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Anyone know what's up with the Bold Strummer? I ordered a book weeks ago and although I got a confirmation email I haven't been charged for the book, obviously haven't received the book either. I sent an email asking for if they got the order. No answer. I'm bummed.
Well I guess I'm becoming more like my teenage niece when it doesn't even occur to me to call someone! Emailing and texting taking over the world.
It took a few tries but finally got an answer on the phone. Apparently my three emails went into spam or oblivion. But books are on the way now so that is good.
Does anyone have anything to say about the short story collection of flamenco fiction that David George has listed at the back of his book, The Flamenco Guitar? It's called FROM THE CAVES OF THE GYPSY FLAMENCOS.
Are they any good? Sounds very interesting to me. Can't find a whiff of the book on the internet and the local library said they couldn't find it even with a national search.
To echo the OP in 2012: Anyone know what's up with the Bold Strummer?
Their web site now gives a 404 error, and the April 2009 phone number I have for them gives number disconnected.
Gone bust?
Looks like the publisher Nick Clarke retired in 2010, so this is probably why.
Does anyone have an extra copy of "The Flamencos of Cadiz Bay" by Gerald Howson (esp. the 2009 Bold Strummer edition with pseudonyms resolved) they can sell me? I'd love to read it.
Does anyone have an extra copy of "The Flamencos of Cadiz Bay" by Gerald Howson (esp. the 2009 Bold Strummer edition with pseudonyms resolved) they can sell me?
Amazon US seems to have some copies.
Gerald Howson e-mailed me in 2010 to thank me for my Amazon review. Among other things, he said:
“Yes, Efren was Eloy and Serafin de Algondonales was Felix de Utrera. Porfirio Diaz was Amós Rodriguez, the brother of Beni de Cadiz. I renamed him after a Mexican general for a joke.”
I was aware of the book for years, but for some reason I ignored it. Finally got around to reading it a couple of years ago. Wished I had read it sooner, really enjoyed it. I must have the Bold Strummer edition'. I don't remember any pseudonyms. I would have remembered "Poririo Diaz."
Thank you, Paul. I saw the ones via amazon.com but all of them seemed to be offered by private sellers. However I did find one in Canada now and confirmed the seller is still active and shipping during the pandemic. So I am really looking forward to receiving it very soon! It is an original 1967 edition.
I asked about pseudonyms as I got the impression from reading a review of yours that, in the Bold Strummer 2009 edition, there were some changes made to the text to reveal real names of persons already passed by then. I am assuming the ones you mentioned above are in addition to the pseudonyms unscrambled in the 2009 edition. Is this correct?
I might ask questions about some names once I start reading the 1967 edition.
And at a price half of what I just paid However when I clicked on the link to see the details, I found that there was an update added in May 2015 saying that the book is out of print and not available anymore. It seems to be the only one; all the rest are still in stock, and at very reasonable prices.
I should have clicked on the link to be sure....but I started looking at his guitar inventory
RNJ
Ritcherd,
Funny, I too couldn't help myself, I'll also admit I was attracted to only guitars that had the ask for pricing tag note; i.e. If you have to ask you can't afford it ;)
What other books do you all recommend for someone exploring Flamenco?
HR
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I prefer my flamenco guitar spicy, doesn't have to be fast, should have some meat on the bones, can be raw or well done, as long as it doesn't sound like it's turning green on an elevator floor.
Funny, I too couldn't help myself, I'll also admit I was attracted to only guitars that had the ask for pricing tag note; i.e. If you have to ask you can't afford it ;)
What other books do you all recommend for someone exploring Flamenco?
HR
I started off with the Donn Pohren books. Donn was an American who moved to Spain and married a flamenco dancer. He owned a place near Moron de la Frontera, where a number of Americans stayed while participating in the flamenco scene there.
I read "Mundo y Formas del Cante Flamenco" by Antonio Mairena and Ricardo Molina. As you probably know, Mairena was a very influential cantaor. During the 1950s-70s his views and preferences dictated the tastes of many aficionados. The book emphasizes the gitano contribution to flamenco, at the expense of any payo influence. It pretty much reflects the oral tradition of Mairena's time.
Recently I read "La llave de la musica flamenca" by the brothers Antonio and David Hurtado Torres. Academically trained musicologists, they adhere to the doctrines of their discipline in researching the origins of flamenco. They contradict "Mundo y Formas" in quite a few places, with documented research.
At the moment I'm reading "Una Historia del Flamenco" by Jose Manuel Gamboa. He was/is a professional guitarist. He focuses on individual artists and historical artistic movements. He starts with the present and moves back in time. I'm at the 1920s now. I've learned a lot from this book. I find it interesting and entertaining.
If you don't read Spanish, I apologize. I grew up with Spanish as my second language, and I usually have a book in the language on my reading list, in hopes of retaining a little skill in my present gringo ambiance. Most of what I've read about flamenco has been in Spanish.
The Pohren books are in English. Come to think of it, Paco Sevilla's Carmen Amaya biography "Queen of the Gypsies" is in English....uh-oh, looks like it's out of print, and the cheapest used one on Amazon is nearly 40 bucks.
I really like Dan Zeff. I went to his house once, it was so fun. It’s actually not true... I have assumed the same in the past and had to inquire on behalf of serious students of mine in the market...I was pleasantly surprised several times. He’s not trying the typical used car tactics, he has reasonable prices.
Paco Sevilla had a website up as of 2018: www.pacosevilla.com. and in an exchange of emails confirmed that three of his books, the Carmen Amaya bio, the Paco bio, and the Chacón bio-novel, could then be ordered directly from him. Any individual book was $10 plus $3 for shipping, or all three books as a package for $20 plus $5 for shipping. One could order from Paco Sevilla at P.O. Box 8867, Chula Vista CA 91912. In theory one could order through Paco's website; I have no trouble accessing Paco's website, but Paco was having problems with it himself, so it would be safer to order via the mailing address in case one gets no response through the website, if Paco is still current. I ordered the complete set of three back in 2018 as I did not have his book on Paco de Lucía, and thus got extra copies of the other two books to give as presents.
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The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.