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Sadly, La Peña de La Perla is not what it used to be. When it was in Calle Santo Domingo del barrio, it was run by 2 familias gitanas. It was dedicated to fine cante often from the barrio. I saw the debut of La May Fernandez when she was only 14. The neighbours complained and the Ayuntamiento offered a new site, which was the antiguo matadero and was in ruins.
They sold the site in Santo Domingo and spent the money in renovating the matadero. It started well but these families were getting old and it was taken over by an ex policía. He has converted la Peña to a negocio familiar to make money. Now he changes entrada and puts on mostly dance, usually students from a dance school. His audience is mainly tourists and foreign students.
The Matadero is an important sitio in the historia de flamenco in Cádiz. Its position on the edge of the Barrio meant that the matadores de toros del barrio went to practice the suerte de matar. This led to complaints from the carniceros for the daños to the meat they were buying.
However since many cantaores del Barrio were also members of the cuadrillos of the toreros, this place is emblematico (Enrique del Mellizo, for example was puntillero en la Plaza).
What is happening today is a verguenza and a falta de respeto to the history of flamenco in Cádiz.
La Perla is magnificent. And Paco Cepero demonstrates once again why, in my opinion at least, he is the finest accompanist hands down. This was recorded at the time when both were at the top of their game. I could listen to this stuff all day (or night), but especially while having an evening sundowner with a copita of jerez in hand.
Bill
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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
ORIGINAL: Morante What is happening today is a verguenza and a falta de respeto to the history of flamenco in Cádiz.
"Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay."
Robert Frost
One of the most beautiful girls I have ever known had the last line done as a small tattoo when she turned 18. She is 30 now, and heads still turn. She is a Pacific Islander--Marshallese-- who lives now in Alabama. She grew up in the islands until she came to university in the USA. In the Marshall Islands land and titles pass down through the female line. Her grandmother was an Alab.
She told me the line from the poem was to commemorate the disappearance of her culture.
One of the most beautiful girls I have ever known had the last line done as a tattoo when she turned 18. She is 30 now, and heads still turn. She is a Pacific Islander--Marshallese-- who lives now in Alabama. She grew up in the islands until she came to university in the USA. In the Marshall Islands land and titles pass down through the female line. Her grandmother was an Alab.
She told me the line from the poem was to commemorate the disappearance of her culture.
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