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Tomas

Posts: 22
Joined: Aug. 16 2013

Hello

Hi all, I'm a new member here, just registered a few days ago, and I thought I'd introduce myself. My name is Tomas, 33 years old, living in the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands. I've been playing flamenco guitar for about ten years (with varying levels of dedication, though in recent years more fanatically). I visit these pages with some regularity, e.g. to check out youtube videos that people post here, and I figured I should stop being a spy and join the discussions.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 10:13:10

avimuno

Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France

RE: Hello (in reply to Tomas)

Hola Tomas, and welcome to the Foro!

Saludos.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 10:26:36

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Hello (in reply to Tomas)

Welcome to the foro and greetings from Rotterdam. Did you know Utrecht hosted the very first flamenco dance school in the netherlands (50ties?). In the early 80ties Paco de Lucia honored Utrecht with a visit once every 2 years (don't believe he played anywhere else in the Netherlands during that time) and in 1986 the same theater offered the first (experimental) flamenco concert series in the Netherlands in the small wing of Vredenburg (an initiative of Casa de españa). It became a huge success so a second series was programmed ending with a sold out 8 hour marathon in there biggest hall (the one Paco de Lucia used to perform for years). Around that time Utrecht also hosted 1 of the biggest dance schools in the netherlands, who invited many artistst, both for masterclasses and for performances. After Utrecht many theaters all over the country started to program modern day flamenco but it all started in Utrecht which soon was called "el Utrera del Norte". Some claim that in the late 80ties it was the biggest flamenco centre north of the pyranees. At the time i studied in Rotterdam which offered the first 5 year/full time flamenco guitar academy in the world, founded in 1985. They invited many artists as well but that remained pretty unaccessible for outsiders.

https://www.lasonanta.eu/en/flamenco-dance/flamenco-dance-dvd/flamenco-book-utrera-del-norte.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 11:12:27

Tomas

Posts: 22
Joined: Aug. 16 2013

RE: Hello (in reply to Erik van Goch)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik van Goch

Welcome to the foro and greetings from Rotterdam. Did you know Utrecht hosted the very first flamenco dance school in the netherlands (50ties?). In the early 80ties Paco de Lucia honored Utrecht with a visit once every 2 years (don't believe he played anywhere else in the Netherlands during that time) and in 1986 the same theater offered the first (experimental) flamenco concert series in the Netherlands in the small wing of Vredenburg. It became a huge success so a second series was programmed ending with an 8 hour marathon in there biggest hall (the one Paco de Lucia used to perform for years). Around that time Utrecht also hosted 1 of the biggest dance schools in the netherlands, who invited over many artistst. After Utrecht many theaters all over the country started to program modern day flamenco but it all started in Utrecht which soon was called "el Utrera del Norte". Some claim that in the late 80ties it was the biggest flamenco centre north of the pyranees. At the time i studied in Rotterdam which offered the first 5 year/full time flamenco guitar academy in the world, founded in 1985.

https://www.lasonanta.eu/en/flamenco-dance/flamenco-dance-dvd/flamenco-book-utrera-del-norte.html

That would've been Rini Kersten's Centro Flamenco (or Centro Flamenco Puro, or Centro Flamenco Utrera, I forget exactly what it was called..), I believe? Yeah there is quite a lot of flamenco history here (by Dutch standards, of course), and there still a quite lively flamenco scene.

I took lessons from a student in Rotterdam. That must be about 8 years ago now.

Thanks for the welcome (to avimuno as well)!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 12:00:25

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Hello (in reply to Tomas)

quote:

That would've been Rini Kersten's Centro Flamenco (or Centro Flamenco Puro, or Centro Flamenco Utrera, I forget exactly what it was called..), I believe?

I took lessons from a student in Rotterdam. That must be about 8 years ago now.

Did you press the link i enclosed?
Who was the teacher you mentioned?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 12:04:41

Tomas

Posts: 22
Joined: Aug. 16 2013

RE: Hello (in reply to Erik van Goch)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik van Goch

quote:

That would've been Rini Kersten's Centro Flamenco (or Centro Flamenco Puro, or Centro Flamenco Utrera, I forget exactly what it was called..), I believe?

I took lessons from a student in Rotterdam. That must be about 8 years ago now.

Did you press the link i enclosed?
Who was the teacher you mentioned?

I did, but perhaps I should have read it more closely.

I've seen that book at a friend's house I think...

His name was Thijmen Sprakel.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 12:07:41

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Hello (in reply to Tomas)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tomas
His name was Thijmen Sprakel.

I know him but not that well since i graduated a couple of years before he started. We met several times during masterclasses in Rotterdam (like the one with Moraito) and i attended his final exam.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 12:23:32

Tomas

Posts: 22
Joined: Aug. 16 2013

RE: Hello (in reply to Erik van Goch)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik van Goch

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tomas
His name was Thijmen Sprakel.

I know him but not that well since i graduated a couple of years before he started. We met several times during masterclasses in Rotterdam (like the one with Moraito) and i attended his final exam.

Still, it's a small world! His lessons were good, they helped a lot for the development of my technique early on. After studying with, I didn't take lessons for several years and kind of lost my focus. It luckily came back when I started going to Spain during Summers to take lessons.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 19 2013 12:29:05