Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
Every time I hear the tri tri tri thing and the big cheesy grins appear on faces, my heart sinks. Not just the mannerisms, I've not heard anything they offer musically other than a break to go to the bar.
Yes, i know what the word means and the psychological evaluation you'll come to - probably correctly. Hey, I'm a segurillas guy...
So, anyone up to challenge of convincing me that there are some sort of alegrias out there that will change my mind. I feel I need to learn them at least passably, but need a mental hook in my head that doesn't put me off.
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
For me, I have to be in a mood to listen to Alegrias. I like it with a rough round the edges sound, not the sugary sweet stuff that seems prominent in modern toque.
but like all flamenco palo's its worth listening to.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
Guitar wise, many agree this is his greatest composition:
Cante wise, the nuances in this melody at 19:18 .... try to play that melody on guitar in compas and enjoy it’s complex beauty that you never realized was inherent:
Here while the cante and guitar are not so dynamic as above, see how the pride, joy, and beauty of movement and rhythm can add a new dimension of depth to a supposed “light” song form:
Now if you are still intrigued by how that Poveda cante got to you and never noticed before, watch a real master from Cadiz, starting from 11:14 to conclusion:
Posts: 2006
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
I really never got into alegrias until I started playing for dance. I think the form of the dance is super interesting for guitarists-you have the all the different sections. Personally I love the melodies. My only frustration with alegrias is that you really want to do the 16th note picados in this form, and alas, my picado doesn't work at that tempo. In my next life I'll spend more time practicing picado, and I'll start when I'm like three years old.
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
quote:
Embrace the things you hate, you can learn the most from them about yourself.
Very profound.
I used to hate alegrias when I first started. Now it's one of my favorites when done right. It can be done super cheesy though where it starts hitting garrotin levels of cheese and I have to tap out. But done right it's super cool, complex, nuanced, and difficult. It shouldn't be all smiles, many of the songs are about longing and for lack of a better term "saudade" as the Portuguese would say. Beyond the subject matter musically it opens up doors that the other palos don't, like interesting chord voicings and melodies. I also developed my appreciation when I started accompanying dance. It pushes those 16th note up/down rajeos out of you that to me at least feel very metal(\m/) and not cheesy romantic at all.
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
Thanks all.
Lots of low-saccharin stuff there which makes a pleasant change.
Paco Peña’s La Isla is the one I like best of those mentioned, although going to minor feels like cheating somehow.
Alternative in major I heard in El Pasaje here in Jerez last night was speed up tempo to bulerias pace and lots of heavy rhythmic full chord strokes. But it was barely an alegria any more, more like alegria por bulerias if such a thing exists.
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
quote:
speed up tempo to bulerias pace and lots of heavy rhythmic full chord strokes. But it was barely an alegria any more, more like alegria por bulerias if such a thing exists.
RE: I -hate- alegrias. Convince me n... (in reply to mrstwinkle)
If you've listened to PdL's La Barrosa and walked away thinking "I hate this", then I doubt anyone can convince you there's anything worthwhile in alegrias.
quote:
Yes, i know what the word means
Careful with that. It's very easy to make quick associations and then let your conceptual understanding get in the way of hearing what is actually there. Saying alegrias is happy is just as nonsensical as saying a minor chord is sad. Both can be those things, but they can also express a myriad of other emotions, which you just won't hear if your head is stuck on this notion that "alegrias equals happy" or "minor chord equals sad".
_____________________________
"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
Printable Version
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread