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Just a heads up to let everybody know that I am featured in a 20 minute BBC radio show called "musical migrants" which will be broadcast on Wednesday 20th May at 3.45 (UK time) on BBC Radio4. This will be available to listen to on the internet and it will also be available on the "listen again" section of the BBC web site for anyone who is outside of the UK.
I was followed by a producer for 3 days around Granada where we went to visit the flamenco dance school in the sacromonte and some of the flamenco clubs in Granada. We met guitar makers and flamenco artists during the weekend but much of the show is based on interviews with me that have been turned into narrative. It was a fun experience to make the show but I havent heard it myself yet so I'm a little nervous about the content.
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to henrym3483)
Well they recorded about 10 hours of material to turn into a 20 minute show. I did some playing during one interview and some palmas in the Eshavira with a cool bunch of palmeros. I dont know what they will put in the show.
Oh yes.....It will also be going out on the BBC World Service and the BBC Web Radio of course, so the number of folk who will hear it will certainly run to millions, even 10s of millions.
This producer contacted me directly, but I had a bad experience with a television programme called "Andalucía sin fronteras" which made a TV program about me. But when I saw the edited program and saw a few editions of "Andaluía sin fronteras", I realised that they had cut out every comment which could be construed as criticism of any institution in Spain and were using me as a propaganda puppet to convince people that not all immigrants were problems.
I shall never do another interview for the press unless it goes out live.
I had a bad experience with TV as well on a show called "living in the sun" These sort of shows try to show Ex-pats living abroad in the worst way ie. not integrating with the communities, having communication problems, business going wrong etc. In the end I decided not to have any dealings with those kinds of TV shows.
I did feel that Radio4 however has a reputation for more intelligent broadcasting and a genuine interest in promoting arts. I had quite along talk with the producer about not making a "look at the quaint english abroad" show and I was certainly happy with the interview process and production. I guess we will find out on wednesday.
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
That's the danger isn't it - once they go away with the recordings you have no control over what they do with it. They can make you say practically anything they want - digital editing is very clever these days
A while ago I set up some publicity for the teacher that runs the classes I organise in London. He gave a little demonstration and trial class to a couple of people, and they were interviewed about their experience in a freebie London paper. Imagine my surprise when the article said that after only an hour he had them playing like the Gypsy Kings
Of course depending on your opinion of the Gypsy Kings you may well think that could be true.....
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Hi Pimientito,
My gut feeling is that they'll do a decent programme. Depends on the producer I suppose...
Mind you, they let that guy spout off about the Flamenco Gitanos playing the major keys during the day, the minor keys at night...just like Indian Ragas..on the TODAY programme for heaven's sake!!
cheers,
Ron
PS: Doesn't "Osteopath" sound like some sort of swear word in Spanish?
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
I've just listened to today's edition of Musical Migrants and found it interesting and well done. It was about an American violinist who moved to Leipzig in Germany to try to get closer to and understand the traditions that prevailed in Bach's time.
There is no other voice except the person basically narrating, with music in the background.
I think what the've tried to do is edit all the ums and ahs and coughs out and piece together something which explores the motivation of the person, some information on the music and how relocating has helped them realize their expectations and how it has affected them generally.
So I don't think you need to worry Pimientito, it wasn't cheesy or cheap or slanted or anything, but just the normal type of Radio 4 "short" programme.
Pim, don't live by the media things you get involved in, just go on with your flamenco and have a good time with it. In the end, that's all anyone needs to do--it's a complete waste of time to worry about how the BBC percieves of you and presents you. I mean after all, you're lucky enough to be in Spain. Look at life and not the 'mirrors' and you will go far! I bet you that is the rule for anyone making art and persuing public life. Otherwise life will be a rollercoaster. And don't you forget that. Great news! Gary
the post-it notes on the pc screen and fridge door and the alarm set on my phone worked and i actually caught the broadcast.
hope you were pleased with it Pimiento, i thought it came over really well, and that you came over really well, very humble (a rare feat, to have overcome "flamenco-ego"!!!), and great to be talking about Paco and Gerardo and to have some clips of their music.
How long was it from first seeing Paco on tv to you actually moving out to Spain? was it just a year (that's the impression i got)?
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
I've just heard it as well Mark, It gave me such a great feeling! Your words were an amazing inspiration and, as Ron says, they sure will inspire many... I can't wait to meet you in Sanlucar again!
Now I know what the great feeling was about. Listening the programme was like sitting with you in the evening at Plaza del Cabildo, eating tapas and chatting about Juan Martin.
See you soon!
Matic
_____________________________
vengo de los san migueles si no me caso este año que yo me caso el año que viene
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Great Listen there.
It was a visit to Nerja 32 years ago that got me hooked , even came back with a guitar for £30 (pepe millon I think the shop was called). Do they still have the bull ring there? Can remember walking to a small village called Frigilliana??? There were some seriously good guitarists there, one had something to do with Segovia. All those memories flooding back now...................
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Brilliant Pim! Really enjoyed listening to it. Wish I could have heard more of your Solea - sounded great! Have you got an mp3 of the whole thing anywhere?
Posts: 1607
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
quote:
Wish I could have heard more of your Solea - sounded great! Have you got an mp3 of the whole thing anywhere?
Hear, hear!
After reading your posts, and thus getting to "know" you anonymously as it were, I was really thrilled to actually hear you (and your playing). Of course a bar with tapas would be even better ...
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Thanks guys for all your nice comments. I liked the show too. I actually didnt get to hear the show until this morning which was frustrating. I was unable to hear it on the computor on the day of the broadcast. However my mobile phone started going off a half hour later and i got over 300 emails in my inbox so i havnt really been able to post anything. I was very pleased with the production. It was a good representation of the things i was talking about, i dont feel I was misquoted or misrepresented and the candid footage was actually quite a realistic representation of my life in Granada. The solea was just something I made up on the spot. There is no Mp3 of it. I just sat down and stuck some falsetas together in my living room. The tremelo is by Gerardo I think
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Interesting series and a great episode. I enjoyed it a lot. If I wouldn't have known anything about flamenco before, it would have gotten me really curious about the music. It still has the effect - I feel like digging deeper.
Your story is very inspiring. I want to hear more of your playing now.
RE: Pimientitos Radio show (in reply to Pimientito)
Hey Pimientito,
I'd be really interested to know what equipment (mics, recorder etc) the BBC used when they were following you around Granada. Was there a sound engineer, or just the producer? Can you explain roughly how it was done?
Yes, the whole process was surprisingly painless from my point of view. I remember in the old days that radio recordings were done with a sound recordist and an interviewer. The recording would go onto a reel to reel tape which then had to be edited.
Today the producer, interviewer and sound recorder are the same person and the equipment that was used was a digital stereo recorder with a couple of mics, one for indoors and one for outdoors. I cant remember what the make was but it was a bulky item with a 20 hour memory. I asked how the recorder compared with my Zoom H4 and the producer told me that you can actually make a radio show or pod cast very easily with an H4. The quality is good enough to broadcast.
Basically I was followed around for a couple of days to the sacromonte caves and to the Eshavira. The rest of the interviews were done at my home. It was very relaxed and done like a chat...of course I was aware of choosing my words and trying not to....errr..umm...too much. Altogether there were about 4 hours of interview and another couple of hours of following me round granada material. It could easily have made a good hour long show.......but 15 minutes of fame is all you get
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