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Posts: 1967
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
Back in the 90's with Patricia and Melissa. David was the one who helped me the most as far as getting into playing for dance. He helped me a great deal.
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ORIGINAL: estebanana
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was really lucky to become interested in flamenco when I did. What characters the area has produced. Mariano, Augustine, Keni, David, Cruz Luna, Isa Mura, Benji Flores, Migel Santos, Ernesto Hernandez, Keith Baylor, Don Fontiwitz, Grillo, Monica, Virginia, Yaelisa, Jason, etc. so many talented people.
Don't forget Bill Burgess, David Guterriez, Sara Ayala, and my pal Meli Cruz. Also Patricia Velasquez who recently past away. I miss the music a lot, SF has a strong scene.
There's also Fibi ..gee I could go on and on.
Funi and Juan will be good. Funi comes to Japan, but he's 500 miles from me so I have not made t up there to see him.
*homesick*
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RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
Cool, Thems my girls.
Patricia looks crazy as usual. In fact I was there when David met her one night in Berkeley, David this is Patricia, Patricia meet David...David looked at her and said "Have you been crazy for long time?" That was David S. - David G. stood there shaking his head.
And Melissa, awesome Solea, stately, deep. But you know that too.
I was not sure which David you meant so iI told a story with both of them in it. Ha ha - There are about 6 or 7 Davids in flamenco in SF. There should be a directory.
Posts: 1967
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
It was David G. who hooked me up with a dance class gig, and also invited me to play with him in Rosa Montoya's group. David S., what a character. I took a few lessons from him, which were great, but what I really treasure was the memory of a solo concert he did in SF. They recorded it and I about wore out the cassette before it was stolen from my car. I think he was interviewed around that time and they asked him if he liked solo playing better. He said " Well, you get to keep all the money"
My impression of this video is that Ruben is sincere with what he is trying to get across to people but he seems to embellish some things that would be better balanced if he would calm down and use less words, and his idea that a guitar can cost 2000 Euros with wood alone is quite true but not with-in most guitars wood costs at around several hundred dollars.
And it seems that he is implying that test pilots try out aircraft before other pilots fly them. This is also true but I think he insinuates that he should be the moderator of a guitar before we buy one. This is not true.
But it seems that Ruben is trying to sell guitars, as a business, and this is fine, except I can't stand the appearance, for my own taste, or the sound. Could he do better? With a little help, I think so.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
To be honest, I think he plays like sh*t. Yes, its impressive for a few seconds, but there´s basically no music in it. Its just a lot of notes played with a cliché like attitude. If I was at a concert with someone playing like that I would walk away. Besides, the sound is so bad that its impossible to judge if the guitar sounds good or bad. RD is just a lot of smoke and badmouthing of everyone else. His attitude with his followers, defending him with their blood, reminds me of the Scientology church back in the 80th. I can imagine him being a member back then.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
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Like I said, maybe he hawks guitars because he does to get much cuadro work. Who could deal with that level of brutality?
more likely he doesn't get work because of ego. Have you seen the vid of him "accompanying" Guadiana? the falsetas go on forever and Guadiana looks bored waiting to sing.... I know someone who worked with him (RD) once years ago, same thing, entrada falseta/s went on forever, dancer stuck on stage waiting for the end of falseta/solo that never came.... never again. and he can't get solo work 'cos he's a clone....
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to mark indigo)
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more likely he doesn't get work because of ego. Have you seen the vid of him "accompanying" Guadiana? the falsetas go on forever and Guadiana looks bored waiting to sing.... I know someone who worked with him (RD) once years ago, same thing, entrada falseta/s went on forever, dancer stuck on stage waiting for the end of falseta/solo that never came.... never again. and he can't get solo work 'cos he's a clone....
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Sorry that was what I was getting at, I edited my post..I left out the word 'not' as in not getting cuadro work. I have not seen that video, but I can imagine him stepping on singers.
Some players, like Paco Cepreo for example can be 'verbose' and on top of the situation with a busy guitar and still stay out of the singers way. Ruben does not strike me as that level of playing by a long shot, but he still has ability. Only he is brutal; Some guitarists are warriors, like Marote' he fights and fights. But Marote's fight did not really get in the way of the other people in the room. At least to me on the recordings I have listened to over and over.
This guys toque is frustrating because it has velocity and attitude, and it almost seems like it could communicate, but falls short. It's like he's a great guitarist with power, and thats no mean feat, but I've never seen the videos you speak of because I like flamenco and I have no interest in seeking out his accomaniment work because I know from his videos it sucks. Still, he plays the guitar great, he's just not flamenco to me. And I know flamenco guitarists who are aggressive and powerful, but they also carry a kind of hard edged poetry with it.
And some of the stuff he says about guitars is true, but it's the same stuff other experienced guitarists know as well, it's not anything new. he does seem to put out a few good ideas about technique, but he really only has technique after a fashion. He seems really robotic in his emulation of his idol. I want more Ruben, and less Ruben trying so hard to be a person he is not namely Paco. he is caught in a set of mannerisms no matter how difficult to pull off that I can't believe in. It's as if he has mastered many things but is still not himself in his work. And I still say he ca play circle around most people, nothing to disrespect. Just odd, very odd.
I also think anyone with any sensibility for flamenco who is paying attention would quickly figure out the difference between his antics and real practical knowledge, so he's really not a threat. Like I don't stay up at night worrying about him ruining flamenco or stealing my soul or anything like that.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
Stephen,
It all comes down to what has been said many times before when it comes to guitar music. It's not the notes that make duende but the silence between the notes.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to Tom Blackshear)
True Tom, and glad Ruben is getting a crit that is not simply abusive, but one in which people actually go into detail about what they like or don't like. It's too easy to rip into him and make mean sport of it, which is what I object to. If you don't like something I think it's better to be articulate, thoughtful and honest rather then just a plain old Cheney.
I had a history teacher in high school who always said you can be against an idea or dislike something a whole bunch, but you have to give me a reasoned out opinion.
The only thing that needs to stop is mentioning this guys name in the foro. I have really enough from him. This guy is literally everywhere like a nightmare. Even in youtube, no matter what I search, this guys face appears as suggestions. Good player, bad player, good guitars, bad guitars, doesnt matter anymore. Just completely ignore him pls.
Well, there is another old saying : "Call me anything you want, just call me."
And Ruben seems to think that you tube is his main free advertisement....I don't blame him for that, we could all take a lesson from it.
He also seems critical but in his own way he is just trying to step up to public participation and find his level on the stage of self expression; maybe not the best of presentations but it seems that he is creating a lot of attention to his cause.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
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I had a history teacher in high school who always said you can be against an idea or dislike something a whole bunch, but you have to give me a reasoned out opinion.
Ditto. Nothing else seems to work, no pesticide no exorcism.
Well, said, Arash, let us ignore and delete name and form from our minds, as one would with the hideous creatures that solely dwell in nightmares and scary tales.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
I've been searching around you tube to see if you can filter your searches better, I'm still looking for current information, but there are some solutions in place.
Read this about Google Chrome, ( I don't have it) but it allows you to install an extantion that enables you to block certain channels content from showing up in the Suggested Videos thumbs on your screen:
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
Afaik the expression "male/female guitar" describes the easyness of sharpness in the brilliance of the guitar. E. g. wether a male flamenca is meant, in Germany we talk about hard trebles, hard or blunt brilliance ("harter Diskant", "harte oder stumpfe Brillanz"). So in conclusion it means, the guitar needs a hard punch by the player to let it ring.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to estebanana)
I actually feel bad about starting this thread. I thought it would be a simple/amusing anecdote but I should have known it would go to 4+ pages and just bring more attention to him. I don't really have anything else to say and I don't really care about Ruben that much. In fact I had forgotten about him until that moment. I hope this thread can die soon so I can go back to that state
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to gerundino63)
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My dear late father would say: " fools have to be there, otherwise the normal people would not arrest atention"
Wise words, Gerundino. My dad had a similar one he would often recite to scold us when falling prey of a merchant's deceit:
"if there were no fools, how would con artists survive".
PS.: on the subject of our "late" fathers: I still miss mine so much, really. If I may quote my favorite Poet [yes, Mr. Bob Dylan] to illustrate the sentiment, "I have never gotten used to it, I just learned to turn it off".
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
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I actually feel bad about starting this thread. I thought it would be a simple/amusing anecdote but I should have known it would go to 4+ pages and just bring more attention to him. I don't really have anything else to say and I don't really care about Ruben that much. In fact I had forgotten about him until that moment. I hope this thread can die soon so I can go back to that state
We all learn something every day. Just write Ruben Diaz, Reyes plan or Conde and all gets twisted out of dimension.
RE: Ruben Diaz needs to stop. (in reply to Andy Culpepper)
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I actually feel bad about starting this thread.
don't. you think the "flamenco world shop" thread is good publicity for them? I doubt it. threads like this are a warning to people. without information it is easy to be taken in.
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