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I was planning on learning some pieces on the side which if ever I pursued guitar professionally would be ready to perform live and be liked by many people. Nobody gonna like Paco De Lucia in a restaurant or cafe!
Posts: 1972
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to metalhead)
People like to hear songs they know. As a flamenco guitarist outside of Spain, it doesn’t leave you any options. But a solo guitar restaurant gig is mostly a background music situation so you can play most anything. If you want to please the public play Malagueña by E.L. As well as Recuerdos de la Alhambra, romance, Granada, and a few bullfight tunes like espana cani. Also some well known pop tunes. None of those are flamenco. See what I mean? Having said that, I would advise you to play the music you love and can play well. I’d also grudgingly learn a few crowd pleasers to keep the manager happy and be able to field requests, which will produce tips. Add a singer and dancer and you have a different scenario. A second guitarist and then gipsy kings stuff becomes viable. But life is short so I really think do what you love and let the chips fall. And if you have the chops to play Paco or Vicente’s solos I wouldn’t worry about who likes it. I’d play it.
Posts: 15509
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to metalhead)
quote:
ORIGINAL: metalhead
I was planning on learning some pieces on the side which if ever I pursued guitar professionally would be ready to perform live and be liked by many people. Nobody gonna like Paco De Lucia in a restaurant or cafe!
People will like what ever you play well. People love Paco de Lucia when I play any at all, so you are very wrong about that. If you play paco mediocre or poorly, then yes people won't like it. So play stuff that is well inside your comfort zone and people will respond positively. The only people impressed by sloppy mediocre virtuoso performances are those that recognize the difficulty and the guts to attempt it in public. I am not afraid to embarrass myself on occasion, but keep it to a minimum.
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Stu)
classic or modern flamenco will allways sound great , just need to teach people how to apreciate. its like wine , some people like sweet sugar wine (awfull) , and others apreciate real nice wine. Sometimes people only like the things that they know and used to .
Gipsy Kings are "dead" in many places a long time ago , with a very old attendance , so , you just cash in with old people , or with casual curious people or saudosist. even my generation (im from 1980) dont listen or seek that music experience In a near future i dont think theres a chance to cash in with GK songs or other oldies.
So , to antecipate that , if i was in the "game" i would go full flamenco , maybe more traditional and a mix with modern in time. Where you are you can rule? like a niche market to explore and achieve more market?
other road its to play modern pop songs , like Tedy Swims.. that people enjoy actually, altought you have many people doin that.
And i agree with Ricardo , if you play well people allways enjoy , altough , i repeat , my opinion , i dont think GK etc (other oldies) its the present/future .
Theres exceptions , like Pink Floyd cover (for example one from Uk and other from Australia) , even them will have their days over. The new old its like Linkin Park for example... if you cover them great , man you will have a lot of people attending.
PS: i talked GK , altough Dire Straits etc can also have the same destiny.
Posts: 15509
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
Gipsy Kings are "dead" in many places a long time ago , with a very old attendance , so , you just cash in with old people , or with casual curious people or saudosist. even my generation (im from 1980) dont listen or seek that music experience In a near future i dont think theres a chance to cash in with GK songs or other oldies.
false.
quote:
other road its to play modern pop songs , like Tedy Swims.. that people enjoy actually, altought you have many people doin that.
never heard of it. Taylor Swift is well known.
My experience gigging constantly is NOTHING has changed. Not since like Opera Flamenca period. Just some new rumbas to add to the never ending rep. Melchor and others complained about the popularity of rumba like it would be death for flamenco puro...nothing is different now, not really. Interms of live music. Perhaps tik Tok guitarists can't play a long show, I don't really know. I am too busy to observe young musicians live....I only come across old musicians.
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Ricardo)
Yes their alive , the heart beats , but for music and public their dead (generaly speaking)
Teddy Swims is great soul r´b , white boy from Georgia, hes booming for quite sometime , remind me Amy winehouse (without the adition lol) or Joss Stone that went viral when their made sucess
Posts: 15509
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
Yes their alive , the heart beats , but for music and public their dead (generaly speaking)
This is false so just cut it out. I have not experienced this. That music is basically as timeless as flamenco palos....and mainly because they are treating some of those rumbas that way...as palos where they can change out the letra. People always recognize if not request those songs, young kids even. Not even needing to mention the gypsies the require them for the bodas around USA. But I performed a young couple baby shower a couple months ago, they wanted the same songs as old people (bamboleo djobi djoba etc etc). Instrumentals are practically indistinguishable from entre dos aguas etc., other classic evergreens people of all age recognize, and if not, it is background filler that fills the time slots needed. Not sure where you live and who you hang with. IN Spain this music was NEVER popular. But in Europe and Asia and USA, it is the same as always. I feel it is because the Gipsy Kings are like a rock band with flamenco guitars, everybody can sing the coros and dance to it. Timeless. IN Spain stuff like ketama is more like latin/salsa/bossa nova, and that requires a more specific audience. Whenever I hire spaniards and they want to do those I am like "guys...that is not gonna work in general". It works for latino crowd only (if not spaniards and then you have be careful). If I have a Spanish crowd I am most cautious they might hate gypsies and I need to focus on the superficial Segovia "flamenco".
Meanwhile hill billy tunes from Gerogia or Nashville, they are hot for some time perhaps but not universal as European rumba stuff. It is like salsa....that material does not mix any more than rap or other pop music, it has to be for a certain crowd. The Rumba is always finding its way into any metropolitan group (middle eastern, latino, European, Asian, etc.). Corporate gigs, etc., it has always been a safe timeless repertoire.
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Ricardo)
well , theres some room for small gigs with that repertoire , mainly in some restaurants (all seasons) and some local parties in summer , but all very niche, and thats the same in other countries in europe , like France for example , some restaurants have GK gigs for time to time. If we talk in just go to a street "corner" and gig , it will be worse.
Regarding "bigger" gigs not even for them the sitituation is good for the GK spinoffs with GK family members , maybe not even the group with Kema Bailiardo (Chico and the gipsies) . or the Andre Reyes , Canut.
But , i think Nicolas Reyes had comeback , and had some gigs in US, but Nicolas is diferent , its what everybody love and recognize about GK , so Nicolas is the man! Dont really know how many years was Nicolas without puting up a show.. Even i would like to see him , with ou without canut and tonino.
Theres some "private" Nicolas Reyes singing about 12/15 years ago and was very nice... , now its diferent , thats the circle of life.
Posts: 15509
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
well , theres some room for small gigs with that repertoire , mainly in some restaurants (all seasons) and some local parties in summer , but all very niche, and thats the same in other countries in europe , like France for example , some restaurants have GK gigs for time to time. If we talk in just go to a street "corner" and gig , it will be worse.
You make no sense. First you recommend GK rep then say they are "dead". Do you even understand the original post here??? Flamenco is always been "niche" since it appeared. If you mean the band GK (nothing to do with the discussion but fine), they split years ago, hence several groups with that name. They all tour regularly, the old men never stopped singing but slowed down to make way for their children decades ago.
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Ricardo)
yes i recommend because hes not playing at carnegie hall, and thats a style than many people recognize as "spanish" , if he wants that of course... it doesnt mean that the style is alive or well alive, still, its more enjoyable than "Balkaan" music , thats really a niche and small market than flamenco i guess.
Posts: 15509
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
it doesnt mean that the style is alive or well alive
Correct. It doesn't mean that. The style is "alive and well" because it freaking is. This sounds like whenever you have grown tired of something, that means the world at large has as well. Fun.
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Ricardo)
here is no diferent than other countries (excluding spain). if you want to give spanish sound , people (general speaking) are not educated to listen to Flamenco , but some of them "like"/enjoy a GK gig or look a like , because thats what they know... even a lot of gipsies. Altough spanish people here know Flamenco and enjoy .
The few gigs that you can do ocasionaly here is all about rumbas like GK, some Sevillanas dance (very niche on some locations) that were popular in the 80´s and 90´s, or you can gig with some modern gypsies that sing "modern" rumbas (these ones can sold out bigger gigs and deals...)
Is there any tablao outside Spain? or Spain and France?
RE: What are some pieces to start gi... (in reply to Ricardo)
yes really , its like a modern rumba /pop or just songs whatever style, sing by a young (20´s or so) gipsy , some have a real band (including acoustic guitar) , some dont . But the one that i know , had a great year allways touring and went also to some tv shows i dont enjoy but , others do
Regarding tablaos outside Spain , i think i only know in France (a place totaly dedicated to flamenco , and note fakemenco and others)
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