Carmen Amaya

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Carmen Amaya

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zata

Posts: 659
Joined: Jul. 17 2003

Carmen Amaya

This great flamenco dancer died forty years ago this month and an interesting series in English has been devoted to her at Deflamenco. You can access it from the front page:

http://www.deflamenco.com/indexi.jsp

Sabicas was her guitarist for years and the first article mentions him quite a bit.

Estela

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 17:50:16

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to zata)

Nice article. I wonder how much she practiced in secret!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 18:15:28

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to zata)

Very enjoyable article Estela.
Thanks.
I bought the Queen of the Gypsies" LP many years ago and to me it is still a unique and unsurpassed album in style, content and an undefinable "freshness" and zest.

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 19:57:16

Guest

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 20:18:14

Thomas Whiteley

Posts: 786
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to zata)

Estela;

Thank you for the information.

Katy and I like Carmen Amaya. (Mild understatement!). Katy said when she was a girl her family would take her to see Carmen dance, and that she was frightened by Carmen’s facial expressions, which were very intense! We have several of her movies and film clips plus audio recordings of everything she made.

It always interested me how Sabicas would stay in compas with Carmen and in his solo playing (which I enjoy) he took many liberties.

As I recall after Sabicas left, Carlos Montoya and El Marote were amongst two of her accompanists, and of course earlier her father.

One of my favorite recordings is Queen of the Gypsies, which they did in one take. Today it would take two years to record, edit and release such a recording. Thank God for editing of today’s offerings!

_____________________________

Tom
http://home.comcast.net/~flamencoguitar/flamenco.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 23:24:04

Thomas Whiteley

Posts: 786
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to zata)

Very nice!

Before reading it I thought of Domingo Alvarado and Dominico Caro. I have recordings of Domingo with Carmen Amaya. I enjoy the singing of Domingo and have several of his works such as with Juan Serrano. Dominico was kind enough to send me a tape they did together – very nice. I would like to go to New York to see Domingo perform.

If anyone has a copy of Sabicas y los cantaores, listen to cut # 12 Carmen Amaya: Fandangos. That will wake up anyone!

_____________________________

Tom
http://home.comcast.net/~flamencoguitar/flamenco.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 4 2003 23:58:41

zata

Posts: 659
Joined: Jul. 17 2003

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to Thomas Whiteley)

Tom, in Marote's interview he explains how Sabicas 'annointed' him as successor in Carmen's group...I hadn't realized Carlos Montoya played for her as well.

Queen of the Gypsies is a classic.

Andy, I took your advice and wrote Vicky to squeeze some comments out of her mother Mariquita...thank you for the idea.

Estela 'Zata'

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 5 2003 13:13:02

Guest

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 5 2003 15:25:48

zata

Posts: 659
Joined: Jul. 17 2003

RE: Carmen Amaya (in reply to Guest)

Andy, I know Mariquita well because I was singing and playing for her dance classes in the early sixties...she used to tell a lot of those stories in class, but you know how it is, young people just want to get on with what they're interested in and no one, myself included, paid any attention. I especially remember that concept of the "three essential steps for each palo" (we didn't say 'palo' back then). She offered so much wisdom, but the class just wanted "steps".

Estela 'Zata'

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 5 2003 15:59:16

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 5 2003 17:39:49