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I just received something in the post today from this company, which I had ordered something from a couple of months ago. It's a quarterly catalogue, called "El Repertorio" and has 20 jam-packed pages full of brilliant Flamenco CDs/DVD/Books etc...all in full colour, with details of the tracks etc. Wow! It's so refreshing after being used to Internet shopping , just to sit down and browse a real paper catalogue full of great stuff..all Flamenco..every page! You could mentally clock up 1000 Euros worth of stuff you'd like even before you get halfway through! And the prices? Things like ..Tomatito "Aguadulce" CD...5.95 Euros Duquende/Paco de Lucia etc "Samaruco" CD...5.95 Euros Carmen Linares/Vincente Amigo/Tomatito/Pepe Habichuela 2 CD set "Antologia"..8.95 Euros. Check out Flamenco-World's prices for the same albums!
Also..
Encuento Series...DVD + Book....
Gerardo Nuñez...65.95 Euros Merengue de Cordoba....65.95 Euros La Guitarra de Tomatito...32.95 Euros
etc..etc...
Are these guys real???
No...I'm not being paid by them to say this.. I genuinely am very enthusiastic about their approach here!
Thanks Ron, You are right... it certainly seems very cheap- much cheaper than Flamenco-world! I think I'll take this opportunity to stock up on Nino Ricardo CDs. If anyone has ordered from EFV before, I'd be interested to know what the service was like.
I have worked with these people and they are genuine. When I produced my first cante CD I asked them if they would be interested in helping to sell it. They bought copies up front and paid directly and immediately into my bank account. When I eventually made it to the shop and introduced myself, they treated me like a brother. They are aficionados.
Another place I can recommend is Zambra in Barcelona.
James, I ordered my Amir Haddad CD through them and the service was just the same as Flamenco-Word or de-Flamenco. The CD arrived promptly with full Internet tracking service of where your parcel is. Great company IMO!
Excellent range of products and good service... its almost too good to be true. But with prices like "5.95 Euros" for many CDs, its hard to understand how they make a decent profit.
I have worked with these people and they are genuine. When I produced my first cante CD I asked them if they would be interested in helping to sell it. They bought copies up front and paid directly and immediately into my bank account. When I eventually made it to the shop and introduced myself, they treated me like a brother. They are aficionados.
SO, can the experts recommend any good good albums that I definetely need to get. I will get about 10 albums or so.
You have no PDL albums at all?! Wow! Well, I'm no expert, but I never get tired of PDL's "Fantasia Flamenca"- its traditional, but with no cante. By Tomatito, try "Aguadulce". I also recommend Manolo Sanlucar... try "Tauromagia" or "Recital De Flamenco". If they have it in stock, El Nino Miguel's CD is also worth a listen. If you like traditional cante, try anything by Camaron. If you prefer more modern cante, try Estrella Morente.
I do not really like cante. I prefer the sound of the guitar.
Heheh, me too. But don't say that too loud. Anyway, I think you will find that you will gradually begin to appreciate some forms of cante, even if you don't like all of it.
Shroomy, Get some of Paco de Lucia's albums from the 60's. They are pre-syncopation and pre-jazzy cords, and I think you will like it. His playing back then was so tight, so rhythmic, so hard! Oh, and Almoraima. To me, this was the pinnacle of pre-el Revolucion de Paco flamenco.
You may want to check out Manolo Sanlucar's early stuff, I think it was called Formas y Mundo. He was a very clean player with a distinct sound, fast and fluid.
One of the coolest albums of all time is Serranito's first album. You will hear some stuff there that will make your jaw drop! He was a monster.
You may want to check out Manolo Sanlucar's early stuff, I think it was called Formas y Mundo. He was a very clean player with a distinct sound, fast and fluid.
I have heard great things about these CDs too. They are actually called "Mundo Y Formas De La Guitarra Flamenca" Vol. 1-3. But El Flamenco Vive will not stock these- they are rare. The only place I know that sells them is amazon.co.jp:
This is the Recital De Flamenco version that I have. It is available at ElFlamencoVive too. Although I'm not sure if the Mundo Y Formas CDs will be better because I don't have them yet... but I have a couple of songs from them, and they are excellent.
I believe "La Fabulosa Guitarra De PDL" was also in the 60s era, and worth getting.
I have the complete recorded works of Ramon Montoya (guitar solo stuff of course, not accomp), a 2 CD set. The sound is not bad at all. His playing is very clean and clear.
One album of PDL overlooked that I love is "Duende Flamenco de PDL". It has a couple pieces with orchestral backing that turns off most aficionados. But it is totally worth just for the Alegrias, Rondena, Siguiriyas, Solea, and Bulerias. Some of the best solo guitar ever recorded.
I think Sabicas' Flamenco Puro has been reissued on CD recently. Highly recommend. Escudero's old stuff too is good. There is a compiled set of discs call Maestros de la guitarra flamenca, that has some great picks of the old masters. Vol 3 and 4 has Esteban de Sanlucar, one of my favorites.
Nunez "Jucal" is my favorite from him. Vicente Amigo's first album is very good "de mi corazon al aire". I like his second as well "Vivencias Imaginadas". My favorite of Tomatito is "Paseo de los Castanos".
I think Sabicas' Flamenco Puro has been reissued on CD recently. Highly recommend.
I agree- "Flamenco Puro" is a great Sabicas CD. But I think there's a double CD available somewhere called "La Guitarra Flamenca" that has all those songs, plus a few more. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll try and find out where it was purchased from.
Esteban de Sanlucar has an album? I love his stuff. In fact I just bought a book of some of his pieces and an accompanying CD from a guy with so-so abilities.
Shroomy, check out Almoraima, too. That is my fav. Paco album and is damned good. Ricardo, you don't dig the Zapateado from Duende? It's kind of "pirate movie soundtrack" sounding but I love it! There is a solo version of him playing it on Youtube. Percusion Flamenca I mean.
For Niño Ricardo, you can often find "Grandes Figures du Flamenco", Vol. 11 on eBay - probably the best collection.
Esteban de Sanlucar made a solo LP, but it's a collector's item - I've seen it on Ebay, but very rarely. Perico el del Lunar made one too, but I've only seen it once.
Escudero made a number of albums - all long out of print.
For tracks from a number of the older players, try to find the "Masters of Flamenco Guitar" CDs from Hemishpere, or the "Maestros de la Guitarra Flamenca" CDs from Planet Records.
so it could actually an idea to send some Demos of a cd to them? Just for fun i meen.
No. This is a commercial enterprise, not a benevolent foundation to help amateurs. Get your act together, produce something saleable and they might add it to stock (for a percentage, of course).
No. This is a commercial enterprise, not a benevolent foundation to help amateurs.
What's this thing about making CDs?
It seems every fairly advanced Flamenco student, who is just getting a grasp of this stuff, is in the process of making a CD these days In the old days, you'd have to convince a Record Company that it was worthwhile making an investment in you, so an Agent would be sent along to look at your concerts and judge the reaction etc. So at least there was a bit of third-party filtering. These days anyone with a bit of computer savvy can sit in their bedroom and make a CD. To me it's a bit like passing O Grades or a Degree...some sort of Rite of Passage??
So this "in the process of making an album" thing, puts me in mind of the 70's where every third unemployed hippy was in the process of writing a book inbetween getting stoned
well sorry but i don´t see why the flamenco genre should be diffrent from anything other. Its comon practice to record your band (pro CD or GOOD demo.) Then you ask your local record store to sell it. Most record stores have a "local" section, well not the big one like fnac or virgin mega store. Erik Steen the swedish flamenco guitarist sent all his recorded cds to el flamenco vive. No record company or promotor involved. and belive it or not he sells.
of course im not up to his level but how knows.. If you got the songs and skill to play all you need is money to press the cd with a full colour cover. unless you got the tools at home you also need a little cach for some studio time.
Paco del Gastor (not Diego) even has at least 2 cds out. his ability to play guitar is not what i call PRO. yet he is aloud to make cds.
If Todd or Ricardo would make a cd would that be bad just cause there might not be a record deal?
_____________________________
This is hard stuff! Don't give up... And don't make it a race. Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.
Esteban de Sanlucar has an album? I love his stuff. In fact I just bought a book of some of his pieces and an accompanying CD from a guy with so-so abilities.
Shroomy, check out Almoraima, too. That is my fav. Paco album and is damned good. Ricardo, you don't dig the Zapateado from Duende? It's kind of "pirate movie soundtrack" sounding but I love it! There is a solo version of him playing it on Youtube. Percusion Flamenca I mean.
Esteban Sanlucar's short play recording is available, as I and others mentioned, on "Maestros de la guitarra flamenca" vol 3 and 4. It is split up, 4 pieces on each CD. Amazing clean and rhythmic player for his day. He did the machine gun 4 note per beat rasgueado everyone seems to think is a "modern" technique. Planet records, as mentioned.
And I love the whole Duende disc, I am just sick of defending against aficionado's lack of ability to enjoy an album that has more than just a guitar. So I put the disclaimer and said it is worth to buy just for the 5 pieces I mentioned. But yeah the Zapateado is great. One record reviewer hated this version and praised the live Teatro Real version, saying he played more traditional, or more rhythmic, or something stupid like that, even though it was note for note the same, just no chamber ensemble. But I am starting to get tired of this politically correct explaining stuff. From now on I will say how I feel. "Duende Flamenco is good. If you dont' like it, you don't understand flamenco guitar". There simple. Ooops, I mean "IMO".
Nino Ricardo played with a dirty sound, but had really cool ideas and arpeggios and things. Some recordings I have are not the best fidelity either. But very important for study. Faucher has a good book on him too I recommend.
just heard a cd with Paco de lucia and Niño Ricardo playing for El Lebrijano. I think its from 1978 or something. cool playing. Paco is spot on. Niño Ricardo is a little here and there but good.
_____________________________
This is hard stuff! Don't give up... And don't make it a race. Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.
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