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Hi Kate, I was just watching the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music (from Edinburgh). Ojos de Brujo won it. I was just thinking, do you know Charlie Gillet who hosts the BBC World Service programme on World Music? He's the guy who played a track (Tangos) from the Estrella Morente album a while ago. The World Service as you know is very far reaching and Mr.Gillet seems to have a lot of cred with his listeners judging by the response at the festival. Why don't you drop him a line about Taller? Try this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/wmusic.shtml
Thanks for thinking of us, and for the reminder about Charlie Gillet. I have already sent him a CD via another BBC producer but never heard anything from him. I tried to meet him at WOMEX in Seville but no luck. I shall keep trying him (though it works better if you come recommended) and if we get these UK gigs in Glasgow I shall definitely let him know and invite him to the show.
Of course our lot are real flamenco as opposed to OdB who, to my mind, are a Spanish pop group, and a good alternative to the commercial crap, but I dislike the fact that they are marketing themselves as flamenco/world music when they are fusionists. If they dont count Jazz as World music then fusion shouldn't be accepted either. I had always hoped the World Music Circuit would be true to the authentic sounds and not accept pop copyists. Just a personal gripe, getting flamenco tours going is hard enough without the fusionists stealing the flamenco thunder. Please dont all get at me. I'm having a hard enough time as it is
Hi Kate, I agree with you about the "tastes" of so called World Music DJ's and critics. The previous presenter on the World Service, (Ian Anderson) was much more clued up in my opinion. Good luck anyway!
I met Ian Anderson briefly at Womex and thanked him. He was one of the first people to write a review of Taller de Compás in his magazine FRoots and I sent him to him unsolicited, so I know he listens to everythin he gets sent.
Hope we meet up in Glasgow. I'm going to phone the promoters there next week and see what they thought of the package I sent them, what would be amazing would be to take everyone, Emilio Maya, Marina Heredia, Pablo Maldonado and the kids from the Taller. Now that would be something
I was just checking up on the Radio Tarifa gig in Aberdeen next month and I noticed there is a warmup band (duo) called Rodrigo and Gabriela, virtuoso guitarists. Having never heard of them before I checked their link to their website. They are a Mexican couple living in Ireland, playing latin/fusion/etc.
Anyway, I spotted a review which I think underscores my comments about "World Music" critics and writers. Check this for verbose rubbish....
"To the unattuned ear, flamenco can seem jarring, discordant and depressing, an unnerving combination of guitar in staccato mode and voices given over to sudden spasms of passion.
As an upbeat, ultra-accessible alternative, Rodrigo and Gabriela play a melodious riff-based sound influenced by the lamentations of southern Spain but not restricted to - or really rooted in - them. Instead, they aim to entertain, delight and make feet tap. Like the music of virtuoso guitar giants José Feliciano and Paco de Lucia, this is picking for performance, with some impressive, impossibly fast fretwork and lots of mutual, competitive emoting."
Nuff Sed
Ron
PS Here's the website www.rodgab.com I think Mike might be into this kinda stuff.
"To the unattuned ear, flamenco can seem jarring, discordant and depressing, an unnerving combination of guitar in staccato mode and voices given over to sudden spasms of passion.
Oh dear, this reminds me of a Guardian review of Saura's Flamenco which complained it was all toothless old men wailing about oranges. I was astounded that the Guardian allowed someone to write about such a specialised subject with no obvious knowledge of what a gen that film is. Another jarring comment was "This film had no plot" I mean !!!!
And as for the support band for Radio Tarifa, without hearing what they do I wouldn't like to say too much but put it this way my imagination ran wild at the potential musical fusion. Celtic Mariachi Rumbas. Though I bet they are pleased to be compared to Paco de Lucia though.
I've sent a promo pack off to Aberdeen of a good selection of Granada artists. Though we dont stand a chance if the comment quoted above is really what people think of flamenco. Sometimes it feels like an uphill struggle. I guess that's what made me mad abou OdB as now the world music people can say they are into flamenco and book OdB to prove it.
I am so hoping we can get some gigs happening in Scotland. I'm going there in May for a family wedding in Dumfries. Cant wait. All the men in kilts
One more thing Ron, could you let me know who the promoter is and the venue. I'm trying to keep tabs on this sort of thing in the hope of finding some flamenco friendly agents.
I dunno, Kate, myself, I don't even try to do the whole flamenco thing. I bill myself as a "Spanish and Classical Guitar Player," and I try to keep my gigs about 30% flamenco or so. I'm only talking guitar here, of course. Once in awhile someone recognizes flamenco or asks about it, and I even had a possible client breathlessly talk about "authentic" flamenco, but--it's uncommon. I play at corporate events, art gallery openings, private homes, so my situation is a little different than yours. And of course I am willing to change my product to some degree to suit it. I'm tossing the idea around to do a kind of "soft sell" on flamenco, to gradually work it into my stuff and albums...
I agree with you totally. You are a guitarist who plays flamenco. You dont sell yourself as flamenco. You do what makes you a living, you please the audience/client with whatever entertains them.
And of course it is different here. This is flamenco land ( Okay Estela I know its not really , its Granada).
LOL! I particularly liked the bit about "guitar giants such as Jose Feliciano and Paco de Lucia." I'm sure Paco would be pleased to be included in the honours. LOL!
Look, I'm not a guitar snob folks, really. I have a couple of Jose F's albums myself and they're great. I was only getting at the reviewer's comments. (And by the way Mike old chum, I was only jokin' with ya!)
I'm sure I'll enjoy Rod & Gab's stuff. After all it is guitar, and it's a bloody hard instrument to play regardless of style. By the way, if Jim Opfer is reading this, they are on in Glasgow the next day (16th).
Kate, the venue is called "The Lemon Tree" www.lemontree.org It's an Art's Council funded thing and they get a lot of good acts there, Bert Janch, Peter Green, Antonio Forcione, Billy Bragg, Courtney Pine etc. In the last couple of years they have been focussing in on mainly Scottish acts, I'm sure due to local political and funding pressure. It was better in the old days. Still, it's worth a try.
On "World Music" reviewers, I think our own "Professor" Stanley Unwin could have carved himself out a career there with things like....
"It is a sight indeed, to observe this accomplished flamenco guitarist falollop across the fingery, with fearsome dextrose and nimble in a rapid and virtuful mannerly, making sweet muse and bringing much joy to an entranced publo, oh yes."
Thanks I know them and they have the promo material. Still I shall chase them up. I'm waiting for Glasgow to get back to me and if tehy are interested then the others hopefully will follow.
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