Florian -> RE: Flamenco and Middle-Class angst... (May 3 2009 7:05:56)
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Interesting post.. quote:
In a way, I feel the same about the foreign interest in Flamenco. I think it's kinda divided into two parts, although there is room for all the "inbetweenies" The ones who see it as a complex and very interesting music and approach it as a kind of a "new jazz", where it is possible to learn the techniques and participate in the "higher level" stuff at a cerebral/musical "jazz sentiment" level. And others who crave "duende" and "passion" and torture etc with only their own life experiences in High School in Ohio and England and Serbia etc to measure by....and nothing really to do with the past 1900's impoverished South of Spain to base it upon, but somehow feel they have an affinity with the sentiment? A kind of Middle-Class angst? "Mommy....I'm going to run away to the Circus!" Really when u think about it our circumstances arent different from a young non-experienced person in Spain wanting to get involved in flamenco but is not from the south...or have any flamenco in his familly or cant actualy relate to 1900's impoverished South of Spain since he wasent born .. they are in Spain but they still have to get out of the house and go and learn it just like us [:)] none of them get borned into it and they all can relate to 1900's suffering just as much as any of us who werent born back then..Even if they get borned in the Montoya familly, they still know absoluteley nothing about duende, compas, aire or pain of the 1900 until they start learn it and start training for it ...no different to us... their understanding of subjects like love, pain, death are are the same as anywhere in the world.. the only difference is its their native language ( wich they had to learn as kids also) and the travel smaller distances to get to practice, they have to learn their history out of books just like us, they have to practice like beginners just like us, and slowly develop aire/ understanding/confidence etc.. thats about it..the rest its all achivable wherever you are, knowledge, aire, understanding etc.. so in the end our categories arent that different to anyone in spain imo, we probably all love flamenco and enjoy it for the same reasons anyone in spain does...we just might not have the aquired vocabulary or confidence to expres it yet, but the esence is the same, feelings are the same whatever language u speak or wherever you are born.. when u love something you love it thats it, thats all that matters, there are many different reasons someone loves something...all valid, (weather you have the fancy profound words to explain why or not) ...the rest are just litlle mental barriers we (outsiders) or others impose on ourselfs....if you allow them "aire" and "duende" is not an exclusive genetic spanish cell..is something someone learns or develops over years or practice and study...whatever his native tongue is.. when i think of words like "authentic" i think of advertising gimmics, that dosent really say anything...its like when you got nothing else to add or nothing to make your product stand up above the rest you resort to descriptions like " authentic" "genuine" "traditional" but this descriptions dont acctualy say anything about the quality of the product or why its better, its like a quic eazy way out....really we all know there is no autentic and non authentic, or if there is we more than anyone should know that this type of descriptions are missleading .. what is the first question all of us get asked everytime we show up for a gig ? does the answer to that really give any kind of fair or acurate indication to our skill or experience in comparesment to for example Manuel Gonzales..a spanish emigrant who has been studying 3 years...or plays part time at parties just for fun ...the general public might not know ...you could have been playing for Farruquito in spain ...as far as they are concerned...Manuel will always be better or more "authentic" theres enough missconceptions and uninformed restraints (theres nothing we can do about) placed on us coming from general uninformed public without us having to help and place anymore on ourselfs.. thats why i refuse to think in terms like..them (spanish) and us (outsiders) [:)] i keep it simple for myself...good and bad everyone doing flamenco inside or outise spain is a "flamenco" to me, different skills and levels but that depends on the individual not the place of birth however others might see "me" its impossible for me consider myself a guest or outsider to the only thing i have spent half of my life studying and pursuing and beeing involved in and sorrounded by and loved/ if i did i would just do it for their benefit because i dont feel it..i dont allow "others" view of me or limitations they chose to place on themselfs affect the way i view myself Sorry long post [:D] i gues the subject is interesting to me, i always feel a litlle bad for people who allow themselfs to feel like second class citizens into the one thing they love and have spent a lifetime doing based only on litlle unchangeble details or missguided versions of respect, outside opinions...whatever, sounds like an exausting unsatifying way to view yourself there are many realities out there and they are all designed by the individuals who live in them in theory with enough work you "could" one day play as good or better than Tomatio and know as much as him or anyone...but you will still be from outside spain...so are you going to let the "spain" thing keep you out all your life ? how many years will it take for you to allow yourself to feel like you arent a guest, like u arent copying flamenco but rather doing it
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