My aunt Ava, who is 7 months older than me, always had a knack for finding great bands just before the rest of the world caught on.  One day in late'79, she brought home an album called Reggatta De Blanc by some new English band called the Police.  I was in the family room watching a new episode of The Muppet Show, when I heard music playing at TOP volume in her room.  I turned down the television a listened to her singing along with a song that turned out to be "Message In a Bottle."

It had a great riff, killer vocals, and a sound that I'd never heard before.  It sounded new, fresh, and exciting.  I forgot about turning up the volume of the television, and just sat there listening to her new album.  As each track played, I found myself more and more attracted to this strange, new sound.  I couldn't stand it anymore.

I went to her room and pounded on the door as hard as I could.  When the door opened, I asked her what she was listening to.  She said, "The Police.  They're a new band from England.  They're great."  She then showed me the blue and silver album cover, as well as pictures and articles she'd been collecting from magazines about the band.  Sting was her latest infatuation.  He looked like a young, handsome, surly rock star.  She went on to tell me that she was in love with him.

After a month, the record found itself in my clutches and on my stereo for a long time.  There were moody, inventive rock pieces ("Walking On The Moon," "The Bed's Too Big Without You"), intense rock work-outs ("Deathwish," "Reggatta De Blanc") and quirky pop songs ("It's Alright For You,""On Any Other Day," "Does Everyone Stare").  The album appealed to my maturing musical tastes and kicked ass.

Into the next decade, I would start collecting Police records.  The albums usually had more great songs than not, and the 45 RPM singles had B-sides unavailable anywhere else.  It was the power of Sting's writing, vocals, and bass chops that kept me in "Police mode" for a few years.  And as predicted, the "rest of the world" finally caught up with Ava's taste.

When he went solo in '85 with Dream of The Blue Turtles, I kinda gave up on him.  I was already into R.E.M., U2, and music from the 60s.  Sting's "new" music didn't really catch my ear.  It wasn't until I saw him on Saturday Night Live promoting his '87 album ...Nothing Like The Sun that Sting recaptured my attention.  He sang a new tune called "We'll Be Together Tonight" and a wonderful rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" (which dovetailed into a cool version of the Beatles' "From Me To You").  I bought the album the very next day (it was my first purchase of a new fangled thing called a compact disc).  There was so much beautiful music on that disc, including "Englishman in New York" and "The Secret Wedding Vow," which still brings a tear to my eye.

Sting's taste for jazz, flamenco, and other types of music started leading me into previously unchartered musical territory.  Through him I started revisiting my uncle Kenny's records by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, which used to be background music in my youth.  I started adding Segovia to my guitar lessons.  I started expanding as a young musician because of Sting's music.  To this day, I still listen to his music for inspiration and music lessons.

Sting's birthday lands on October 2.  With that I say Happy birthday, Sting.  You've been a real source of inspiration for almost 30 years of my musical life.  I've learned so much from listening and watching you that I cannot even begin to tell you.  You are an inspiration to me, and hopefully one day we can sit down and talk music.  I think I just might be a tad intimidated about getting you to play on a Poppermost song.  You rock.

Please note: The original release date of this album was October 5th, 1979.

Currently listening : Reggatta De Blanc [Vinyl LP] [Stereo] By The Police

I started taking dance lessons when I was 4 years old and I have continued off and on all my life.  I have taken tap, many years of ballet (3rd place in the HS talent show!), modern, jazz, square dancing, danced in NY, and danced with several groups.  I love performing and I love costumes.   My latest dance love is Flamenco!  Yes, that artful discipline from Spain.   The beautiful, lithe dancers with the mesmerizing hands and the incredible footwork.  Two lessons a week if possible, learning a little Spanish to keep up with the teacher and trying to make my hands, arms, feet, and head all do the right thing at the right time!!!

Flamenco shoes do not have taps on the bottom of them, they actually have hundreds of tiny little nails (nailed in very close together-overlapping) on the bottom of them.  The bottom of the heels are completely covered with nails.  The front part of about one-third of the bottom of the toe of the shoe is also covered in overlapping nails.   After dancing for a long while the nail-heads start to thin slightly and they start to look like one big tap, but they never quite get that far.  I just use it as a word illustration for you, the reader.  Sometimes a dancer will have nails fall out -- they don't have a very long shank because your foot is on the other side of a thin piece of leather.   And to make the characteristic sounds that you hear in Flamenco, there is a lot of stomping.  If too many nails fall out, then you have to get your shoes re-nailed, something easily done in Spain,  but more difficult to find an artisan here to do it. 

I now have three pairs of flamenco shoes.  My black suede ones; the suede looks really elegant and the heels are lower which is good for classes.  Then there are the red suede shoes that I ordered from Portland while I was living in Kansas.  I just had to have a pair of red shoes!  Those shoes are now dancing (on my feet) at the place where they started in the US!  But, my best shoes are my Gallardos from Spain.  They are beautiful black leather shoes with very high heels.  Very characteristic in design, many dancers can tell immediately that they are Gallardos, even from a distance!  When I put my flamenco shoes on my feet, my mind enters another world...the world of clapping rhythms, the world of passionate guitars, the world of footwork combinations that entrance -even the performer as well as the observer. 

My beginning instructor taught that Flamenco is "all about attitude!".  Well, let me tell you, at that time I had no trouble creating an "attititude"!  My Mother had just passed away and I was going through a devastating divorce that I did not want... so "attitude" was easy to come by then.  Now, I have to dig deeper to come up with it, but that is helping me find my dance persona.  I have been able to find my new flamenco attitude, and surprisingly for me, I like it much better than the grief/disappointment attitude of old.  I feel that my new flamenco attitude is more pure -- not just more pure for me, but more pure for the dance as well.  Now, if it will only make me a better dancer!!!!  Remember, I said that I "take lessons";  I didn't say how good I am!!!  If you are interested in more information on flamenco lessons here in Portland, please go to www.flamencodance.com.   I highly recommend Mitsue as an excellent teacher of Flamenco at the Solo Flamenco School of Dance.

The first time I ever listen to Camaron is in this video "that I post it down" and I was like  what kind of music is this cuz its different from salsa and Marc Anthony thing !! I never heard Flamenco before and I start to search about it and It turnout that it's a movie about Camaron !! so I start to search for the movie but I didn't find it in amazon !! I really want to watch the movie cuz I love Latino movies when they show you their music legends.

"The movie is about the life of Camarón, aka "José Monje Cruz" probably the best flamenco singer ever: How he starts in music, acknowledgment by public and early death due to cancer. In fact the movie is quite boring, almost anything happens but the main character singing. At any moment the plot is interesting (unless you are Camarón's supporter) and many of the characters are totally empty: for example Veronica Sanchez play as Camaron's wife, or the character of Camaron's best friend, which though important, are not very well build. The only good thing is Óscar Jaenada, he proves that when he wants, can act very well (a Goya totally deserved). His acting is outstanding and it is by far, the only reason to watch these movie, that is perhaps, too long for the things to tell. There are many better films, and except by Jaenada, it has anything good." IMDB.com

Gitano canastero, madrileño -Pozuelo de Alarcón 1935 - abuelo de "El Carpeta" - el benjamin - Y de Farruquito.

Fue un bailaor de una fuerza impresionante y de una gran expresividad, su manera de plantarse tirando el singular sombrero, sus andares y vueltas en un palmo con una contundencia y rigor excepcionales.

Las palmas de las manos en todo lo alto con los brazos en V, auguran que ahí está el arte singular del Patriarca, el Farruco.

ANTONIO MONTOYA FLORES

EL FARRUCO

Saltos a compás, pañuelo al cuello y peñizco a la chaqueta, arte gitano puro.

Saludos.

Doria

Mi semana bloguera va de ángeles. El ángel de la película El cielo puede esperar, el libro Ángel para un final de Sergio Crespo y la onomástica de los arcángeles (yo incluido). La cierro con Francisco José Arcángel Ramos, Arcángel. El cantaor onubense desplegó anoche las alas del cante en el Teatro Lope de Vega de Sevilla. Con De dónde venimos, a dónde vamos, quiere mostrarnos sin renunciar a las raíces, a lo puro, uno de los caminos posibles por dónde puede evolucionar el flamenco; él mismo reconocía en los camerinos, a los que llegué con el salvoconducto de la presencia de Paco Perujo, que sólo ha mostrado una de las posibles vías, que puede o ser o no la acertada, que está transitando un territorio aún por conquistar e investigar. El recital se divide en dos partes: la primera es un homenaje a lo clásico, a los palos ortodoxos, donde se fajó a fondo, y una segunda en la que el intérprete experimenta nuevas recetas, evoluciona algunos cantes, explora la mixtura del flamenco con otros ritmos y otras técnicas de percusión. Sin restarle méritos a esta vocación de estudio y de avance musical, llena de sensaciones y apuestas de riesgos que no desentonaron, especialmente Quitasueños II, un tema de percusión con uso del sampler, me quedo con los primeros 45 minutos de ortodoxia y derroche en torno al patrimonio tradicional del flamenco. El cierre prodigioso por soléa, que puso broche de oro a un pregón y un romance, la profundidad de una granaína, el enlace de tarantos y una taranta y, especialmente, unos tangos de Granada que me pusieron la piel de gallina. Arcángel tiene una voz clara, afinada y sensible, que se perdió cuando interpretó a pulmón, sin micro, unas bulerías en la inmensidad de Lope de Vega.  Eso fue lo único que me disgustó, achacable al artista, de un espectáculo redondo y valiente. Del desastre del responsable de la animación visual no tiene ninguna culpa, una cita de tanto relumbrón como la Bienal de Sevilla no se merece una proyección plagada de errores y desajustes, una proyección tan poco profesional.

Me voy por fandangos de Árcangel: «Si tú mirabas p'alante / y yo miraba p'atrás, / con darnos los dos la vuelta / nos volvemos a encontrar». Nos vemos el jueves. Otro ángel estará allí.

Foto: ABC.

Radio Gladys Palmera

Des animateurs spécialisés de toutes nationalités, ont alors commencé à présenter et diffuser les différents rythmes latinos avec des Programmes tels que Calle Heredia, Memoria de la Habana, Terra de Bamba, Carribean Beat, Tanga, Picadillo ou Sabrosura.

La fréquence est toujours restée la même depuis les débuts:  96.6 FM. Ses horaires, du ludi au Samedi, de minuit à 14.00 heures, et le dimanche durant toute la journée.  L'audience, augmentera régulièrement au fil des années.  Cette même audience aura très vite compris l'importance de partager l'espace radial avec d'autres radios (Radio Pica) et, avant tout, aura le choix de ses préférences musicales lors de plages horaires déterminées. Son cubain, Reggae, Boléro, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Samba, Tango, Rythmes Tropicaux jusqu'au Flamenco auront tous leurs plages horaires spécifiques.

Radio Gladys Palmira se démarque de toutes les radios passant uniquement de la musique faite pour les pistes de danse.  Elle offre beaucoup plus: des programmes d'info, un blog, un espace impressionnant de labels, des entrevues, du Funk, du Latin Jazz et de très intéressants podcasts!

A écouter sans modération!

Did she see those beautiful travellers
Singing flamenco
As never before
No

Did she listen to
That baby
Crying for two much light
In a sudden

Did she admire
The colours of time covered
By the sash-window

Did she hear
The voice announcing all stops
And departures

Did she notice
Those passengers come and go
No

Her eyes were just flow

Mae Linat © 2008

Como decía mi profe de Química del instituto (Al que apodábamos "Pistolas" por haberse quedado solo con el pugar y el índice de su mano derecha tras un accidente en el laboratorio): "Sobran comentarios".

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzdownloadv.php?id=3673

Ahora que me siento más en forma quiero coger el coche y un ratito a pie y otro andando, poner rumbo al que debió ser Estadio Olimpico para  una vez allí, entrar a saludar a Fernando García Haldón y su gente y desearles toda clase de exitos en el nuevo empeño que hoy, bueno casi, mañana dia tres de octubre de 2008, echa a andar;

laradiodelosblogueros.blogspot.com

Aprovechando esta larga caminata hasta las afueras de El Alamillo, una vez ya en Punto Radio quiero dejar mi Homenaje y reconocimiento a todos los bloggeros que, dia a día, están haciendo de la blogosfera sevillana  un lugar de encuentro, deleite, reflexión y cruce de información y enriquecimiento entre ciudadanos libres y plurales de esta tierra de Maria Santísima.

Como estamos en tiempo de bienal os he traido un regalo audiovisual inédito -dos vídeos-  que corresponden ambos al espectáculo;

HOMENAJE A LOS MAESTROS DEL BAILE

ENRIQUE EL COJO - EL FARRUCO - MATILDE CORAL Y RAFAEL EL NEGRO

Que cerró como broche final la IIª Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, "El Baile" y que tuvo lugar el 12 de octubre de 1.982, justo va  hacer  ahora la friolera de 26 años.

El 1º de los vídeos corresponde a la presentación que del espectáculo hizo José Luis Ortiz Nuevo.

El 2º vídeo recoje un espectáculo único e irrepetible; el baile de ese "asalto a la Naturaleza" que fue Enrique El Cojo interpretando con un arte, maestría y una gracia única; "Aires Salineros" - Cádiz según Sevilla-. Por detrás le cantan Chano Lobato, El Nano y Rafa Fernandez y le tocan la guitarra, nada más y nada menos que Parrilla, Juan Habichuela y Manolo Dominguez "El Rubio"

Queridos blogueros ¡Vamos a escuchá! ¡Salud para todos! y suerte para laradiodelosblogueros.blogspot.com

Doria

]]> http://benvinguts.wordpress.com/?p=113 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:25:18 +0000 Momo http://benvinguts.de.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/smash-y-lole-montoya-i-una-sorpresa/ Una mica en la línia del podcast de Triana us deixo aquí dos vídeos de youtube prou interessants a la meva manera de veure.

En aquest primer teniu a Smash, el primer grup espanyol de rock andalús, interpretant Tiny Peter... i acompanyats per Lole Montoya... ¡¡casi na!!

M'ha agradat moltíssim trobar aquest video, que poso a continuació: antic i molt flamenc, interpretat bàsicament per criatures, que ara són grans, alguns desconeguts i algun altre no tant...

La primera, es asistir al espectáculo flamenco "Verso a verso" que ofrecerá Carmen Linares el 4 de octubre a las 21:30 horas en Jaén capital, en el que rendirá homenaje a la poesía. Será en el Teatro Infanta Leonor y costará entre 15 y 20 euros.

Y la segunda cita, es que dentro de la iniciativa de "Jaén en Danza", realizarán un Curso intensivo de Flamenco impartido por Fuensanta "La Moneta", los días 3,4 y 5 en la Universidad Popular Municipal de Jaén. El horario es viernes de 17:00 a 20:00 horas y sábado y domingo de 10:00 a 13:00 horas.

Yasmin Levy has become one of my favorite singers of all time. She introduced the beautiful world of flamenco to me. In her very strong and deep singing, she brings you through a spiritual journey of the Ladino/Judeo Spanish Music, as she mixes it with Andalusian Flamenco.

Yasmin Levy was born in Jerusalem, Israel in 1975. Her father was singer himself. He died when she was one years old. She says that she learns who her father was through his music, and today she continues the search of her father through the Ladino/Judeo Spanish history. Her father recorded Ladino music before it would become extinct. Today Levy has allowed Ladino music to become greatly known as well as an International success.

Levy was featured in the Israeli Film "Ladino, 500 years young". In this film you learn of her rising to her great success and the history of the Spanish Jews that were executed from Spain in 1492. The exile of the Jews preserved the Ladino Language in certain places where they established a community. This language made its way through Greece, Italy, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and North Africa. And today, thanks to Yasmin, Ladino is making its way back again.

Ethan Margolis - Leading Guiatarist

Ethan Margolis's story, is truly an inspiring story. At the age of seventeen her fell in love with the Spanish culture and held his first guitar. It was a complete turn of interest, for he was into Rock 'n Roll, ironically enough, today he is one of the leading guitarists in the Flamenco world.

Today, Margolis is part of a flamenco group called "Arte y Pureza". A group devoted specifically to  the traditional, pure flamenco from the Gypsy neighbohoods of Andalusia. Margolis talks of how managing a group with pure Spanish people is difficult because they don't perfer to take orders from a person who isn't of Gypsy blood. But there is a connection between the Jews and Spain... in his case, it is connected with the Jewish ancestors that were executed from Spain in 1492, and from there grew to become gypsies themselves.

There are still similarities between flamenco song and synagogue chant, and Margolis sees a good deal of empathy between Gypsies and Jews, who find common ground in a shared history of persecution. “In my experience, a large proportion of the flamenco following outside of Spain is Jewish,” he remarked. His Gypsy colleagues, meanwhile, “feel a very deep understanding for the plight of the Jews.”

Jewish Origins of Flamenco

http://www.centroflamenco.com/history.html

http://www.forward.com/articles/5500/

http://www.forward.com/articles/7137/

Una chica rusa, que sale con un amigo holandés,

baila flamenco desde que estaba en Siberia y  

llega hasta Cádiz para verlo en vivo,

para después volverse a Holanda a aprender francés.

Una historia muy curiosa (y real) que sirve para introducir la forma tan particular que ha tenido el fotógrafo Ruven Afanador  de retratar el flamenco. 

(Si os gustan los retratos echad un ojo a las "celebrities" de su web)

La música del video pertenece al disco

"Lágrimas negras" de Bebo Valdés y Diego "el Cigala"

(esta mezcla de jazz y flamenco es francamente recomendable)

Si alguien se pasa por Sevilla aquí tiene los datos sobre la exposición

Fotografía aérea de Robert B. Haas en National Geographic de un grupo de flamencos que forman la imagen de... un enorme e impresionante flamenco. La galería completa en Latin American Aerials. No es foro histórica, pero me parece que dentro de un futuro no muy lejano, éstas imágenes de animales, sí que serán históricas, junto con los documentales tipo Animal Planet, National Geographic y demás.

Un abrazo desde España!!

Pd. Cambié de plantilla, a ver qué opinan

Avui parlem de Triana el famós trio andalús de finals dels 70 i primers 80, format per Jesús de la Rosa (veu i teclats), Eduardo Rodríguez (veu i guitarra) i Juan José Palacios “Tele” (batèria).
Repasem la seva trejectoria del grup i trobem que les arrels de la seva música s'enterren amb força en el flamenc andalus i també en el rock progressiu anglosaxó. Aquesta fusió, rebutjada pels puristes del flamenc, donà lloc a allò que s'anomenaria rock andalús i esdevinguè un moviment musical ampli, encara que breu, que va donar sortida a les aspiracions musicals de la generació de joves que històricament se situa durant la Transició espanyola.
El rock andalús esdevingué una alternativa real al pop espanyol, anomenat familiarment música “ye-ye” i al mateix temps al flamenc. I això no solament entre els joves espanyols, sinó també a altres paisos propers.

Enllaços interessants sobre Triana:

• Triana: Un bon lloc que inclou discografia amb lletres i la història del grup
• Biografia de Triana molt complerta a Audiokat
• Un altre pàgina molt interessant sobre el grup, que conté comentaris de premsa, discografia, lletres i alguns temes poden ser escoltats on-line
• Jesús de la Rosa, mito del rock andaluz. A aireflamenco.com
• Myspace actual de Triana
• Audio-entrevista als tres membres de Triana
• Triana a la wikipedia
• Vídeos de Triana a youtube
• Rock andalús a youtube
• Rock progressiu espanyol

[audio=http://www.todosensurround.com/emn/shows/BV011.mp3]

Descarregar MP3 (67:08 min. 61,7 MB)

I hope everyone can make it! Put it on your calendar NOW.

* Also, we need to sell out the evening show to break even, more or less. This is what happens when you're not a non-profit and you decide to put on a show.

These are for you mommy...

Puerta Del Sol, Madrid

Flamenco!

More to come...