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Why am I here? A rather profound question for which many of us never find a satisfactory answer. I'll leave it there and be more specific. Why am I here on this forum?
That is easy to answer. I love traditional music. I was raised in Georgia surrounded by gospel, blues and country music, and by the time of my early teens, traditional jazz. In 1962, visiting family in N.O. I stumbled on Preservation Hall. A revelation. I went back a dozen times, and when all the rickety chairs were full I sat on the floor. From the time the music started until they closed. Recently I heard from Jeff Muldar that he was probably sitting next to me.
In 1961 Carlos Montoya came to Columbus. That was my introduction to flamenco. In the 70's after I had moved to Ca, a friend who was traveling dropped of a guitar for safe keeping. It was a Conde Hermanos, a humble estudio, from the early 60's. The best guitar I have ever touched. A friend used to visit me often, a guitarist who played flamenco. (His professional name was "Zapato".) When he first heard me play the Conde he said, matter of factly, "That guitar is better than mine." His being a beautiful Rameriz 1a. I had the Conde for two years before the owner came to retrieve it. A guitar that has haunted me now for 40 years. But I recently found another almost identical guitar, a Calle Santiago that sat in a case for 45 years. It is waking up. Every day I play it the sound continues to improve. It will never be in the class of the earlier one, but it will serve. So now, after playing fingerstyle guitar for 40+ years, I have begun to study flamenco.
I doubt I will post here again. Maybe. But I am here to watch, listen and learn. I am very grateful to the posters who share real knowledge, and a deeper understanding of this music.
Yes! What a wonderful story and a wonderful attitude to flamenco. I have played the guitar badly for 15 years, but only this month have I started to study guitar. I went backpacking to Spain a lifetime ago, and her music of the south was mesmerising; full of intensity, pain, and romance against the backdrop of the sparkling midnight Mediterranean. I fell in love with flamenco then, but somehow life rolled on by without flamenco, until last month when I somehow decided to approach a local teacher (I live and work in China now as a translator so flamenco guitarists aren't common). Now my life is suddenly involved in "rasqueados", "compas", "palos", "picado"....and little me, but I feel I am suddenly at the beginning of a marvellous adventure. My friend, I too am here to learn and listen. Let us progress together one note at a time!
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