Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
is Grisha here ? ....my respects...I really cant say more ..Todd says it better...and he is a player.
loved your videos on your site ... i cant believe it that u could play that well sabicas at such an early age(loved the Nunez siguiryias and the Paco fandango)
Anyway ....have u really played for Paco?Is the story true ? What did he say ?How did u find Paco when u meet him ?
This forum is turning out to be great .... we are already celebrities around here ...cant wait for the first post of tomatito :D.
Tomatito is rather busy but if we hosted a Spanish version as well, which I am thinking about for the future, he may find some time.
This forum has taken an up-turn in the last few weeks, 55 new members in the last 30 days since switching off Admin approval, and a lot of genuine posts.
Welcome to everyone and please enjoy. We are not-for-profit as the Google ads on this page are covering our hosting costs; so the more you use it the longer we stick around.
This forum has taken an up-turn in the last few weeks, 55 new members in the last 30 days since switching off Admin approval, and a lot of genuine posts.
Well done Simon, you've managed to create a really active and interesting forum. When you get over here to live I'm looking forward to meeting some of the forum members who come to visit. I was talking with Peter about this, and all the possibilities such as trips to the Peña in Granada, guitar building advice worksops with Anders, classes with local flamencos, well known or otherwise, and juergas in the lemon groves. Hope you have room in your house for us all. I guess we can always camp out in the lemon groves, or your roof terrace. Is there a camp site in Restobal ?
I guess we can always camp out in the lemon groves, or your roof terrace. Is there a camp site in Restobal ?
Good ideas, I will be able to find some punters from renters in the Valley. I will have a large roof terrace for large lunches al fresco and there is a camp site with dramatic views behind the town hall. Estela has agreed to come and give some talks on flamenco so we should keep in touch on this one.
quote:
We´ll nead lots of lemon if im going to drink Simons Gin
ORIGINAL: Kate Well done Simon, you've managed to create a really active and interesting forum. When you get over here to live I'm looking forward to meeting some of the forum members who come to visit. I was talking with Peter about this, and all the possibilities such as trips to the Peña in Granada, guitar building advice worksops with Anders, classes with local flamencos,
Just wanted to say I am really interested in this idea Kate/Simon. Can't get over to Spain in the near future (don't fancy taking high chair, steriliser, toys, 600000 nappies etc, etc, on the plane) but when Dylan is a little older I want to come out with the family. We already have somewhere to stay (Mijas), and what I REALLY would need is local contacts to arrange all that stuff for me. Sounds great.
I am sure that if some of the foro will meet over there, we take the foro of a higher, different level.
I am on the internet for a short time, and still find it strainge, you develope a kind of feeling for a person ( good or bad, just in real live ) that i have never met.
Just wanted to say I am really interested in this idea Kate/Simon. Can't get over to Spain in the near future (don't fancy taking high chair, steriliser, toys, 600000 nappies etc, etc, on the plane) but when Dylan is a little older I want to come out with the family. We already have somewhere to stay (Mijas), and what I REALLY would need is local contacts to arrange all that stuff for me. Sounds great.
Jon
Well hopefully this will be something that Simon can organise every year so there's no hurry. Migas is lovely, not that far away, about a two hour drive.
Thank you so much for your kind words about my playing! It really means a lot!
Todd:
I was 25 when I played La Barrosa, and it was one of my New England Conservatory recitals. I remember I was in a good mood that night because I had some good friends in the audience. I played about hour and a half worth of my transcriptions of famous flamenco solos, and I have the whole second half of the concert recorded, including Monasterio de Sal, Cepa Andaluza, Oracion by Manolo Sanlucar, Morente by Vicente Amigo and other pieces. I chose La Barrosa and Guajiras because I really enjoyed playing them that time. Unfortunately I had that memory lapse towards the end of La Barrosa, and couldn't hide it very well. You notice that I get out of rhythm. Oh well...
For flamenco I used a guitar made by Russian maker Georgy Babichev. Its sound is somewhere in the middle between classical and flamenco, having a good range of tone colors but also some bite when you need it. It's not very loud and has to be amplified. I don't have a good Spanish flamenco guitar.
For classical I use a guitar by a young American maker Stephan Connor ( www.connorguitars.com ), which I got last month. This is by far the best classical guitar I've ever had and one of the very best I've heard. Steve is a fantastic maker and is surely going to be famous very soon.
Sorin:
I really did play for Paco de Lucia in December 1994. I was in Spain giving some concerts, and got invited to play for him in his house in Madrid. That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was really nervous. I played 3 pieces for him: Bulerias by Sabicas (the same one that is on my website), Punta Umbria and Fuente y Caudal. He was really nice to me and said good things about my playing. He actually remembered me from a TV program he saw in 1991, when I became a finalist of a UNICEF competition in Holland. He told me that I have to live in Spain. But that never happened.
Paco was pretty much the same as he was in the Solo, Duo, Trio video. When I came to his house he was recording in his basement studio, some slow piece, I didn't hear much of it because he stopped when I came in. I remember him doing really fast exercises with his right hand (without the guitar). I asked him why he was doing it, and he told me that he'd recently injured his right hand doing some (caza submarina?) but he was getting better and it didn't affect his playing.
To all the nice people who posted on my website but got no answer:
Please accept my most sincere apologies! I was going to answer all of you in detail, but wanted to do a good job because it would stay on my website for all to see. I felt it was my duty to write something very smart and helpful and in good English. And for that I needed time and inspiration, and I didn't really have those things, and people posted more questions, and after a while I became scared to even start... But I promise that one day I'll answer all of your questions because it really means a lot to me to see that you are interested in what I have to say. Thank you all!
I dont know if you'll return to this thread, but i want to say, Thank You!
You're english is better than mine, and i'm american for god sakes!
I have a feeling you are a bit of a perfectionist in all things you do.
Anyway, again, you're an inspiration. You are on my short list of players that i often watch, and whom motivates me to work and practice with everything i have.
I'm excited to see where your career takes you.
Oh, and good luck with the Chaccone at the Williams masterclass. Hey, after playing for Paco, im sure that will be easy.
Thank you, Todd! I am glad that my art inspires you; this is probably the best reward I can get for all the work I've done. I already played for Williams last Tuesday and he criticized Segovia's transcription of the Chaconne I was using (I reluctantly agree). He didn't talk much about my actual playing, just said that my scales are very fast but could use more shaping, like an occasional slur here and there. I thought he was right, but the audience seemed to like it the way I was doing that fast section before: without slurs.
Hey Grisha, great job w/ Paco's bulerias Pinonate, with the special tunning. That is a very intense piece, and not a very famous one of Paco's, but certainly one of my favorites. Glad to see a player w/ similar tastes. Thanks for putting that on your site!
Hey I am learning the Chaccone too. I usually like Williams versions better than most others, but w/ this Bach piece I actually preferred Segovia. I definantly think those 32nd notes should be done like picado!
Yeah, those 32nd notes sound great, to me, played straight, no slurs! Grisha go with your instinct--what does John Williams know? :)
Personally I think that Segovia played those slurs because he was not capable of pulling off the slurs in concert, but that my not be true. Certainly as flamencos we are all probably going to like the more aggressive scales. If you've got it, flaunt it.
I am plenty busy doing my Masters at NEC, where I study with Eliot Fisk. He is the biggest inspiration to me right now, even more so than Paco, if that's possible... And I am practicing like hell for the classical competition in Almería in May. I am planning to record a CD pretty soon, too, hopefully in August, which will feature both classical and flamenco "classics"
I LOVE Paco de Lucia's Aranjuez, I think it's an amazing interpretation, a true masterpiece. I play the concierto myself and know how difficult it is musically and awkward technically. Imagine Paco with his personal technique developed after years of playing his own compositions suddenly learning all those impossible runs and polyphonic lines. It's quite an accomplishment! Last Summer in Spain I took some voice accompaniment classes from the guy who taught Paco the Aranjuez. He shared his memories with us and sinse then I like Paco's Aranjuez even more!
I can honestly tell you (not that you had to hear it from me) that you have a wonderful talent and I wish you the best. You're a tremendously tasteful player and musician.
I'm assuming that you're going to be entering the CERTAMEN INTERNACIONAL DE GUITARRA CLÁSICA “JULIÁN ARCAS” in Almería. The man who built my guitar, Juan Miguel Gonzalez donates one classical guitar to the competition every year. I believe he's building one for Elliot Fisk. Anyway, you said that you may be looking for a flamenco guitar. I happen to own one by Juan Miguel and I love it. I'm sure you'll meet him when you're in Almeria.
I'm new to this forum, I was just wondering if you have a website with some soundclips?
My friend is also studying with Elliot Fisk for his masters and this is his first year, he tells me there are some monstor players out there.....I guess your one of them.
By the way I am just speculating but do you think John Williams criticized Segovia's transcription because of his personal feeling torward Segovia or because its just not the greatest transcription?
Printable Version
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread