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Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
Introducing 'Attila the Hun' from Hu...
Hello everyone, Hola! and Sziasztok!
I'm an flamenco 'aficionado' from Budapest, Hungary. I love the gentleness of the classical guitar, too, but I prefer to see the world the flamenco way. I'm taking both very seriously because theres still so much music to play and our time in this world is so short. I consider Juan Martín as my flamenco guitar teacher, although not personally, only through his books and videos. I think he's brought a very nice fresh air into flamenco and revived the Moorish roots. I admire his alzapúa and his continuous rasgueo, but most of all the duende in his music, his inventive new ways and his wonderful, easy-going but serious teaching and playing style. As performers I also like Paco Pena, Sabicas, Manolo Sanlúcar and Ramón Montoya very much. I like Paco de Lucia, of course, too, and I find his technique and speed quite exceptional. However, he is a little too exceptional for me. What I mean is that his technique dominates his music, or to me it seems to. I'm very happy right now because, at last, I've got the hang of the continuous rasgueo! My favourite palos now are the Malaguena, the Rumba, the Granaína, the Tarantas and the Zambra Granadina. I play a lovely, blonde, cypress-smelling, bright-sounded Cayuela 45 guitar from Seville, Spain. I play the classical stuff on a nasal-toned Ramírez 125th Anniversary Edition instrument with a cedar top and a rosewood back . My favourite flamenco composers are Paco Pena, Juan Martín, Sabicas and Juan Serrano. My favourite classical composers are Francisco Tárrega, Astor Piazzolla and Erik Satie - just to mention a few. When I'm not practicing I like transcribing and editing music for my own use on the computer and doing guitar repair work when needed. As for profession I'm a language teacher and right now I'm slowly moving towards teaching music as well. When I'm not playing music I also do a bit of cycling, walking in the nature and swimming.
Posts: 1939
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
Szia Attila, üdv a fórumon!
Welcome to the Foro, you're going to love it here, and learn a lot definitely. Also be aware, that you will be getting a lot of stick for your enthusiasm towards Juan Martín
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to xirdneH_imiJ)
Köszi az üdvözletet! Hola!
It's nice to know that there are more of us around here from Hungary. I'm sure there's something I don't know about JM. I've just found his methods very useful and didactic. One thing that was a bit curious first is that in his Zambra Mora for instance, there are carbon copy sections of Paco Pena's Zambra. But now I think it's quite normal to use other's falsetas this way. I just wonder why he's frowned on. From other comments I know you're Ricsi. Is it possible that I heard your performance with Casí Flamenco last year at the Balaton festival?
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to beno)
Szia beno!
I wish I knew your real name... Thanks for the greetings, this foro is really great. Could you tell me how on earth I could post a nice photo or something here? And the reason for the stick, because I won't be able to sleep...
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
Welcome aboard!
I think people don't like Juan Martin because they think he's more hype then substance. Like calling himself the third greatest guitarist in the world and what not. I personally think he's a great teacher and a hell of a player. I did a week long masters course with him and it was a lot of fun. He's a very nice, very humble guy.
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
Welcome!
Nothing wrong with Juan Martin at all. He knows his stuff and is valuable as a teacher, for the stuff he plays, which is the basic fundamentals. The problems starts when people who are not much familiar with flamenco start to claim he is the best guitarrist, because they only know one guitarrist, Juan Martin, so he must be the best, right? Suddenly he is in the list of "Top3" flamenco guitarrist, among Ottmar Liebert and Vicente Amigo, who cames AFTER him (published in a famous guitar magazine, dont know which one).
Posts: 1939
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
yes you may have heard me, I was playing in the first part, a soleá, and a tango and a guajiras if i remember correctly...it was so damn cold, it was a miracle i could play anything at all :) unfortunately the band is no more, everybody's playing with their kids instead, although we'll have a quick and short reunion on tuesday at the "rumba flamenca club"...
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to Leñador)
Thanks Popeye, I didn't know or feel the hype thing and agree with the rest. I just wish I could do such a week's course with him. How could it be arranged?
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to xirdneH_imiJ)
Then we were freezing to death together at the very same night. It was awful even anmong the ranks of the audience. I think there's nothing wrong with the kids. Someone must surely follow our footsteps. But finding a healthy balance is sometomes difficult. Ricsi, is this reunion public? Where's the 'rumba flamenca club'? What time is it and what d'ya mean short and quick?
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
quote:
Thanks Popeye, I didn't know or feel the hype thing and agree with the rest. I just wish I could do such a week's course with him. How could it be arranged?
It's as simple as going to his website and sending him an email. It's probably not going to happen again until september next year. Tell him Kasey the bearded guy referred you. It's pretty cool though, he'll just hang out have drinks and let you pick his brain.
Posts: 1939
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to attila57)
Attila, it means that there's a gipsy band who play all rumbas all evening and they invited us to sometimes play some real flamenco after or in between sets, it's at "Téli Kertem" in Kazinczy u., Budapest, tuesday at around 10-11pm...we're going to play 5-6 pieces...
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to xirdneH_imiJ)
hmmm... Good for you that you can concentrate in such a late hour. I never seem to remember anything after 9 or 10, unfortunately. This must because I'm getting too old. I''ll still have to see if I can get there.
Posts: 51
Joined: Oct. 27 2012
From: Budapest, Hungary
RE: Introducing 'Attila the Hun' fro... (in reply to Guest)
Hi Scott,
It's really great here in this forum, with all of you guys welcoming me. Thanks!!! Not only vampires come from Transylvania but some fantastic Hungarian folk music, too. Nowadays a lot of people have started to trace back their ancestry. It's become a national craze. It's simple, they say, because the documents have been made accessible. In any case, if you're a vampire, your family's original name should have been something like Dracula... Rick is really a great player. Once I heard him play in an open air show, in almost freezing temperatures. I couldn't believe it - he was playing tremolo and all the stuff alright. From the photo I guess your guitar must be beauty...