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Today, i finally found a wonderfull link and information. The video from Jerez where Nuñez played with Cepillo, Pablo and others. It's been a long time as you know, since hearding something real about Gerardo. Looking forward and waiting his next album.
If you read the text you'll see they mention the injury and something about it and when I watched the video, i could figure out that Gerardo is not using his Index almost at all. With rasgueados yes but otherwise no. So, rumors about the injury can be solved somehow with watching this video.
After all, I am so happy for Gerardo that his back in business. The main thing is that his mind is in good condition and he still wants to play, and do not press himself too much for the problem.
Maybe you already knew this, but wanted to tell once more. All support to Gerardo.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
"Some time ago the teacher Gerardo Nunez is affected by an injury that prevents him from playing his usual level. Say. What else would like many guitarists have such a "disability" because guitarist last night showed that the thing is not about fingers and the muscles, but of intelligence and sensitivity. The beauty of his music is such that you wonder how some pieces of wood with taut nylon yarns are able to produce the beautiful landscape that draws us sense this man." google translation
wonderful playing !! very intelligent and creative as usual he's superior even when he's not playing at his top level
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
First of all, i dont think he was ever out. I saw him in Germany last year, he is touring all the time i guess. But if his finger is still injured thats actually bad. Reading your title i actually got excited that he had cured...
check 1:42 to see him playing picado with "picking" technique.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
I hate digging up the past but couldn't help it when I saw this this morning.
Now as Deniz said, some of us are close to Gerardo so we know he never dissapeared from the scene. He has been dealing with adapting to this injury since 2008 and now 4 years later he is in the same situation, that being about 90% of his repertoire is not playable and he has been concertizing like crazy with the more traditional format. Of course he loves to play this way too, an absolute pro at delivering the goods without letting average folks know there was ever an issue. But he plays the same handful of pieces at each concert for some years now. It is disturbing to someone like me who has been close to him for years.
So now that gerardo has lost his technique it seems his compas is more recognizable and traditional... not by choice. It actually makes me ill...sorry guys.
On a positive note he is on facebook loading some nice short clips every once in a while...for example doing an arp mixed with picado exercize that made us all very hopeful that he is continually working on getting back what he once had. But in concert he is not putting that on display and playing it "safe" so to speak. The day he plays Trafalgar in concert will be the day I will be sleeping better about this issue.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
Nice conversation and good opinions/history lessons.
I have to say to this, that if you look 10 years back...during this 10 years Gerardo was really active in the begining but after the accident he "vanished". I know that he's been doing some stuff etc. but i think/hope he's going more public now.
Gerardo's music and he as an artist has always been my number one. So, as you Ricardo said it's sad that he might not play Trafalgar anymore. But still we have to happy for that he's trying.
What would we do in that kind of situation? Let's remember what Django did, he lost almost half of fingers, then he practised, and came back twice as brilliant.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
Even if he never gets back to his old level, he still leaves behind an astounding body of work. It's not like that will be erased from history. It's sad, yes, but if you consider how other musicians burn out in the later stages of their career without even having to deal with issues like this, he's still way above that.
Since the links within the link above and some other discussions, I have heard private info not sure I will share in detail. Basically he had a car accident, couldn't play due to shoulder and arm pain for 3 months or so. After therapy and getting back into guitar he noticed a problem with accuracy but thought to play through it I guess, maybe he thought he was just rusty from not playing so long.
I last saw him in 2009 and he was using index as normal but missing notes, uncharacteristic of his normal playing. Over time it became clear the index was the problem (as of vids I saw in 2010 to present). Perhaps the tendon was damaged do to shock vibration from steering wheel of vehicle? Anyway, he concealed the problem for so long it was not for some years until I guess he and others have come to terms with the fact it might be permanent problem. Not clear if he has since visited a pro doctor that could give options for fixing the problem, seems he just keeps playing and ignores, but I don't really know. Obviously this is a sensitive subject to him, so most of us students have kept it quiet, but at least now it is acknowledged in public reviews.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
And while I am at it....fuk it.. I have been keeping this private video like gold for so long cuz it is so rare and inspiring and there are NO other live vids of him playing it. But why not share it? It was always a big no no to sneak vids of his class....but damn this was so great back in 2006:
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
I remember discussing Gerardo's injury in December of 2008 after I saw him live in Pittsburgh. He's lucky to still have a career as a guitarist and to receive such great reviews.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Jw)
Couple of things came to mind more...
When he released Calima, he used to travel a lot in Europe and also here in Scandinavia. He has also teached here quite a lot and visited. Last time he visited here was the Stockholms flamencofestival (year was maybe 2003-04). Not anymore, such a same. Flight takes only 3-4h. Here in Finland many of our flamencopeople knows him, but nowdays only way to meet him is to go Spain. That's not a big problem, but would be nicer to see him also in here.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
So now that gerardo has lost his technique it seems his compas is more recognizable and traditional... not by choice. It actually makes me ill...sorry guys.
No need to apologize for writing that. As weird as it sounds, the loss of his right index is a huge loss for flamenco guitar. At full capacity, he was as good as anyone and arguably the best.
I will say, though, I admire the way he's coping with the situation. After that kind of loss, many would have just called it quits. But he keeps on. And in doing so, he forces us to reconsider the relation between technique (i.e. the seeming indispensability of the right index) and the act of making great music (cf. "Traviesa").
RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (in reply to Ricardo)
Hey, thats the first time I've ever seen that with my sound track. It matches perfectly!! You are right Ricardo, this was Gerardo at his best. I saw him play in Granada last month and the show was amazing but its lots of thumb falsetas and compas now. At his peak Gerardo probably had the best right hand tecnique on the planet. Im just glad I got so much of the material that he broke down and taught at that time recorded. It makes me sad too that he cannot perform those incredible arpeggio works like the siguirilla any more.
By the way, speaking of back in business, his new album is out this week!!
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