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What is your deep, personal interest in flamenco?
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Nemo Nint
Posts: 41
Joined: Jul. 20 2006
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 What is your deep, personal interest...
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I just wonder, based on inspiration from reading different threads on the board...
in advance- I appologize if this is a repeat of some previous thread...
The question of what's your deep, personal interest in flamenco, it's sort of got two sides I think: how did you original get into flamenco/how did you hear about it? and .. right now, what really do you play it for?
for myself, I heard a brilliant guitar solo on a tv music channel, found the musician published an album with Flamenco in the title- first time I'd heard the word flamenco. got the album, learned more about the performance of the type of music, then got a guitar, learned by a method book the art of picking melody instead of north-american-style-strumming... learned classical gas on electric guitar (ha), randomly found a flamenco method book in a large music book store called Flamenco Basic Guitar Techniques, learned it inside out... got Systematic Studies for Flamenco Guitar and Guitar Journals: Flamenco, and am progressing through those.
I play it because somewhere along the way in my life I became enamoured with non-lyrical music. Not just the guitar, but just music I consider great. Non-lyrical flamenco to me seems the most accessible (single instrument), but also the most fiery, intense, full-of-life type of non-lyrical music that exists. Practicing ieam and eamii rasgueados in the air or on the arm of a chair or on my knee makes my heart race. I love it. :)
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Date Oct. 22 2006 2:48:59
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JBASHORUN
Posts: 1839
Joined: Jan. 23 2005
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to Nemo Nint)
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quote:
I play it because somewhere along the way in my life I became enamoured with non-lyrical music. Not just the guitar, but just music I consider great. Non-lyrical flamenco to me seems the most accessible (single instrument), but also the most fiery, intense, full-of-life type of non-lyrical music that exists.
A bit like me, actually. I'm mostly into instrumental-only music that involves guitars. I like most varieties, inlcuding electric guitar (shredding), Gypsy Jazz and Flamenco. For some reason, I just prefer the sound of guitars to the sound of singing. But that said, there are some singers and cantaors that I do like.
For me it all began throught alt. rock bands like Nirvana and Metallica. My first CDs involving guitars. From there I progressed to the instrumental metal, and also found a few Nuevo Flamenco CDs. I think it was one of Eduardo Niebla's albums and stuff by Rodrigo Y Gabriela that first caught my attention and made me think that acoustic guitar music actually had something to say. I spoke to Eduardo once or twice, and he said he learned Flamenco (amongst other things).
So I got hold of a few "Flamenco" CDs. One of which was "Friday Night In San Francisco" with PDL and Al. The other was PDL's "Antologia" compilation. For a while, I listened to very little else apart from those Nuevo Flamenco albums and the PDL stuff. But since then I have developed a good collection of "proper" Flamenco CDs that I enjoy.
For me its just overwhelming. Guys like PDL, Sabicas, Mario Escudero, Esteban De Sanlucar, etc. When I hear that part at about 2:15 in Sabicas' "Punta Y Tacon" Farruca where he starts speeding up, it just gets my heart beating fast. And then he breaks into some picado...
Personally, I doubt I will ever be very good at Flamenco, but my aim is to be able to play a few pieces by the likes of Sabicas and PDL to a competent standard. If I can ever do that, will be MORE than satisfied.
Until then, its back to the Graf Martinez book...
Jb
_____________________________
¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
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Date Oct. 22 2006 17:04:37
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Ron.M
Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to JBASHORUN)
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Bash,
I suppose like you I grew up with popular stuff, although it was things like Duane Eddy, The Everley Bros and the Beatles etc.
Later, I moved on to Folk Music with people like Jesse Fuller, The Rev. Gary Davis, Bert Jansch, Davy Graham and John Renbourne playing accoustic steel string like I'd never heard it played before...ie not just strumming chords like Joan Baez.
I attempted to get some Robert Johnson licks down and suddenly realized that there was a helluva lot more to playing than just playing the notes.
It was the "sound".
I later heard Flamenco for the first time..(Manuel Morao con Terremoto) and the sound of that guitar just arrested me!
I'd never heard anything like it before.
It spoke to me and bypassed all my "taste and judgement" circuits.
It was incredible!
I just loved it but couldn't explain why!
That experience still remains with me insomuch that I can appreciate really talented guitarists who can do amazing things, but at the end of the day, if I hear that "sound", no matter how complex or simple the playing is, then that really makes it for me.
cheers
Ron
_____________________________
A good guitar might be a good guitar
But it takes a woman to break your heart
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Date Oct. 22 2006 20:04:16
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Ron.M
Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to JBASHORUN)
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Bash,
Actually, my older brother saw the Stones in the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow in the early 60's where they were performing for a dance audience.
This was around the time of their first single release of "Not Fade Away"...a great Buddy Holly and the Crickets song
Years later, when I was about 19 they were pretty famous, but still appearing at University venues.
They were on at the QM Union, at Glasgow University where I was working...but I didn't buy a ticket, as I wasn't interested in that sort of stuff.. 
The only time I've seen them live was in 1985 in Aberdeen, in a small theatre (maybe 1500 max?)
They put on a great show and Keith was great....as was Mick and Ronnie and Bill and Charlie on the drums.
Very low key, small town venue...which I think they liked.
They opened with "Under My Thumb" and Mick did a great rendition of the Oldies, like "Time is on my side".
Magic evening.
I think the band felt comfortable and relaxed.
Sometimes it's good to live in a one horse town...
cheers
Ron
_____________________________
A good guitar might be a good guitar
But it takes a woman to break your heart
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Date Oct. 22 2006 22:15:14
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comus
Posts: 23
Joined: Oct. 2 2006
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to Ron.M)
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really intresting post this one 
I first realised how wondrful and versatile flamenco was when i first heard the Band im named after COMUS they do this wonderful(well i think it is anyway) english folk rock/Pagan flamenco/Acoustic psycadelia.
and then i heard Paco De Lucia doing a Bulerias with a singer, and i knew where Comus had got it from, I thought if there,s a Flamenco heaven i want to go there to listen to Paco Pena, and Paco de lucia and Sabacus (hey i can go there anytime i want).
other western guitarists who i used to be into...well their guitar skills kindov pale into insignificance when compared to the above mentioned trio, though you can kindov understand it when these guys start around six years of age, not many western guitarists have put in that much practice.
I like many, just wish to try to emulate my guitar heros, ill be honest im not a major league true flamenco fan for instance I have a copy of "Misa Flamenco" by Paco pena and its my least favorite of his albums , i really enjoy his early 70's stuff best he' had a reall fire in his belly then. just him and his acoustic guitar.
Im going to see him perform live in London in december so i will let you know if he still has. 
yer Rodrigo &Gabriela are a really cool band they have managed to make acoustic guitars Hip again for those who had forgot how great they are anyway and needed reminding (LOL) i love that acoustic rock thing they do like Black sabbath meets flamenco, never thought it was possible to shred(and make it sound that good) on an acoustic guitar.
stu
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Date Oct. 22 2006 23:30:18
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musicalgrant
Posts: 188
Joined: Oct. 21 2004
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to Nemo Nint)
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Re:The question of what's your deep, personal interest in flamenco, it's sort of got two sides I think: how did you original get into flamenco/how did you hear about it? and .. right now, what really do you play it for?
Good question, mmm, I first got inspired by Julian Bream, I had a friend guitar maker and he was teaching me to make guitars in exchange for my labour on his organic farm. And when he was building Cellos, lutes and guitars he often had Julian Bream playing in the back ground, and it made me want to play like that....
Then i after a few years of teaching myself guitar I got into music college and studied classical guitar whith a guitar teacher who learnt off John williams, and learnt lots of modern techniques..oh and I met John Renbourne there too  He teached acoustic guitar at the same college..
But after a few years i found classical a bit dry, (though i still love Bach on the guitar) and i also got tired of playing lots of music by dead composers...I then went into contempory classical guitar music, some of it was beautiful and a lot of it dry and intellectual....
I had reached the end of the road for me with the classical, and knew i needed something else, so i took a few years out of Uni. I had heard tapes of PDL and knew i would love to be able to play with such passion, but had no resources to learn this art, (this is going bak a few years now), flamenco was not on the internet in those days(well i couldnt find it), as it was not popular. Now is a different story!
I found Juan Martins method and thought hey this is a start someone who is showing all the traditional techniques in great detail. Ill give it a try. And then i discovered he was doing summer workshops in the nearby college, and they had a bursary award system in place So being poor i applied for a bursary to study for two weeks with him, and it was the most amazing thing!!!! Flamenco guitar 24/7 with dancers, singers, and oud player.....
playing for dancers was
and playing with Juan was  tough as he was way above me in those days...but the emotion in the music with dancers and singers was just WOW, what can i say...
And since then ive been a guitarist with a compulsive practice disorder lol
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http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/musicalgrant/index.html
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Date Nov. 5 2006 1:08:07
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edgar884
Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005
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RE: What is your deep, personal inte... (in reply to Nemo Nint)
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First of all I think that playing Flamenco strengthens your classical guitar playing. I don't see how it could damage your classical playing at all. It teaches you better right hand control. And why would anyone give up one or the other, classical guitar and Flamenco benefit each other in many ways, I think the study of both propels your technique faster for both styles.
Flamenco has this way of being beautiful sad dark and mysterious, it has the most advanced guitar playing the most passionate singing and the most beautiful dance form in the world.
Flamenco reminds me of my life struggles and accomplishments.
I came into Flamenco because of classical and it has changed my life.
Some of my most memmorable times have been because of my love for Flamenco.
I can't live with out it. My inspiration was when I saw Carmen as a teenager.
I thought wow clapping dancing and guitar, what a pure form of folkloric music.
My biggest inspiration is the combination of guitar, cante, palmas, cajon and dance.
To me Flamenco represents the hardships of a culture raped by Christianity. I'ts technique is obviously formed from having quite guitars bad strings, loud singers and loud dancers. in a performance situation guitar players have been fighting to be heard over the cante for years. I can picture a family of spanish, jewish, moors and others gathering in a cave trying to pass the time and playing this beautiful music for each other.
I can picture some old gypsy saying to a little boy, " hey little boy use your thumb like this it's louder and gives more depth to your sound". Or maybe a new rhythm being tapped out on a rock or board. It seems to me that however this music was created, it became the most profound and articulate music in the world, a combination of different cultures learning to live with each other without the benefit of being wealthy or christian or having expensive pianos, violins, or other hard to obtain instuments.
They had guitars, palmas things to bang on, dancers and people shouting there happines and hardships through there voices like an indian that just lost his father in a hunt and wrote a chant with his voice for generations of people to enjoy.
I am a wannabe gypsy at heart and have lived my life in a similar fasion.
Fighting to overcome drug abuse, the loss of my Father and the women in my life that have made me crazy. Life has made me strong and Flamenco only solidifies my passion for life.
Thats my story.
_____________________________
May we find God through Flamenco instead of Angels and Demons
www.gabrieledgar.com
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Date Nov. 5 2006 18:31:54
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So I played some paco pena pieces ones in a while. But in a bad, classical way. 
