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I'd give it all away just to be able to sing solea. But the voice?!! Where does that voice come from?
In the movie 'Vengo' there's a part when one of the guys (Bobote?) goes up to a tree and sings por seguiriyas. Totally incredible. His speaking voice is like your and mine. But when he sings, it's flamenco.
Where does that voice come from?
Can it be taught at all? Can singing in general be taught at all?
I'm asking this a bit for the insiders, in the know of cantaores and cante. Any hints?
Tenshu, I took singing lessons from an opera singer for a year on and off. And I got the Roger Love CD with exercises to sing and increase your range. As to your question, you most certainly can learn how to sing. There are different ways to sing,but you can learn intonation, range, tone, timing, and volume.
It's an instrument like any other. One thing, for example my voice is a tenor and somewhat thin. I don't think it will ever sound like those gritty flamenco guys. Most Spanish people I heard have a little gruff or hoarse voice anyway, it seems to be natural. And then smoking and drinking I hear will make your voice that way too. Nat King Cole smoked a lot of cigarrettes.
And maybe it's even harder than guitar for foreigners, because you have to really get the accent down. Like singing blues I would think. So many inflections and mannerisms and even a way of thinking. But I think you can do it Tenshu, if you really want it. Maybe start with Columbianas or rumbas and then go down (ma jondo) from there. I'm studying singing too...maybe someday we can do some Fandangos together. :)
Tenshu, the rough or foggy voices many of us associate with cante and which were mostly popularized by Mairena are no longer fashionable. I still love them and can’t get no satisfaction from the dulcet tones of Mayte Martín, Estrella Morente or Arcángel, but young singers are going for clean voices, and some of them even manage to sound very flamenco using a clean delivery. But make no mistake, vocal placement is a learned trait.
A rough voice can be cultivated and acquired and the quickest way for a foreigner is to catch a cold in Spain. I don’t know if it’s different germs than foreigners have in their own countries or what, but a Spanish cold can last for months and leave your voice with a nice edge. If you’re singing all the time something gets established in your vocal chords and voila!, flamenco voice. Speaking in loud tones, a Spanish custom, also gives a permanent frost over the years. And of course smoking and drinking help a lot. (If anyone’s interested, Spain’s new “no smoking in public places” law that went into effect on January 1st has had little more effect in Jerez than prompting bars and cafeterias to put up large signs saying “Smoking permitted here”).
While it gives a great feeling of confidence to have a flamenco-sounding voice, it’s by no means a prerequisite.
ORIGINAL: zata (If anyone’s interested, Spain’s new “no smoking in public places” law that went into effect on January 1st has had little more effect in Jerez than prompting bars and cafeterias to put up large signs saying “Smoking permitted here”).
I was asked not to light a cigarrette in a bar up in the Alpujarras last Monday. I was so shocked as I had forgotton the new laws. There were still ashtrays on the table. I've not been out to all my local bars so will be interested to see what is going on there. Maybe in the Alpujarras it is because of all the tourists that visit. Maybe at night when the last bus has gone the locals light up as usual.
LoL Kate and Zata, In Stornoway in the Western Isles, drinking on a Sunday was heavily frowned upon and indeed against the Law. The local policeman would turn a blind eye to it all until he was off duty and then change his clothes and refect to McAllister's Bar.. knock on the bolted door twice and ask for Hamish....
Tenshu, I think that is a very valid fear. There is a "trained" singer kind of sound that we don't like, right? :) My plan is to learn how to sing this way, and then "rough it up" later. I think it can be done that way. I do know that just trying to scream along with Jose Merce didn't get me anywhere, but the training and the CDs have helped me gradually raise my range. Marija Temo, a guitarist/singer here in the States, told me at a workshop that aspring singers should get lessons, to learn how to use the voice.
Tenshu, if you understand compas, learn basic cantes for dance (especially alegrias, solea and even some sevillanas) by copying recordings then offer to sing for free for dance classes and learn more repertoire as the dance teacher requires. No one will complain about your singing unless you go off compás.
Make sure to learn from traditional recordings, not Morente and such.
Hi Ron, your post reminds me of my friends in Anglessy, a small island of the coast of Wales, where Sundays were 'dry' ie prohibition. They ran a small post office which had a liquor license, it was closed on Sundays obviously, but hell it was busy at the back door.
Also remember going to Scotland back in the 70s and a pub refusing to serve my female friends a pint of beer. At first we thought they did not serve woman but it turns out they would sell us a half pint on account of it was not ladlylike to drink pints !!!
Have you heard the latest idea of three drinks and out ? What is that all about ? How will the landlords survive ? Is the drink problem really that bad ?
Sorry to have gone off topic, but you need more than three glasses of vino to get warmed up singing cante.
Tenshu, you might try Roger Love's "Set Your Voice Free". It's a book that explains breathing and other things like that as well as a CD that you practice with daily. It's aimed at pop singers, but to me it should work fine for any singing. As far as where...I have a house so that works fine for me. Otherwise there's always the mobile studio (car). Besides that...well singers can't be shy, my friend :)
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