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Richard Jernigan -> RE: Bold Strummer (May 5 2020 19:38:11)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ernandez R
Ritcherd,
Funny, I too couldn't help myself, I'll also admit I was attracted to only guitars that had the ask for pricing tag note; i.e. If you have to ask you can't afford it ;)
What other books do you all recommend for someone exploring Flamenco?
HR
I started off with the Donn Pohren books. Donn was an American who moved to Spain and married a flamenco dancer. He owned a place near Moron de la Frontera, where a number of Americans stayed while participating in the flamenco scene there.
I read "Mundo y Formas del Cante Flamenco" by Antonio Mairena and Ricardo Molina. As you probably know, Mairena was a very influential cantaor. During the 1950s-70s his views and preferences dictated the tastes of many aficionados. The book emphasizes the gitano contribution to flamenco, at the expense of any payo influence. It pretty much reflects the oral tradition of Mairena's time.
Recently I read "La llave de la musica flamenca" by the brothers Antonio and David Hurtado Torres. Academically trained musicologists, they adhere to the doctrines of their discipline in researching the origins of flamenco. They contradict "Mundo y Formas" in quite a few places, with documented research.
At the moment I'm reading "Una Historia del Flamenco" by Jose Manuel Gamboa. He was/is a professional guitarist. He focuses on individual artists and historical artistic movements. He starts with the present and moves back in time. I'm at the 1920s now. I've learned a lot from this book. I find it interesting and entertaining.
If you don't read Spanish, I apologize. I grew up with Spanish as my second language, and I usually have a book in the language on my reading list, in hopes of retaining a little skill in my present gringo ambiance. Most of what I've read about flamenco has been in Spanish.
The Pohren books are in English. Come to think of it, Paco Sevilla's Carmen Amaya biography "Queen of the Gypsies" is in English....uh-oh, looks like it's out of print, and the cheapest used one on Amazon is nearly 40 bucks.
RNJ
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