Impersonating some of the famous classical guitarists

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devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

Impersonating some of the famous cla...

I heard some of the names, but I don't know how they talk. I thought it was fun though. I wish someone did the same thing for all the flamenco guitar maestros.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 25 2020 19:58:11

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

Hmmm. I've only ever spoken more than a minute or two with Romero, Dyens and Bream. Kanengiser knows Pepe Romero very well, but he doesn't sound like him at all.

Over fifty years or so I have spoken to Pepe Romero for a total maybe an hour or two. Romero has a sense of humor but it's very dry. I marvel at how his Spanish accent has remained so intact after living for 63 years in the USA. I suppose they spoke Spanish at home, and the first years of his public career in the USA were with his father and brothers, traveling as a quartet. Kanengiser's singsong attempt is way off the mark. Romero's tonal range is nowhere near as wide.

I have spoken with Dyens maybe a half hour total. He also had a dry sense of humor in his fluent and correct English. Dyens' father was French, his mother Algerian. Having worked a fair amount in France, I would say his English accent is a little different from that I encountered among the educated engineers, civil servants, military officers and diplomats I associated with. Without the visual cue I wouldn't have known who Kanengiser was imitating.

Bream grew up with a decidedly working class accent. He has said that during his time at the Royal College of Music, the Head called him into his office and said, "Bream, we must do something about the way you speak." My impression is that Bream embarked upon a self-conscious effort to change his accent. The result is a relaxed and somewhat ironic approximation to the "BBC received pronunciation." In the '70s Bream came to Austin for a concert. I picked him up at the airport, took him to his hotel, had a glass of wine or two. During his time in Austin for a few days I was his chauffeur and guide. In my opinion Kanengiser doesn't come close.

But it's all in good fun.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 26 2020 6:06:32

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

quote:

I heard some of the names, but I don't know how they talk

You're great value man!
how is an impression even mildly impactful or entertaining if you dont actually know how the original person sounds or behaves??

And as for flamenco Maestros? in 15 years I've probably heard a handful of them speak; How many are you familiar with in 1.5years?

But actually if you found that funny without knowing the classical players, maybe you'd still enjoy a guy doing seemingly random gitano impressions.

Honestly for me though. There's no place for this kind of buffonery in Flamenco. Classical players are weird geeks ripe for send up. Flamenco Maestros are not!

Infact that crowd in the video who are whooping and howling at each impression are exactly the kind of ass kissers that classical world creates.

There's a classical venue here in london that often has a manuel valencia or juan carlos romero or some such over for a gig and a masterclass. And jeez. talk about sucking the passion and fun out of something. Treating these guys like exotic, mysterious conjurors or some black magic music.

dunno if any of that is relevent but .....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 26 2020 22:10:18

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)

Here's a Julian Bream story, at least as I remember it.

Bream was something of a child prodigy, and was making a name for himself while at the Royal College of Music. When it came time for his required military service he was assigned to an infantry unit.

During bayonet practice, the soldiers were made to lie prone upon the ground. For some reason the man next to Bream stabbed his bayonet into the dirt. Maybe it was part of the exercise. At any rate the bayonet passed between Bream's outspread fingers. When he saw the huge knife between his fingers, Bream started to cry.

"I was immediately packed off and assigned to the band. You can't have anyone crying during bayonet practice. The whole regiment would burst into tears."

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 1:26:42

devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Stu)

quote:

You're great value man!
how is an impression even mildly impactful or entertaining if you dont actually know how the original person sounds or behaves??

Oh wait!! I do know how Pepe Romero talks. It was for me entertaining and funny enough. Also this indian english accent at 5:48

quote:

And as for flamenco Maestros? in 15 years I've probably heard a handful of them speak; How many are you familiar with in 1.5years?

Almost everyone. For example in english John Martin, Paco Pena, PdL, Ricardo Marlow, Grisha, Adam del Monte, Jose Tanaka, Juan Serrano. I'd like to hear and watch someone impersonating them. Their body language, voice and how they talk. It would be fun.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 9:45:05

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

Seemed more like a compilation of national stereotypes than anything.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 10:40:25

devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)

quote:

Kanengiser knows Pepe Romero very well, but he doesn't sound like him at all.

To me he sounds like Pepe Romero.

quote:

Seemed more like a compilation of national stereotypes than anything.

It would be the same for all spanish speaking maestros from Spain. No stereotypes. The list was purely accidental.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 11:43:57

Brendan

Posts: 353
Joined: Oct. 30 2010

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Stu)

quote:

There's a classical venue here in london that often has a manuel valencia or juan carlos romero or some such over for a gig and a masterclass. And jeez. talk about sucking the passion and fun out of something. Treating these guys like exotic, mysterious conjurors or some black magic music.

The Antonio Rey masterclass was especially excruciating... I have the impression that the London Guitar Festival bears the stamp of one notable personality. Still, though, they brought Gerardo to town a couple of years ago and the all-women show last year was good.

The last of those masterclasses that I went to was the Manuel Valencia one. He warmed up with a bit of Bach.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 11:48:54

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

I mean...Roland Dyens saying "que sera sera"....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 12:20:29

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Brendan)

Yeah.its great they bring these maestros over. Gigs are great.masterclass.....? Steer clear.

I paid £90 for a manual valencia masterclass. Was about six of us in there. 3 classical players, 1 total noob flamenco player and a scholarly observer. He spent the whole lesson teaching them day 1 solea.. And playing his own material on the organisers request. That was cool to watch him play close up. But I learned next to nothing in that class. And left feeling rather frustrated.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 14:03:14

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

quote:

Almost everyone. For example in english John Martin, Paco Pena, PdL, Ricardo Marlow, Grisha, Adam del Monte, Jose Tanaka, Juan Serrano

Ok fair point. Yeah that's pretty much a full house there. probably only one missing.

Ricardo! Look who's next to you in that list!!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 14:06:15

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to devilhand)

quote:

I heard some of the names, but I don't know how they talk. I thought it was fun though. I wish someone did the same thing for all the flamenco guitar maestros.

seems like tasteless garbage to me, and I'm glad noone has.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 14:40:51

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Stu)

quote:

You're great value man!

Tesco value

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 14:42:32

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to mark indigo)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 15:04:33

Brendan

Posts: 353
Joined: Oct. 30 2010

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Stu)

quote:

I paid £90 for a manual valencia masterclass.

That would leave a bitter taste! I must have gone to something else. Aside from anything else, I’d have said hello if I saw you.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 16:06:07

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Brendan)

😂 I'd have hoped so!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 16:13:41

Flamingrae

Posts: 220
Joined: May 19 2009

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Stu)

quote:

I paid £90 for a manual valencia masterclass.

Ouch!! I confess I've gone off those classes at that venue. The last being the Antonio Reyes one. A friend decided he didn't want to do the class so he asked if I'd like to take his place. There was no time to really go up to the organiser and try to explain so we kept mum and when his name was called out I put my hand up, and walk-up. There were a few titters from the crowd.
That said the Santiago Lara one at Sadlers was ok. Simple, typical bulerias de Jerez, but it was all there and as you never know who is going to be in the class, kept it concise to accommodate different levels. He taught it properly and although I might have liked something a little more challenging, I have no complaints.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 27 2020 23:31:11

Stu

Posts: 2522
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Impersonating some of the famous... (in reply to Flamingrae)

Yeah to be fair Rae, that Santiago Lara class was alright.
I would've definitely preferred some more of his trademark stuff. But that classic jerez falseta was actually on my list to learn so was really good.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 28 2020 2:02:18