Escribano -> RE: All the Solea (Mar. 30 2016 10:05:50)
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quote:
it seem like the heavy emphasis on the Foro is for guitar and I think it is time to reevaluate why we like, love, need flamenco as a whole and not just hyper focus on the guitar. Straying off-topic a little that might be another thread in the making, so I apologise. My explanation is that the guitar is an international instrument with a long history of (mostly) guys in their bedroom appropriating the guitar styles of other cultures e.g. jazz, gypsy, blues, cuban, brazilian bossa nova, argentinian tango, English heavy metal and flamenco etc. The guitar is physically much more accessible, especially when you are on your own, whereas flamenco has traditionally been a group activity of cante and guitar. Indeed, it is often informally just cante with some palmas and probably was so for many years before the Spanish guitar was adopted. When I was learning rock and blues guitar, joining a band opened my eyes to our individual responsibility that made me a cog in a machine e.g. one didn't often play lead guitar all over the singer. The drums and bass were a rhythm unit of their own and are not diverted from the tempo, ever. In fact, I moved from guitar to bass as I realised the power of this unit. However, when I started to learn flamenco guitar, inspired by a solo Habichuela soleá, I visited Jerez and learned the role of the guitar, up close. I have said before that a solo guitar is practically ignored in the peñas but complete silence descends when a canteor starts up with their story. In my opinion (and it is just an opinion) flamenco is the communal sharing of stories and this might make an interesting separate thread. Very few of us can sing a soleá whilst playing the guitar - unlike the blues, for example. We can't do palmas at the same time, or dance. So outside of a knowledgable group environment, mostly in Spain, it is almost impossible to take on the genuine role of the guitar in flamenco. There also the huge technical side to this. Many of use have come from other guitar backgrounds and realise that flamenco guitar is really difficult and cannot resist the challenge. I gave up a couple of years ago as I did not have the time to practise for hours a day, but I might dabble again, one day. You can browse new guitars for hours, but it's not so easy to buy a voice or a palmero. An analogy is that when I get a decent image out of a camera, by looking, watching the light and knowing how to compose. The first question I am asked is "what kind of camera did you use?" Solo guitar was really developed by PdL into mass, international entertainment. Cante is much less acceptable to an international audience. Dancing more so, in a theatrical setting. When I was pretty good at soleáres, I played a little at a party in the UK and plenty of people said that was not what they considered to be flamenco. They were expecting the Gypsy Kings [:D] but that is another discussion. So let's remember the role guitar plays in flamenco and pay homage. Keep it up.
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