Ricardo -> RE: Seguiriya - Was The Cante or Baile First (Apr. 16 2012 23:04:35)
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And EVERYTHING evolves (in the sense of "changes"). The goal is to figure out what evolved, how, what were the conditions that allowed for evolution, etc. And as far as the historian doing palmas, he should not just know 1) several ways to do palmas according to local performance practice, but also 2) what were the ways they were done in the past. He should ask cultural-regional specific questions like, "Were the palmas different for Jerezanos than for Utreranos?" or "At what point did regional variations get codified into one giant set of possibilities under the rubric 'flamenco'?" Scholars of old getting a bad rap is one thing but the new, practicing-musician/scholars getting a bad rap is ridiculous. Jose Manuel Gamboa for example is asking some very hard questions, the kind people get really upset over. AND he is a guitarist. Well, I will take your word for it though I remain skeptical until I know the specific methods of investigation. For example starting off with the bias "EVERYTHING" evolves is already a slant that influences the search. What if the question makes the investigator bark up the wrong tree and they discover what they were looking for, even though it is not the important issue? Like the palmas example....the question if palmas are different or not in utrera then jerez is already loaded....so at first sight of two different palmas styles it instantly reaffirms the regional difference suspician. Only by luck would the opposite view be forced on the investigator...that being the same different styles are observed in both towns by different people. Perfect example...I can't tell you how many people think tapping the foot in twos (12,2,4,6,8 10) for buleria is a "modern" concept. And PDL's double foot taps are "old school". So now everyone goes looking at examples. Chicuelo modern ok he taps different....moraito ok is more old style...sabicas golpes tap tap....taptap....ok must be old vs new issue. How did it evolve? Then you see two old ladies in Rito y Geografia...one giving palmas for mairena...the other Chicharrona standing up tapping her foot for her singing....both marking 12,2,4,6,8,10 the whole time and born around 1900. [:D] So Chicuelo ends up being more Old school after all? Or was it always a NON ISSUE? Hope you see my point about barking up wrong trees and over complication of concepts. Lastly Gamboa....I remind of the whole montoya rondeña issue. I read his article in la Caña from the 90's about guitar history. He based much investigation on Pratt dictionary. Fine. I followed his story about Montoya not possibly "creating in a vacuum". So right there it sounds good, but he is biased off the bat. Ok fine, we follow his eloquent logic tracing back to those days when classical guitar and flamenco guitar were more brotherly. It was beautiful...I believed every word...and finally the conclusion thanks to some anecdote of a cantaor about Borrull playing Rondeña solo (where is proof???) it all ends up that JULIAN ARCAS inspired montoyas creation. I waited YEARS before finally getting my hand on Arcas scores. ZERO CONNECTION to montoya's Rondeña. Just the title THATS IT!!!! That is not good investigation sorry man. I instantly lose my respect for the researcher and have to take EVERYTHING else he might "discover" with a grain of salt...a big one. Don't get me wrong it was beautiful logic...but plain biased and wrong. For now I stick with the old belief that MONTOYA was the supposed creator (in a vacuum) of that toque...along with some of his other creations as well. Until I see hard evidence...not anecdote...meaning scores or recordings at least.
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