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Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
There's a quote I like, Jean de la Bruyere apparently (whoever he is). "Those who make the worse use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness."
I'm not even legally allowed to buy a bottle of vino de Jerez in this country (give me a few more months...sheesh), and I've managed to read all but two of Shakespeare's plays. Mostly out loud and acted, too - the best way, I think. And somehow I've had time to practice toque, get a degree in astrophysics (well, if I pass another couple of classes), and many other things as well. And I'm hardly a model of time management, most of my day is quite wasted (literally and figuratively) Anyway, familiarizing oneself with the Bard is one of the things in life most worth making time for.
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
It's a compositional element. You step out side of what is expected you may be viewed as inapropriate, but for art to be real you have to take chances, and really, all compositional elements came in to fashion at one time or another over the years. So flamenco composers had to start using it at some point.
So if you like it you can use it, if you don't like it leave it out, but remember that you have to decide, and if you want to follow some kind of tradition, also remember that tradition is kept and altered by the same proxy. If we did absolutely the same thing all the time the flamenco would be dead, and it is that fluctuation in process in creating musical form that makes us contributing parts or members of the artform.
You can research something and be very careful, do as those around you or drop or add something and make it anew. But to go around limp wristed or haggle over the details means you are not man or woman enough to make a stand and make your contribution what ever the form, element or ideal.
This is what makes survival for an art and we constantly hone or re think our music and return to values and traditions that keep the flamenco strong and alive and recognizeable to all who know it. But it is that temporal process and struggle to make it what we know and what we also can create that makes it art, and makes us artists and contributers to something that is well worth the pride.
Otherwise the flamenco is just going thru motions that we somehow are raising on an alter and worshiping that is overbearing, and unmoveable, stahlid, and dead, after all, it's about what you can work with and then comes the work which is something that flamenco artists are known for that has that personal touch which cannot be duplicated by anyone else.
Gary
Of course how well you pull it off and/or how well you are recieved is another thing all together...........
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
Hey, this thread took a funny turn due to my "to silencio or not to silencio" title. Cool.
Shakespeare, as compared to say Cervantes (being the Spanish equivalent apparently) has the reputation of being the most sublime author (and / or the most romantic and / or best author of the English language or whatever) for many, many reasons that have nothing to do with economics and globalization. The fact is that people read his works, and not just because of an obligation for credit in High School English class.
Outside of Spain (and I am stretching and assuming here cause I've never visited Spain) the percentage of people who have read Cervantes is minimal. I say this mostly because people in Latin American countries just don't read - period.
This is a lagre part of why the language is deteriorating and why Spanish is slowly becoming corrupted, perverted and Internationalized, - I teach English in Mexico and half the time I end up teaching people correct Spanish. They don't know their own language. Sad.
Shakespeare is part of the process of putting people on the track to reading something more than Pulp Fiction. It should stay that way.
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
I recommend One Hundred Years Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombian) and The book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa (Brazilian). And I enjoyed Don Quixote. Though I read only English translations.
Shakespeare is difficult because much of it is medievil English and he made up a lot of words. There would be more straight forward material to aid English learners. Maybe George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemmingway. Just examples. Doesn't have to be Dan Brown...
Posts: 6440
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
quote:
I say this mostly because people in Latin American countries just don't read - period.
quote:
I teach English in Mexico and half the time I end up teaching people correct Spanish. They don't know their own language. Sad.
Massive generalisations, Stoney. My wife is Mexican with a TEFL and translation diploma. She speaks better grammatical English then I do and perfect Mexican slang She'll back you up on how badly most of her students in Mexico City spoke Spanish though. She also reads English books voraciously. Maybe an exception that proves the rule?
Posts: 495
Joined: Nov. 27 2005
From: North Carolina, USA
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Ailsa)
quote:
I read yesterday that he was the first person to use the word "puke"
Um sorry.... I appear to have lowered the tone a little....
SImon, Only a few people here ever mention their wives. Those who do seem to have found very special ones. It seems that you all married up and way out of your league: You (Young brainiac who may respond to the name carrot) Ricardo (beautiful dancer, part time cameraman) Jason M (beautiful dancer) Todd(Reportedly a young woman of great patience and sense of humor) This may make a fun thread on it's own.
Posts: 6440
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Gummy)
quote:
Only a few people here ever mention their wives. Those who do seem to have found very special ones. It seems that you all married up and way out of your league: You (Young brainiac who may respond to the name carrot)
Not so young I am afraid but probably a bit brainy - Microsoft tests me all the time. Yeah, carrot is special - she better be... the trouble I went to to get where we are and the horrible year I just went through to keep a roof over our heads
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Gummy)
quote:
SImon, Only a few people here ever mention their wives. Those who do seem to have found very special ones. It seems that you all married up and way out of your league: You (Young brainiac who may respond to the name carrot) Ricardo (beautiful dancer, part time cameraman) Jason M (beautiful dancer) Todd(Reportedly a young woman of great patience and sense of humor) This may make a fun thread on it's own.
I once started a thread "awesome news, my wife likes my music"
Regrettably, however, she does not like the Solea that I -because of her hostility- am still working on for the Competition Challenge.
Picking up where Escribano left, of all numerous circumstances when I appreciated the critical importance of my wife’s role in my life, outstanding was the precarious time when I found myself clientless, insecure about my future and ability to build one. The confidence and optimism she inspired in me then still hold my head straight today. 20 years after we first met, I am still desperately in love with my “mamacita”.
RE: To Silencio or Not to Silencio (in reply to Stoney)
quote:
people in Latin American countries just don't read - period.
Yes, that was a generalization. If I am wrong and they are reading in droves in the Latin American countries I haven't visited I retract my statement.
What I have seen in my travels from Canada to Honduras via rail and bus and from my 12 years living in Mexico is -
The younger generation including professionals rarely read more than one book every year. The older generation - those that were lucky enough to learn to read at all are likely to read more, be it the bible or pulp fiction cowboy novels. I have never seen more than one person reading at a time on the bus. I have never seen my co workers read on their lunch breaks, nor have I seen them bring a book with them to work nor carry one where they go.
As for the Pirate market in Peru - interesting article. Thanks for that. An anomaly as far as I can see.