Sunday, 6 February 2011
Adios to Maestro Enrique Morente
In December in Madrid, Spain, the loss of one of histories greatest Flamenco exponents came about, reported on the news airwaves, and it sent out shock-waves of the likes of which have not been felt since the passing of the great "Juanito" Don Juan Valderrama of Jaen, Andalusia, or the terrible agony felt by the whole of the Spanish speaking world at the loss of Rocio Jurado, or since one of the greatest Masters of the Spanish guitar died in a Bronx hospital on New York, the mighty "Sabicas" or "Camerón" or 'Antonio Gades' James Brown or Freddie Mercury; but nothing can compare to the loss of Maestro Enrique Morente, he was the one who brought it all back and gave it to the world, Flamenco had a re-birth in his hands, as it did when Federico Garcia Lorca was taken from us, he too breathed a new life into the art of Flamenco singing, and Morente came along and saved it a second time, and this loss can only be compared to that of the loss of a monarch, or a pope, or like when the legendary Bruce Lee died suddenly, like Elvis, like John Lennon, like so many people in our human history who died suddenly and without warning, great people who did great things for many, many, many other people all over the world, Morente was a virtual god in the world of Flamenco, nobody knows if there can ever be another like him, I personally will be thinking about this loss for quite some time to come, I have not yet been on here and said anything about this to anybody, as it has not yet been appropriate a time for me to do so, but now I must say that for the rest of this year I am going to be thinking a lot about him, and his daughter Estrella (also known as Estrellita, means little star) she too is a long standing favorite of mine, and a famous singer in her own right, I have got CD's of both of them in my extensive Flamenco collection, and I'm going to be playing them all for the next year, or until my own tears dry up. He was the last man on earth to play with, work with and record an album with the legendary Sabicas, who for me is probably one of the greatest guitar players ever in all of human history, and never a day goes by when I don't think about what Enrique did to lighten his final years!!!!!
God bless Maestro Enrique Morente, Descansa En Paz = Rest in Peace
Adios a Maestro Enrique Morente
Maestro Enrique Morente
El Maestro
Daughter Estrellita (Little star) sings over her fathers coffin, with real grief & real Flamenco Passion ~ This time, it is for real
Hasta siempre, Maestro
God bless Maestro Enrique Morente, Descansa En Paz = Rest in Peace
Adios a Maestro Enrique Morente
Maestro Enrique Morente
El Maestro
Daughter Estrellita (Little star) sings over her fathers coffin, with real grief & real Flamenco Passion ~ This time, it is for real
Hasta siempre, Maestro
London Flamenco Festival is on. . .!!!!
Click the link below >>>
London Flamenco Festival is on.....!!!!!
London Flamenco Festival is on.....!!!!!
Es Flamenco London Festival
ES FLAMENCO
You know, I've been a follower of this website since the first day it appeared on the Internet in the early 2000's ~ and since then I purchased a bundle of stuff from them over the years, and always saved a bundle by doing so! I was actually in Spain quite a lot back then, started predominantly spending a lot of my time in Barcelona (which is also a center of excellence as far as Flamenco singing and dancing is concerned, and then I also added Madrid to my list of places to go stomping around all over and getting very acquainted with, just as I had done in Barca, I stomped around from sun up to sun down and most of the night sometimes, up and down every street in and around Madrid, and in the surrounding small towns, such as the famous Aranjuez, (which we pronounce like/as "Arrran & Khweth" put together to form "Arankhweth) because that's the way most Castellanos will say it, Castellanos means people of Castile or Castle People, they developed this unique style of speaking the Español or 'Espan~yol' also referred to as 'El Castellano".....I also have a real afinity with the city of Zaragoza, in the region of Aragon, Zaragoza is also pronounced in Castellano like Thara & Gotha together, "Tharagotha" and also I have been frequenting Santander in Cantabria over the years, and really have enjoyed spending a lot of my free time just wandering around in Cantabrian small towns and villages, in the mountains, and down by the green coast, they call it La Costa Verde = the green coast, and it too has it's charms, yes I have been around a bit over there, and really know my way around on the buses & trains, to the extent whereby when I am over there I feel no difference in being there to what I feel when back in London UK where I was born and grew up, for me it is literally like as if I am actually at home when I am there, and during my many years staying over there, and living & working on & off now & then, I really did get very into the history and culture and the psyche of the people, and for me it was the Gypsy Flamenco singing and dancing that really made my years over there so much more worth the effort, I had to learn the language from the street up, meaning what I had learned from books in the 70's had to be learned all over again, as the general usage of the language at a street level changes with time, and textbook stuff just don't work very well over there, you have to be in tune with the way people speak on a street level, not as in the classroom, so I got into that again too, but the Flamenco that I was getting into was the real magic for me, that is what kept me interested, that and the many traditions (very old fashioned some are too) but however, I was happy to get to know them, I never had such culture in all of my years growing up in London, London was just sheer hell for me, I hated every single day sometimes, but, however, I digress, so back to my main point, this website "Esflamenco" is just one a few that I promoted a lot some years ago, and I still have a lot of affection for them, even though I rarely have any contact with them now, but still I do keep an eye on what they are doing, and still read about the many events that they promote, and right now, the London Flamenco Festival is about to kick off, here the link to that >>> London Flamenco Festival 2011
Es Flamenco
When I was deeply into studying Spanish history and culture, I ventured into the really deep and thoroughly entrenched family history of the Gypsy music, singing and dancing, and it is (or was) really a very jealously guarded culture at one time, strictly only for the eyes and ears of those born into a full blood Gypsy family, rarely seen outside of the family home, but after the Flamenco explosion in the early 20th century people really started to see and hear just how truly amazing that stuff is, since then Flamenco has become of major International interest and practiced by millions, it is an art form, for sure, but it is still a way of life too, for many long standing gypsy families, but out in the world of entertainment it has evolved into a spectacular form of entertainment as well as a favorite way of young people keeping fit, and just for social fun too, it is very popular at party's where people can try & do a few popular movements, it fairly easy to learn and good fun too, and can in fact lead somebody onto being a paid dancer if they are that good, I guess it is the Spanish equivalent to the British football, or American Baseball, in that young people are encouraged to get into that and perhaps be selected, in Spain most children will attend Flamenco dance classes, it's really a very big thing over there, as is getting into the Flamenco singing, there a lot of extremely talented singers in Spain who make full use of the traditional Flamenco vocal style, David Bisbal for example, Juan Valderrama, Montse Cortes, and so on, fantastic singers of recent times.
Anyway, I hope you will have a look at this Flamenco website now & then, it has some wonderful things on offer as well as some very interesting stories!
Venga, vamos a bailar....☺/
C'mon, let's dance.......☺/
You know, I've been a follower of this website since the first day it appeared on the Internet in the early 2000's ~ and since then I purchased a bundle of stuff from them over the years, and always saved a bundle by doing so! I was actually in Spain quite a lot back then, started predominantly spending a lot of my time in Barcelona (which is also a center of excellence as far as Flamenco singing and dancing is concerned, and then I also added Madrid to my list of places to go stomping around all over and getting very acquainted with, just as I had done in Barca, I stomped around from sun up to sun down and most of the night sometimes, up and down every street in and around Madrid, and in the surrounding small towns, such as the famous Aranjuez, (which we pronounce like/as "Arrran & Khweth" put together to form "Arankhweth) because that's the way most Castellanos will say it, Castellanos means people of Castile or Castle People, they developed this unique style of speaking the Español or 'Espan~yol' also referred to as 'El Castellano".....I also have a real afinity with the city of Zaragoza, in the region of Aragon, Zaragoza is also pronounced in Castellano like Thara & Gotha together, "Tharagotha" and also I have been frequenting Santander in Cantabria over the years, and really have enjoyed spending a lot of my free time just wandering around in Cantabrian small towns and villages, in the mountains, and down by the green coast, they call it La Costa Verde = the green coast, and it too has it's charms, yes I have been around a bit over there, and really know my way around on the buses & trains, to the extent whereby when I am over there I feel no difference in being there to what I feel when back in London UK where I was born and grew up, for me it is literally like as if I am actually at home when I am there, and during my many years staying over there, and living & working on & off now & then, I really did get very into the history and culture and the psyche of the people, and for me it was the Gypsy Flamenco singing and dancing that really made my years over there so much more worth the effort, I had to learn the language from the street up, meaning what I had learned from books in the 70's had to be learned all over again, as the general usage of the language at a street level changes with time, and textbook stuff just don't work very well over there, you have to be in tune with the way people speak on a street level, not as in the classroom, so I got into that again too, but the Flamenco that I was getting into was the real magic for me, that is what kept me interested, that and the many traditions (very old fashioned some are too) but however, I was happy to get to know them, I never had such culture in all of my years growing up in London, London was just sheer hell for me, I hated every single day sometimes, but, however, I digress, so back to my main point, this website "Esflamenco" is just one a few that I promoted a lot some years ago, and I still have a lot of affection for them, even though I rarely have any contact with them now, but still I do keep an eye on what they are doing, and still read about the many events that they promote, and right now, the London Flamenco Festival is about to kick off, here the link to that >>> London Flamenco Festival 2011
Es Flamenco
When I was deeply into studying Spanish history and culture, I ventured into the really deep and thoroughly entrenched family history of the Gypsy music, singing and dancing, and it is (or was) really a very jealously guarded culture at one time, strictly only for the eyes and ears of those born into a full blood Gypsy family, rarely seen outside of the family home, but after the Flamenco explosion in the early 20th century people really started to see and hear just how truly amazing that stuff is, since then Flamenco has become of major International interest and practiced by millions, it is an art form, for sure, but it is still a way of life too, for many long standing gypsy families, but out in the world of entertainment it has evolved into a spectacular form of entertainment as well as a favorite way of young people keeping fit, and just for social fun too, it is very popular at party's where people can try & do a few popular movements, it fairly easy to learn and good fun too, and can in fact lead somebody onto being a paid dancer if they are that good, I guess it is the Spanish equivalent to the British football, or American Baseball, in that young people are encouraged to get into that and perhaps be selected, in Spain most children will attend Flamenco dance classes, it's really a very big thing over there, as is getting into the Flamenco singing, there a lot of extremely talented singers in Spain who make full use of the traditional Flamenco vocal style, David Bisbal for example, Juan Valderrama, Montse Cortes, and so on, fantastic singers of recent times.
Anyway, I hope you will have a look at this Flamenco website now & then, it has some wonderful things on offer as well as some very interesting stories!
Venga, vamos a bailar....☺/
C'mon, let's dance.......☺/
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
ROBERTO ALAGNA ~ 6 VIDEOS OF ROBERTO'S VISIT TO SICILIA
Part 1 of 6 videos of Roberto's visit to his native homeland!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_837FS4lH4Q&feature=related
Roberto Alagna in Sicilia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_837FS4lH4Q&feature=related
Roberto Alagna in Sicilia
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
JFK Wisdom
”The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’
One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity.
In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity.
John F. Kennedy
Happy Chinese New Year ~ Gung hei fat choi
Gung hei fat choi
Happy Chinese New Year
祝┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓
福┠恭┠┨賀┠┨新┠┨年┠┠快┨┠樂┨
你┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛
Also, as Mr. Spock would say...LLAP
which means -Live Long and Prosper...\\//
Happy Chinese New Year
祝┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓┏┯┓
福┠恭┠┨賀┠┨新┠┨年┠┠快┨┠樂┨
你┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛┗┷┛
Also, as Mr. Spock would say...LLAP
which means -Live Long and Prosper...\\//
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