Moving to Spain

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

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.

Moving to Spain

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

Moving to Spain

Hello there folks,

I know there have been some topics about people who want to spend some time in Spain and what place is the best etc. I have read these already.

For me the situation is as followed:
I am planning to move partially to Spain in October, which means that every 4 or 5 weeks I come back to Amsterdam for one week to see my gf etc. then go back and so forth.

Now I ve heard a lot of people talking about Sevilla and Granada. But somehow I am always very impressed by the artist that perform here who are from Jerez.
A short time ago there was a group from Cadiz and the guitarist gave me his number and told me to call him whenever I am in Spain.

So then I thought maybe it's the best to go to Cadiz/Jerez because of the style and of this tiny contact I have.
I have no idea how it is going to be for me, but I know that I really want to put a lot of time and effort into learning and playing with people. I can understand the half of what people say when they talk to me in Andalusian.

Is there any body who has experience with Jerez/Cadiz and do you think thats a good move to make? How is the housing there?

Thanks a lot

Ramon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2011 18:30:09

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

Hee Ramon,
my gf, also from Amsterdam, moved to spain last year and had to come back because of no work available.
I'd planned too, but will wait for a few more years when the economy is more stable.

We've met a few friends last week in BCN, most of them are going back to their country of origin.
Most important thing seems to be having an income.

But if money isn't an issue, I would settle for a place with a breeze.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 30 2011 18:57:31

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

Thanks Kozz for your reply. You see, for me it's very very important, so I will see how to get money for sure. Even if night shifts or what ever.

Now I hope you guys can say something about my situation. Today I called a friend from Amsterdam who I think he is a very good flamenco guitarist and he recommended the school: Funda Cristina Heeren in Sevilla. Now I am doubting to go to Jerez/Cadiz. Is there a school like the Funda Cristina there?
What do you guys think about the Funda Cristina in Sevilla and can you suggest more ways to have a very systematic learning procedure, like playing every day and having lessons every day?

Thanks a lot in advanced for your replies guys,

Ramon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:03:47

Escribano

Posts: 6416
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

http://www.foroflamenco.com/searchpro.asp?topicreply=both&message=both&timeframe=%3E&timefilter=0&top=300&criteria=AND&minRank=10&language=single&phrase=Cristina+Heeren

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:05:31

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Escribano)

jerez is a great city, lot of great flamenco teachers and good atmosphere, i like to consider it my second home

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:13:43

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

quote:

http://www.foroflamenco.com/searchpro.asp?topicreply=both&message=both&timeframe=%3E&timefilter=0&top=300&criteria=AND&minRank=10&language=single&phrase=Cristina+Heeren

thanks for the tip, I already did the search before, but there is only a lot about the summer course and very old other threads (from 2003 or 2006)
I meant the full annual course of the Cristina Heeren

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:15:29

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

quote:

jerez is a great city, lot of great flamenco teachers and good atmosphere, i like to consider it my second home

Yeah, I already thought the atmosphere should be good there (never went there once thought).

But in comparrison this is in my head, please correct me at the points that I am wrong at:

- at the cristina heeren
- you pay 2500 euro,
- you get a full year every day lessons,
- you are in sevilla (which might be less nice than jerez for flamenco)
- you meet a lot of other students who are playing flamenco
- the rooms?

In jerez:
* you can get private lessons (no idea how much people ask there for an hour),
* maybe these lessons are from better guitar players than the teachers that are at the cristina heeren,
* there is a great atmosphere and more spontanious flamenco "moments" and gigs
* the style is very very nice (in my opinion)
* how is the social atmosphere? are they open to take you with them to juergas and to where ever that has to do with flamenco?
* the rooms?

These are thoughts that I am not sure about and I am wondering about

thanks

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:26:59

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

there is also this guy who is VERY enthousiastic about the course of el Entri in Madrid on this foro
And I found out on that topic that the cristina heeren course might be touristically?
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=125052&tmode=1&smode=1&p=

I'm very confused and dont have time/money to visit all these places to compare..

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 17:57:49

Escribano

Posts: 6416
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

If I wanted a flamenco life-style, I would vote for Jerez but it will take some real effort with the language to socially fit in. There are over 20 peñas, so maybe attach yourself to one or two.

If I wanted less hassle, and the canned lessons, I would go for Seville but Jerez oozes flamenco and I like their style.

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 18:10:08

Munin

Posts: 595
Joined: Sep. 30 2008
From: Hong Kong

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

Why not Granada? Seems like the best of both worlds...very international and welcoming city with foreigner friendly schools like Carmen that also offers much more if you are willing to look for it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 19:59:07

aloysius

Posts: 233
Joined: Apr. 7 2005
From: Adelaide, Australia

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

I've meet quite a few people in Sevilla doing the Christina Heren thing, and have heard pretty mixed reports. On the the whole it seems pretty good for technique (with Nino de Pura running the technique side of things) and Manolo Franco is there which is cool, not sure who the other teachers are. Some people were loving it, but not everyone was happy there and the problem is if you don't like it, you're kind of stuck having paid all that money. I've spent a couple of years in Seville in total and found the private classes/playing for dance classes was the way to go for me. Also if you're into the Jerez vibe an academic setting like that might not be your thing.

I haven't been to Jerez since '99 and it might have changed, but I found it fantastic - we mostly go back to Sevilla because my wife is a dancer and there are better options there for dance. Just for guitar I'd probably go back to Jerez.

_____________________________

www.guitarsketches.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 5 2011 21:59:12

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

Many thanks for the replies.
I really don't know it.

It sounds very very nice to be 4,5 hours each day into flamenco lessons (cristina heeren), but if there are only foreigner players there and if the didactics are not as what you will find in private lessons maybe 2 times a week for two hours from a guitarist that you picked out because he/she inspires you a lot, then it's not a good option.

Yesterday I called a guitarist from Cadiz who I got his number from a month ago when he played in amsterdam. He recomended to go to sevilla and to check out the school named:
centro flamenco desevilla, of Esperanza Fernandez. The problem here is that they dont have a complete course as that of funda cristina for guitar. only for cante and baile.
they do have weekly group lessons of two hours only one day of the week given by Miguel Ángel Cortés. That is 90 euro per month.
He also told me that better players in Cadiz and Jerez are too busy with working/travelling

To go to Jerez would be nice I think, I hear only good things. But with the language, no one I know there and no school but only hopes of finding a guitarist I like who has time to give me lessons (which probably going to be at least 30 euros an hour) might be a bit risky

In Granada I have a friend who has a house I can get in for very cheap. She also knows somebody who is in the flamenco scene of Granada that she can introduce me to (Sergio Cuesta anybody know him?), but on the other hand in Granada there might be not as many flamenco exposure as in Jerez or Sevilla and the Carmen de la cuevas school seems to me like less potential than the cristina funda

I would love to have one week before the 3d of ocotber (start of course of Funda cristina) to go to granada for a day or two, to sevilla to talk to funda cristina and for example this centro flamenco de sevilla, also to go to jerez to find out if there is a teacher who could give me lessons on a regular base for not too much. but I'm highly afraid that I dont have this week extra and that I dont have the money to make these trips...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2011 10:20:35

Rmn

Posts: 308
Joined: May 14 2011

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

By the way: my main goal is to accompany very very well and to be able to play a lot of rythmical interesting and "suprising" phrases. I really don't care for super jazzy long falsettas and modern solo work. The falsettas that really appeal to me every time are the basic rythmical and simple falsettas with much feeling
for example I think Jose Quevedo Bolita is very nice at this, like his style extremely. He is of course from Jerez... (I know he does very modern stuff in Ultra High Flamenco, but he can accompany very good)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2011 10:49:21

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Moving to Spain (in reply to Rmn)

I would recommend that you take your time, spend a week travelling round these cities and get a feel for them. Sevilla, Jerez and Granada all have a different vibe. See which one attracts you the most and where the opportunities, ie the people you meet etc, come up for you.

It is cheap to travel around, buses are very good value and hostel can be as cheap as 9 euros as long as you are not too fussy about sharing. I stayed in a hostel in Madrid for 6 euros a few years back. I wouldnt recommend it but it was a bed for the night, though I hardly slept in it !

Good luck and enjoy !

_____________________________

Emilio Maya Temple
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000CA6OBC
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/emiliomaya

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 6 2011 14:55:03