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Hi everyone. After reading the posts about Sanlucar I have truly decided that I'll have to go to one of those courses.
Can you guys please tell me about some of the courses? Is Sanlucar the best or are there any other decent ones about? Where are the websites to get more info?
By the way I know no Spanish...
And of course I'm a guitarist - like most of you I gather.
Any suggestion is very welcome. I should be able to get there in 2011.
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to por medio)
Hey por medio, I haven't been to Sanlucar yet - am hoping to be good enough by 2011!
I have done some courses (dance and Spanish language) at Carmen Cuevas in Granada, and found them to be well organised with good teachers. I wasn't learning guitar then, but spoke with some of the guitar students and they were enthusiastic about their course.
My plan for this year is to go to the Cordoba Guitar Festival in July. If anyone has any info about that, please share!
Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to por medio)
Welcome to the foro Por Medio, try sending a private message to Ricardo, Pimiento or Matic, just a few who go every year to San Lucar. They may have missed this message but they will know how to get info and can tell you more about the course .
Suerte y bienvenido. ( by the way I dont think it is essential to speak Spanish for this course as Gerardo speaks English)
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to por medio)
Gerardo speaks some English but he is by no means fluent. His daughter Isa is fluent and she does the administration. There are people to translate throughout the classes. The thing is there are lots of people on the course who speak both Spanish and English (and dutch and German). You dont really need to Speak Spanish except to order food at lunch time and sherry at the parties. Practise - oona hey-rez pour far-vor. Everyone else there will help you out and its a very friendly bunch.
I dont know if Gerardos course is the best academically but its certainly the most fun. Its famous for having the most fiestas, late nights, beach parties and sherry consumption. Its also an opportunity to sit close up to someone of Gerardos level and get to see how he plays that stuff in detail. That is worth coming for on its own. Gerardo has one of the best right hand techniques in the world now and he is very generous at sharing his secrets.
The level is high though. The advanced guitar course is his concert and experimental material and only a hand full of people understand it. The intermediate course is lots of fun falsetas from Jerez and everyone comes away with new material....although he still throws in the odd falseta that freaks out all the advanced players too. For me its the highlight of my year to meet up with everyone again. Many of us feel like old friends and its genuinely sad when that atmosphere is over and everyone has to go back home.
Another point is that its really important to take Tinos repetition course if you want to learn the falsetas. Tino is the man who learns everything in the morning and teaches it the same afternoon. He simplifies it and explains it in a way that Gerardo cannot. Uness you have Ricardos photographic memory you wont remember the material without that second class.
Lastly, surviving the course relies on you getting at least an hour of siesta in the afternoon, otherwise you wont wake up in time for Gerardos class. last year Gerardo turned up to an empty room on the last day as everyone was partied out!!!!
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to por medio)
ill be in Spain in march 11th for 3 weeks , im also hoping dreaming of meeting anyone who's keen on getting some lessons ,Emilio would be wonderful , i keep reading about the old lesson with M.Cordoba Paco serrano, and other mighty maestro's
how does one get in contact with them, its nic to hear about the Carmen course that seems really cool 9 I think it says Emilo is there for the advanced students?.
Ailsa Spanish is great, after learning 20,0000 verb conjugations as soon as a native speaks its like ..right out th window, i forget how to say hello
id really like to jam with dance classes if they are about anywhere??
Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to Pimientito)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Pimientito You dont really need to Speak Spanish except to order food at lunch time and sherry at the parties. Practise - oona hey-rez pour far-vor.
No no Pimientito, obviously you have to just say "oona hey-REH pour fa-vor"!
Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to Guest)
RumbaKing,
You'll have some pretty serious rumba competition in Sanlúcar! Some of the guys on the curso can go hours when they've got some manzanilla fueling them. Gerardo allows audio recording, and Tino allows video, which is a life-saver, otherwise most of us wouldn't remember a thing!
Like Pimientito said, one can get by in Sanlúcar without Spanish, but knowing how to speak it will definitely make things go much more smoothly. If you need a crash course in Spanish, I'd recommend this course, as it will teach you exactly how to communicate in Andalucía!
RE: Sanlucar and other flamenco courses (in reply to Adam)
quote:
What time of year is Gerardo's course?
I think its early to mid June sometime? (pretty sure it's around the same time/conflicts with Gold Rush Rally which I also like to go). I want to go as well, but afraid at my level I will be blown away and possibly overwhelmed...not really sure though, I'm going to ask Ricardo next time I talk to him. If I'm not ready in 2011, then 2012 i definitely plan on getting over there.
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