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.
Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)
Paco Pena interviewed by Julian Bream
Don't know if this has been posted before, but it's a charming little clip of Julian Bream (THE classical guitarist when I was a young boy) having a relaxed chat with Paco Pena about flamenco - and even has Bream forlornly attempting a rasgueado and Paco Pena singing!
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
A long time ago I refered to this video and my comments made some classical players a little upset with my opinion. The fact is, I found his comments regarding Paco's tone (and flamenco players in general) a little offensive and ignorant, and there was a little awkward moment there in the interview. Still I respect Breams work for what it is, and this entire video series was monumental as far a documentaries on music go.
But still, I felt compelled to poke a little fun at bream and cut this little video together myself (the little devil in me made me do it!)
Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to Ricardo)
Tee hee! The imp in me is tittering away at your 'devilish' work :)
More seriously though, it struck me how strange it was (is?) for such a a leading exponent of classical guitar to be so 'ignorant' of flamenco techniques - displaying a mix of fascination/amusement/admiration regarding the world of flamenco. I admired Bream very much (hope he's still alive and plucking?), but there was something of the anthropologist- studying-a-strange-barely-civilized-tribe 'feel' to the encounter, with Bream ultimately coming across as the less-educated party.
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
But still, I felt compelled to poke a little fun at bream and cut this little video together myself (the little devil in me made me do it!)
Lol…Well done Ricardo, juxtaposing Paco de Lucia and Bream’s segments of the Concierto restores a fair perspective to Bream’s snobbish-colonial amusement at Pena’s indigenous use of the guitar.
Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to gj Michelob)
Aw, I think we're being a little unfair to Julio 'El Ingles' Bream :) I watched it again, and I think some non-English people have 'misread' his cheeky chappie, bumbling, foot-in-mouth, Englishman abroad routine as being patronising. In some ways, it took a lot of courage for a world-class performer (some of the pieces I've listened to on YouTube are lovely) to expose his deficiencies so openly (at the beginning he mentions his 'limitations'). But, yes, Ricardo's 'film' was very amusing :)
Anyway, it's always interesting when the different languages of the Guitar meet for a conversation (e.g. Vicente Amigo playing electric)
Posts: 4530
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
Dont know why, but Whenever i read some of those youtube Classical vs flamenco comments, it reminds me on the film Titanic where the so called "upper-class" look down on the third-class people like Leonardo di Caprio.
But i think Leonardo had a lot more fun in the "FIESTA" down the decks with Rose!!!
And i think all of "the Roses" prefer to have fun down the decks !!
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
quote:
Aw, I think we're being a little unfair to Julio 'El Ingles' Bream :) I watched it again, and I think some non-English people have 'misread' his cheeky chappie, bumbling, foot-in-mouth, Englishman abroad routine as being patronising. In some ways, it took a lot of courage for a world-class performer (some of the pieces I've listened to on YouTube are lovely) to expose his deficiencies so openly (at the beginning he mentions his 'limitations'). But, yes, Ricardo's 'film' was very amusing :)
Good advocacy, Marc… managed to make me feel guilty after reading your more benevolent interpretation. After all, if Paco’s cousins did not crack Julio “el ingles” Bream’s fingers as he left the interview, we may safely assume Paco did not see such disrespectful affront.
Amigo playing electric: after I stumbled upon that video, I shelved my Amigo’s CDs for a couple of months. To each his own…
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
quote:
ORIGINAL: MarcChrys
Aw, I think we're being a little unfair to Julio 'El Ingles' Bream :) I watched it again, and I think some non-English people have 'misread' his cheeky chappie, bumbling, foot-in-mouth, Englishman abroad routine as being patronising. In some ways, it took a lot of courage for a world-class performer (some of the pieces I've listened to on YouTube are lovely) to expose his deficiencies so openly (at the beginning he mentions his 'limitations'). But, yes, Ricardo's 'film' was very amusing :)
Anyway, it's always interesting when the different languages of the Guitar meet for a conversation (e.g. Vicente Amigo playing electric)
yeah i know, just poking some fun. To be fair though, another londoner John Williams, classical master as well, seemed way more respectful towards paco peña when he interviewed him in his documentary. In fact he rather looked up to Paco for advice in his own playing.
Posts: 121
Joined: Jan. 11 2009
From: England (West Yorkshire/Lancashire)
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to Ricardo)
Looks like Paco eventually sent Julian a bill for the cost of repairing his scratched guitar (or maybe hate mail from outraged flamencos forced him to move on?) ;-)
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
I have seen this program with paco pena and julian bream when i was a child and i loved this falseta of solea that he plays after the comments of julian bream from 01.47 until 03.30. any notes from somebody ???
p.s the serrana is also very nice in the beggining of the video if someone has it i also want it in notes or tab
RE: Paco Pena interviewed by Julian ... (in reply to MarcChrys)
Was Mr. Bream joking around during that clip of him attempting rasgueos. He looked worse than I did on my first day of trying and I'm far from being the world-class musician that he is/was.