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Posts: 58
Joined: Mar. 21 2007
From: The Netherlands
hello
Hi to all! I have been reading this forum for some while now and decided to register not so long ago. I just wanted to say that I really enjoy this forum, it is very interesting and I learn a lot of it. Now I look at foroflamenco every day and miss it when I can't! So I also want to thank you all for that information and discussions!
To be honest, I was a bit scared of posting for the first time, but I thought: when I read it so much, it will be good to let people know that I read. And when I have a question, maybe I can ask it here. There is so much to learn...
Glad to hear there are more women playing in holland... but no, I'm not one of them. But please behave and don't scare me away of this foro.... (just kidding ofcourse )
i don't think there is anything strange about women venturing into flamenco guitar, just as there isn't anything odd about female classical guitarists. i don't think it's awesome that women develop a taste for flamenco, it's quite natural. there are cantaores and cantaoras, bailaores and bailaoras right. so it's about time really..
one of the pioneering flamenco guitarists here in sweden is a woman, a grand lady of flamenco. a really fine guitarist with a lot of personality, i hope to take some lessons from her when i get the oppurtunity. i think being a minority in any field can get tiring if you're being treated as a special case or constantly get viewed upon in terms of gender or whatever it is that sticks out.. i think many people here can relate to that, being neither gypsies nor spanish in the sometimes slightly close-minded world of flamenco.
blanca, i hope you will feel welcome and enjoy the foro as much as i do.
thank you all for the nice words, I do feel welcome! To answer your question Doitsujin (I didn't succeed in making a quote): no, unfortunately I don't know Paco Pena in the way that I know him personally through lessons. I wish i did, he is a great player and I like his music very much!
mrMagenta: you are so right! But I have to say that so far I never had negative response of people. For myself being not-Spanish sometimes makes me wonder too 'how can I ever think that I could play like a Spanish person!' But since I know flamenco I just have to, there is no other music for me....
I was playing a granaína at a hotel in Spain once and a Spanish guy came up to me and asked in Spanish "Can you play 'Entre dos Mares'?" NO clue...
The gypsies do have a certain natural sense for rhythm, but I think most of what you're talking about comes less from being Spanish and more from growing up with the music. More Spanish people get this chance - I wish I'd had it
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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things
Hi blanca. This is a great site as you know. Don't be afraid to post. How else can you learn something new? There is always many here willing to lend a helping hand.
Welcome Blanca from a "Dutchman" here in the USA who has been playing 'Latin' music for the last 45 years and only recently been involved with the 'Flamenco' style although I must say that there are many variations in Mexican ,Central American and South American styles that among them approach some of the styles of Flamenco e.g. Huapango etc... It is true that you will get much good information here with an occassional wise crack, but if your thick-skinned enough it won't bother you.
I just wanted to thank Tom Nunez for his advice on strings. I have been using Savarez on my Cordoba Solista, and aside from being a beginner I could tell it didn't sound so good, the action was kind of high, and they didn't last too long I thought maybe my cejilla was causing premature breaks behind the frets on the basses. Tom suggested LaBella black 820 trebles and Luthier basses. What a difference, my Cordoba sounds great and unbeliable sustain and sharp sound. He also gave me a few words of encouragement about not quitting and a better guitar would make a lot of difference as far as ease of playing for someone just starting out such as myself with no teacher in Chicago. This is a great forum, there is so much too learn from all members. Thank you all, keep posting.
Hi guys, I am a newbie too, I have been reading posts for a while, and been registered for a while, but still not gotten around to posting until now! It's not too easy for me to use personal email/internet at work and I don't really want to look at the computer much at home after doing it all day, but I'll trt to keep up... I'm trying to teach myslef flamenco at the moment until I find a teacher in the region of Melbourne, Australia, so if anyone knows of someone good down here, let me know, OK? Gracias :)
Bienvenida! I'm one of the few female members of the foro, and have been an ardent student for about 2 years. This is a great group, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!