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The 2011 Union contest or "Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas de La Unión" has been of special interest to me this year. I asssume most flamenco fans know what this festival isnt but just in case you are new, its basically the most prestigous prize that you can win in the flamenco world. Many top artists have been winners in the festival and to win in your category is a great achievement. Its held every year in Cartagena and the first prize is a silver miners lamp worth 15,000 euros. Its a tough contest in that there are not always first prize winners. If the level isn't high enough there have been years where trophies are not awarded. This years final saw 8 singers, 2 dancers and 2 guitarists competing.
The cante contest was won by 16 year old Celia Romero from Badajoz. The Baile prize was won by gaditana (from Cadiz) Lucía Álvarez “La Piñoña”
However for me personally it was fantastic news to learn that a friend on mine, Juan Habichuela Nieto has won the union prize for Guitar. I heard he had been shortlisted for the semi finals a few weeks ago and felt he had a strong chance of winning. Apart from being a fenomenal player he is a really great guy to know and I am very happy for him. Olé Bicho!!!!!
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Pimientito)
It's no surprise he won it. That video of him playing a solea that was posted sometime back around here was awing! He's got an evil thumb alright... Olé!
Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 26 2009
From: The land down under
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Pimientito)
Thanks for the info pimientito,
It will be nice to see some video. I hadn't even heard of the singer Juan Habichela Nieto in my opinion seems to re capture that cool sound from The Nino Miguel ira. It's like the old is becoming the new again. I wonder if that had something to do with the judges decision?
Do you know which other guitarists he was up against?
Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 26 2009
From: The land down under
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to bursche)
Thanks Bursche,
I'd describe that as raw playing without trying to be too sophisticated. I wonder if the next guitarist to perform had some super modern, silky smooth with sophisticated harmonies, jazz fusion bulerias prepared
sorry guys, i closed the video after 1:44. This doesnt even come close to that Antonio Rey Taranta, which won the prize some years ago.
I hope Nieto didnt won because of this, but because of a cracking buleria i am waiting for to appear on youtube soon.
There is a Guajira he played after it, but I can't seem to find the video again. However, look at the way he is playing, he makes a cheeky game out of it. You rarely see that anywhere else and it is something very special. Not suitable for studio recordings though, but I assume Juan knows that.
Dont know, i just couldnt stand listening to his playing. It was really that hard and bad. Its the composition, but also the whole attitude, "stop-and-go playing". Techniquewise he is very imbalanced, i found some things in there sounding way too poor for somebody of his level and reputation (thumb was good). bursche, maybe we have a different understanding of cheekiness, but i feel Taranta in general and especially this one here was everything but cheeky. To my taste it sounds like he wanted give the ultra deep serous duende feeling with this kind of raw scattered playing, but it lacked the main ingredient of an acoustic performance which is musicality (IMO). BUT it seems he gets enough applaud from the flamenco scene which is of course more important.
In case you didn't listen to it yet: try Profundidades by Riqueni, the deepest and most lyrical Taranta of all times (ok, maybe exaggerated). You'll like it.
I'm still convinced that Juan would choose something totally different for a studio performance.
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Pimientito)
Deniz, listen to the last 45 seconds.....there's your Antonio Rey rival. baddass ending. I think his ideas are good though the stop and go could become more fluid, but I think he did a good job.
Deniz, I also found that the Union performance was at times, more about energy than music. Maybe in the room on that night, that was just how he felt it and maybe if we'd been there it would have made more sense? That kind of thing doesn't transfer well in recording (but check out the last moments that energy manages to come across to me loud and clear!). Generally I really enjoy his playing, I think he has an amazing raw power.
it sounded totally crazy to me , anyone has a clue about what was that ?
I guess just like one can do crazy fast alternate picking, you can do the same with pulgar up-down. Like that Amir John Haddad video I posted sometime ago...
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
im pausing and playing the video very quickly using the spacebar, and I dont see anything unusual , he is just using his thumb so quickly. even without pausing it, I dont see how its a "picado" ??
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Pimientito)
quote:
I dont see anything unusual
to me his speed is unusual, and creating such a sound with only thumb is also unusual maybe if you're not looking at the video you might think it was done by picado and not pulgar
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to Pimientito)
I thought PDL could that too, thats why i didnt think it was unusual. i mean I always tend to compare the techniques of great guitarists to PDL's technique
RE: Union Prize winners 2011 (in reply to rombsix)
He showed it to me once, it is thumb picking with upstrokes - as Ramzi said. This one might be like a 2-string Alzapúa. To get that sound you just have to do it very cleanly. Jeronimo Maya does it too.
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Juan Habichela Nieto in my opinion seems to re capture that cool sound from The Nino Miguel ira. It's like the old is becoming the new again. I wonder if that had something to do with the judges decision? 
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