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Why do you love flamenco?
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Ricardo
Posts: 14799
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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 RE: Why do you love flamenco? (in reply to El Burdo)
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quote:
Ricardo - I think that thread is a different thing - answering the question 'what led you to flamenco'?
I'm wondering what it was/is about flamenco that you love - 'predominantly' to give the question a chance. For me, after a bit of Wow! Guitar! the social context and its connection to the emotion of the music became really significant. If Duende is to be experienced, I think it will be as a result of group interaction rather than seeing/hearing a solo concert performance which to me will relate more to appreciation of the skill of the artist and their ability to interpret a piece of music than anything else. I'm not judging it - it's just not what hurts my soul.
From your posts and family context I would guess that 'playing the guitar' is a significant angle, and the challenge of flamenco makes it more interesting. Of course that doesn't prevent loving the music itself either.
“That thread” actually were two…how you got into it, and the link there was mentors and teachers. I feel that those two subjects answer the question, for me…what it WAS I loved, and later what it IS that I gained from mentors in the genre that constructed “what I love about flamenco” today. I guess I skipped on specifics in those topics, so here are some.
I think “Duende” is personal despite the collective “electricity” people insist is happening in the right environments. I have felt it both alone and with very large group involvement. Often it is about an individual that brings it, or turns it on. Another term is “energy” that people use. When I notice someone bringing it, I do my best to ramp it up and keep it alive, regardless of the audience or collective environment. It can totally be a performance situation, but also just two people in a small room, for each other. Just because you find yourself with the ideal private Juerga with top level artists, doesn’t guarantee good stuff will come of it. Another thing, some folks might not be in tune with, is the artistic competition that creates a tension in the air so to speak, when you have people aware of who is who in a room. That can lead to great things, or very negative things depending on how it goes. The other thing some people are not aware of is “hazing” and putting people in their place, that goes on in the Juergas that doesn’t happen on stage. While it is designed to educate the initiated, it can be nerve wracking and really kill the duende. At the same time, going through that painful process sometimes leads to important artistic break throughs.
In order to truly define what you love about flamenco, it is needs to be revealed what would make you want to quit it. In my case it was one dancer on the job situation, and if I had not confirmed with other artists I respect that THAT individual was known for their “issues” in the same regard, I might have retired permanently from that world. I enjoy the rumba thing because I can improvise and shred, do the trio stuff, etc, plus I get to sing and feel the big chorus like when I was a teenager in the rock bands. It also keeps my chops up, although I admit flamenco puro is much harder mentally than physically. Staying on top of your game is very difficult, especially as you get older. Of all the Paco videos out there that are instructive, the one in Busqueda where he is in the hotel with his kid on the floor and he is drilling that “old” bulerías from Zyryab….that really gets to me. It’s how flamenco is so hard you can’t let that thing go for even a couple days or you lose it, and there is the master still working hard on it.
Last, I have gotten into the flamencology thing, thanks to discussions on this foro and some privately off line. I have always been interested in the evolution of the music, singing and guitar mainly, of course that is just intellectual boring nerd stuff and the genre could be completely extinct to get into that. In the end if it is the juerga that moves you or dance classes, whatever, the world is what WE make of it, so just do it then.
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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com
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Date Sep. 5 2022 12:47:42
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mark indigo
Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
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RE: Why do you love flamenco? (in reply to El Burdo)
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quote:
I still don't think that what got you started identifies what it is that you love -
No, but that first record is enormously significant for me, because many other things came from that, so that is a big "before and after" moment for me. And there are a LOT of things I love about flamenco, and I didn't have so much time last night, so that was both the beginning of loving flamenco, and the beginning of saying what I love about it.
I also remember one particular moment when I "got" the cante, which I admit was some while later, but I'd have to add that in too. By that time I was already sitting in on dance classes, which is something else I love.
quote:
- I like many others started with guitar but actually love the communal nature of a shared immersion in a profound sound which resonates with history and experience.
That's one of them, or perhaps several of them...
The main thing for me that I love is how the cante, the guitar, and the baile all touch me and move me in ways that nothing else does.
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Date Sep. 26 2022 14:09:23
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trivium91
Posts: 208
Joined: Jan. 24 2022
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RE: Why do you love flamenco? (in reply to El Burdo)
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I love the unconventional Phrygian scales and sound, the passion and expression, the aggressive but yet beautiful, the hypnotic and poetic nature, the most beautiful rendition of the modern guitar. I love the challenge, while at times frustrating, its fruit that it bears taste so sweet. The emotion that is interlaced in the music taps into the abstract...the spiritual, concepts that seems to be long forgotten in favour of what society sees with their own eyes or is simply distracted by social media and the latest trends. I love the feel of the guitar between my fingers, the way my right hand glides over the strings with speed and finesse. A form of communication and expression that are too personal to communicate with words. The long term goals, how something has so much depth and layers that is offers one to be in the moment but yet maintain a strong vision for the future, a vision that feeds motivation to continue and improve through daily practice sessions. No longer longing for the weekends, Flamenco evens out the days in the weeks as there is always something to look forward to both in the here and now and the future.
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Date Oct. 5 2022 16:15:25
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