stunning performance with no microphone and brought the house to a frenzy.

Tonight is the World Cup Final, and in Spain you might know what that means this year! After that Leo Brouwer conducts the Orchestra of Córdoba with Coro Ziriyab, and Paco Serano and Javier Riba on guitars! It is at 23:30 at the Roman Ampitheater, it will be a unique evening for sure.

Saludos,

Corey

Editors Note: While I can’t find decent any video of  F-2 in action, This is a good excuse for me to drop in one of my favorite Manolo Sanlúcar videos (below), which features José Antonio Rodríguez (JAR).