Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
This evening, "Flamenco Guitar Virtuoso" Juan Martin made an appearance on the BBC's weekend Arts/Chat radio programme "Loose Ends".
He started with a short, slow, melancholic piece before launching in to his world famous "La Feria", a fiery Rumba in the Gypsy style, both pieces his own compositions.
I will post a link to the BBC "Listen Again" facility when it becomes available.
PS Juan is also appearing in Blood Wedding in Liverpool and there is the release of his latest album " Serenade" this week in which he plays with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. So there's something for all you JM fans out there!
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Exitao)
quote:
Well, if this were my first aid room, I'd just rub some dirt in it and send you back to work.
HaHa! Exitao... Love it! I've worked for a couple of companies like that too....
One of them had a British Army ex-SAS officer as the Company Doctor. He used to write things in the Company Magazine like... "Having the Flu' is just self indulgence IMO... Lying in bed does you no good at all... Whenever I have a cold or flu', I force myself to go for a 20 mile cycle ride whatever the weather".....
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
Well that was an education!
In all the discussions on the Foro about JM I've just sat back and listened, because I've never actually heard him play before. I didn't bother to seek out his music, because why chase someone who there is doubt about, when there are great players out there to listen to and learn from? All due respect to people who have learned from his books and found them useful - I don't think that is in doubt. But I didn't make any effort to listen to his playing.
But as Ron was kind enough to put the link there, I thought I would have a listen.
I thought the best thing about his playing was that it was over quickly. Many other adjectives come to mind, but I'll leave it there.
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Pgh_flamenco)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Pgh_flamenco Someone has claimed JM studied under PDL and that he was voted one of the top three guitarists in the world in a poll in Guitar Player magazine.
Very cute attempt to restart the flamewar. I'm not biting.
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to koella)
ron, you must love the radio. my uncle still has one very similiar to one of these.
i was watching the teeveee aka the devils box, and i watched the documentary the history of the guitar, which was on at 10.30 last night it was cracking and paco pena was on it.
quote:
Someone has claimed JM studied under PDL and that he was voted one of the top three guitarists in the world in a poll in Guitar Player magazine.
yes voted by guitar player magazine, and in one of his methods (yes i own it) he's in a sitting room playing with paco.
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
Hehe, I got curious from Ailsas comment. What i've heard from JM before hasn't been catastrophic or anything, a bit bland perhaps, but wow.. this was quite sloppy.
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to henrym3483)
quote:
ron, you must love the radio.
Yeah Henry, I listen to Radio 4 all the time and hardly ever watch TV. With radio, you can do other stuff at the same time and still follow what's happening. TV is just like really dumbed down radio, only with visual candy floss to keep your eyes occupied IMO.
Last week I watched this economics programme about falling house prices.
They demonstrated this by hooking a giant doll's house onto a crane and picked it up about 30 feet. "OK", the gushing financial expert said, "This is your house".
"Now watch what happens when house prices rise..." The crane then lifted the doll's house up another 30 feet.
"Now this is what happens when house prices fall...." The crane then lowered the doll's house by 30 feet or so.
"And THIS is what happens when house prices CRASH...." The crane let go of the doll's house and it fell to the ground and smashed.
I mean WTF? Why did it take 5 minutes to explain what rising and falling means and how much was spent on the filming budget? Why did I waste 5 minutes of my life watching it?
IMO, most TV is like this. That's why I don't watch it.
The only decent two TV programmes are Channel 4 News and The Basil Brush Show
I have a couple of vintage radios, but that one of your uncle's is a real cracker!
That "Story of the Guitar" 3 part programme looked good but I had to get up early today so I'm going to watch it on the BBC i player....
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
Well, to cut the guy some slack, I still think his books are pretty decent (though with some puzzling technique exercise decisions), and he's more a good teacher than good player. As someone already said, though, even for JM, I found this surprisingly sloppy. Maybe he's secretly in on the whole joke!
His wikipedia page still reads like a giant train wreck though.
Posts: 43
Joined: Apr. 21 2008
From: York, England
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
This is the letter I wrote to Juan before he went on.
Dear Juan, I hear you will be playing ont radio thing in a few days and would be muy greatful if you would play she-eyt just to annoy folk on this forum thingy I go on. It would really make their day and have something to talk aboot apart from Flamingo. I wouldn't be suprised if you do not reply back as I can imagine its muy muy dificil to write what wit your nails akin to the outstretched claws of an attacking buzzard in full attack mode. Entiendas hombre????? Kind regards Juan Kerr (Jim kerrs cousin thrice removed)
PS I do in fact await a reply in as much anticipation as the haemmoroid cream just applied to ones jim crack.
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
Well there is one thing that Ol' Juan got right and that is
his book is spiral bound. (has those metal wire springy thingys holding it together)
Makes page turning a lot less bothersome.
I find myself wanting to fire my books from enquentro accross the room as they never stay open to the page I'm working on. (unless I grab the book, press it over my leg and fold it backwards for a spell...then I have to repeat this proceedure for each and every page turn) *_*
Oh well, perhaps fate is trying to tell me something.
You will only ever be playing from Juan's books for ever and ever and ever,,,
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Ron.M)
I hear what your saying Wannabee. Even the spiral bound books can be a bit of a pain when you don't have a music stand available. When I'm pressed for time, I find myself practicing wherever I can, and find myself placing my music on my knee and placing my guitar over that. Doesn't always work so well. Here's a solution that has been working for me lately.
Posts: 2879
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: Juan Martin on this evening's &q... (in reply to Francisco)
I havent listened to it and probably wont if its anything like what I saw on TV last night. I never watch the music channels on Sky because they are absolute ****!! but a guest asked if we could do so, so I started skipping through them and to my surprise one of them was playing a flamenco-ish track that sort of caught my ear. The next shot was of our favourite man sitting on a chais lounge playing some rumba falsetas that he teaches in his book at level 2!!! the track was called maria something and everything about it was horrible!!
Printable Version
Hey, thanks! 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread