Kimhe--flamenco

Old Oct 12th, 2014, 10:13 AM
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Kimhe--flamenco

Hi Kimhe,

I will be in Seville and Madrid Oct. 21-26. What would be your first choice for a mainstream flamenco show without dinner?

Thank you.

Philip
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Old Oct 12th, 2014, 11:09 PM
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My first choice would be to see great up and coming cantaora (female flamenco singer) Rocío Márquez in Auditorio Nacional Sala de Camara in Madrid on Friday 24. This might be a great night: http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/co...-madrid-2.html http://www.auditorionacional.mcu.es/...macion/portada

Here, three weeks ago, during the world's largest and most prestigious flamenco festival, the Bienal in Sevilla: http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/ca...sevilla-6.html

Fabulous Belen Lopez and Paloma Fantova dances all these nights in in Cardamomo in Madrid, perhaps the most cutting edge tablao in the country for the moment (together with Casa Patas). Song, guitar and male/female dancers. Possible to see the show only. Book ahead. http://cardamomo.es/quienes-somos/

Paloma Fantova tore the house down at prestigious Sadler's Wells in London little over a year ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck7hMzNH3b8

Belen Lopez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hbhkIWSX-Q

In Sevilla, I can recommend intimate Casa de la Memoria. No food, no drinks, just great flamenco artists: http://www.casadelamemoria.es/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html
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Old Oct 14th, 2014, 03:07 AM
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I was just there and would recommend going to the flamenco museum, it was very good (I think it was founded by Christina Hoya).

I am actually not a huge flamenco fan, and have seen it before, so didn't go to a show on my recent visit as I ran out of time. But kimhe, what do you think about the Casa de la Guittara? I was going to go there as it was much closer to where I was staying, and I am actually interested in guitars, but I didn't get around to it.
http://www.casadelaguitarra.es/index...de-la-guitarra
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Old Oct 15th, 2014, 01:46 PM
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Christina,

Haven't been to Casa de la Guitarra, but if you're interested in guitars, I would definitely go. Seems like much of the same deal as Casa de la Memoria, with all of the basic elements of flamenco in place (song, guitar and dance), no food, no drinks, just flamenco. Should however be hard to beat the standard of the performers in Casa de la Memoria, almost all very well experienced as soloists in the major venues and festivals.

And regarding "seen it before": Flamenco is many different things; from the touristy polka-dot dress festive and often uninspired show to the very cutting edge of especially guitar and dance (the song/cante is somewhat another story). Two examples:

Paco de Lucia on guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmCZfU0_d4
Rocio Molina dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSclwEVzGk
You never know where she goes next.

And Camaron de la Isla definitely brought cante into another dimension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpBqJ5BDgI0

And being interested in guitar, there are many very talented artists on the current scene taking inspiration from legendary, traditional and no fuss Diego del Gastor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W74IVr_90CQ
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Old Oct 15th, 2014, 05:03 PM
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I second Casa de la Memoria. By far the most authentic flamenco we've seen.
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 05:42 PM
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Kimhe, thanks for the recommendations. I will be in Spain next spring, including in Seville for Semana Santa. I checked out the Trip Advisor reviews. Generally very positive, although a couple were quite negative and referred to Casa de la Memoria as a tourist trap. Now I trust your recommendations over theirs but for someone who knows absolutely knowing about flamenco, what would constitute "real flamenco" from "tourist flamenco"?
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Old Oct 19th, 2014, 10:29 PM
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MinnBeef

Casa de la Memoria is definitely no tourist trap, although it's popular with tourists. For example, Pastora Galvan has danced here regularly for the past four, five years, and she was voted best female flamenco dancer by Spanish critics in 2010. She had a great success during the world's most prestigious flamenco festival (the three weeks long Bienal in Sevilla), in the huge Maestranza theater a couple of weeks ago. http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/re...-photos-1.html

All the artists in Casa de la Memoria is almost her level, great singers and guitarists as well as male and female dancers. But most of the audience in the intimate venue are tourists, many with little knowledge of flamenco. This gives it a kind of "touristy atmosphere", as much of the magic of flamenco goes on in the often intense communication between the artists and the audience. Therefore it will usually be an even more intense experience seeing flamenco up front in a small "peña"/local flamenco club or at a theater performance with a predominantly local crowd.

But Casa de la Memoria is the real deal when it comes to the artists, and miles away from the often totally soulless touristy performances with overly dramatic gestures, polkadot dresses and sometimes even play-back music.
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Old Oct 20th, 2014, 08:56 AM
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and to exemplify, MinnBeef

For all my love of small Nerja, the town is not known for great flamenco venues (used to be a excellent little peña (La Solea) here that unfortunately closed down). You don't get it more touristy than in El Burro Blanco (White Donkey) in Nerja. Could of course be fun, but in places like this you would often be presented to sevillanas (as here) and canned music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf5B9eXYVHg

You could even be presented stuff not far from this in some tablaos (flamenco restaurants) in the bigger cities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf5B9eXYVHg

Compared to stumble upon Fuensanta la Moneta or Israel Galvan in Casa Patas, it is a universe apart:
Fuensanta la Moneta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbO_lw2xWtU
Israel Galvan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL9Wav9v7Jc

Not to speak of Pastora Galvan, who regularly dances at Casa de la Memoria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBUcrJgeQ
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 07:29 PM
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Thanks kimhe. Would like to add a flamenco show to my Seville itinerary.
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Old Oct 29th, 2014, 04:29 PM
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Kimhe,

Thank you for your recommendations. We went to Casa de la Memoria in Seville. Fabulous. Traditional, professional, passionate, exciting. We were unable to see Rocio Marquez on Friday 24/10 in Madrid or your other recommendations there. We went to Casa Patas, which proved disappointing. Excellent dancing, but terrible singing, including two pop songs, much smirking and clutching water bottles, and too much violin. Next time, I will investigate more ahead of time.
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Old Oct 30th, 2014, 02:16 AM
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Glad to hear you liked Casa de la Memoria, and sorry about the Casa Patas experience. Casa Patas is open to "cutting edge" from time to time, and that's always risky business.

But in my opinion, the most interesting flamenco today is venturing into new lands, such as Las Migas with violin and wonderful Alba Carmona singing. Flamenco doesn't get much better than from 1 min to 1.30 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIaxlpFQnDo

and of course flamenco and beyond godess Rocio Molina. Saw her a few weeks ago in the huge Maestranza theater in Sevilla with trombones on stage, and it was sensational. She then went on to conquer London, all London newspapers and dance Magazines on their knees. A portrait of Molina in The Guardian a couple of weeks ago: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/201...-bosque-ardora

And here in Afectos, the only instrument was a double bass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97w_mvV7C9U

I round off with flamenco piano genious Dorantes playing to Joaquin Grilo. The out of this world communication between piano and dancer takes famenco to lew levels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOjtXiPl8Rk
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Old Oct 31st, 2014, 08:37 AM
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<Next time, I will investigate more ahead of time.>

The following sites are very useful, always updated.

Here you find the major flamenco concerts/performances, both in Spain and abroad: http://www.deflamenco.com/agenda.html

The same as above, but also including smaller events in local flamenco clubs (peñas): http://www.guiaflama.com/

And Paco Roji's indispensable guide to every serious flamenco event, small and large, in the Malaga region: http://www.flamenka.com/html/agenda/...da%202013.html
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Old Oct 31st, 2014, 06:03 PM
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Kimhe,

Flamenco piano? You've given me a lot to investigate and think about. Thank you. Now, to go geographically as well as instrumentally far afield, are you familiar with any good U.S. venues, or where I can find them? Or is deflamenco.com, which you mentioned above, the main source? Thanks.
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Old Nov 1st, 2014, 02:24 AM
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The 13th edition of the New York flamenco festival is coming up in February/March. Usually only the greatest names: http://www.spainculture.us/city/new-...festival-2014/

Also a prestigious flamenco festival in Alburquerque each June
http://festivalflamen.co/

Rocio Molina has been touring the east coast in recent years, and she has performed several times in NY City Center and Baryshnikov Arts Center, Lisner auditorium in Washington, in the Jacob's Pillow dance festival in Western Massachusetts and in Adrienne Arscht Center in Miami.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/ar...llow.html?_r=0

In San Francisco you have the Theater flamenco with fine guest artists from Spain (http://www.theatreflamenco.org/), and some of the greatest perform every now and then in Zellerbach Hall in the UC Berkeley campus. http://calperformances.org/

Also a rising flamenco scene in Santa Barbara.
http://www.flamencoarts.org/

And Brook Zern is about the most knowledable person out there when it comes to all things flamenco, history, artists etc: http://www.flamencoexperience.com/

Brook Zern: "Twenty years ago, I thought I knew a lot about this art. Since then, I have gradually realized that I've barely begun the learning process."
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Old Nov 1st, 2014, 02:34 PM
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We have an annual flamenco festival in Washington DC every year or two, for about a week. It is at GWU (LIsner auditorium) in Feb-March. They get really good performers, dancers, singers and guitarrists. This was the program last March http://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...22c_story.html

We have a large Spanish-speaking population here and two theaters who do only Spanish works, actually. One of them (Gala Hispanic) is doing some flamenco this weekend http://www.galatheatre.org/arteameri...adEvent&id=181
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Old Nov 2nd, 2014, 02:11 PM
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Thank you, Kimhe. We may be in NY during that time so I will check this.
Thank you too, Christina, we will be In Washington.
A lot to investigate and learn!
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Old Aug 18th, 2015, 07:35 PM
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Hi Kimhe,
Next time you come to Barcelona we would be delighted if you can come to Casa Camarón de la Isla, a new venue artistically directed by Israel Suarez el Piraña, ex-percusionist with Paco de Lucía for many years.

This place, created as a tribute to world famous Camarón, considered the best "cantaor" and a legend (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camar%C3%B3n_de_la_Isla + http://www.casacamaron.com/eng/camaron.html) -as you already pointed out- is focus on the best Flamenco experience for national and international Flamenco lovers alike.

Although recently open, already has been here:

* Paloma Fantova (bailaora) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY6n...la0T6&index=42
* Nino de los Reyes (bailaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6kByrla_Ik
* Farru (bailaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLKgDecB4HA
Blas Córdoba "el Kejío" (cantaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRhzjq6o6tk
* Simón Román (cantaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_gWU8YdF2A
* Triana Maciel (bailaora) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbusYlBk4RI
* El Perla (guitar) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYbdBk9vyQQ
Agujetas Chico (cantaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq0lM4LUNv0
* Miguel de la Tolea (cantaor) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M45zWf6ZKRg
* Paco Heredia (spanish guitar/toque) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_m-8iMDcso
* José Soto "Sorderita" (one of the original members of Ketama) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbu6...DE4XWBa--RGtg6
* José Tobalo (percusionist) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfTz4Jmu998

* And of course, el Piraña (percusionist) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp1LFfXZB94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buslTgl4ZDY

Already programmed from this september:

* Duquende * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu-gO7zmm7M
Carmona brothers - Revolución- * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj09DdpBtpM
and some shows to honour Camarón: "Camaroneando", "Como el Agua", "Soy Gitano", "La Leyenda del Tiempo"...
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Old Aug 18th, 2015, 07:42 PM
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Sorry Kimhe,

The link was broken:
http://www.casacamaron.com/eng/camaron.html

You can have a look also to the venue:
http://www.casacamaron.com/eng/

And a video (although some part of the sound is not direct for the editing):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buslTgl4ZDY

As a good Flamenco lover, we hope to see you here next time you come to Barcelona *
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Old Aug 19th, 2015, 01:30 AM
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JVH007,

Thank you very much for this great info, will of course go here first thing next time in Barcelona! Excellent clips, looks like a brillant place, and I wish you the best of luck!
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Old Feb 26th, 2016, 10:11 AM
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We are in Seville now. Went to the Museo performance last night -- it was fantastic. So immediately searched for kimhe's other suggestions and found this. Will check out Casa de la Memoria. Gracias! (LOVING Seville)
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