annhig

fortunately we are going to Barcelona next week [10-13 sept].

unfortunately we will not be there when any of the above are playing. anyone got any good tips for watching flamenco in barcelona apaart from the above? any good shows or clubs?

kimhe

annhig,

Sorry Amsdon, this is not a perfect entry into the topic of this thread, but then again, to some extent it is.

I would recommend that you go to the Tablao de Carmen in Montjuïc. Carmen Amaya (1913-1963) was arguably the best flamenco dancer that ever was, and this place was established in 1988 on the 25th anniversary of her death as a (rentable though) homage to her in the place where she made her debut in 1929 in front of king Alfonso XIII. Haven't been there myself, but I've experienced a lot of flamenco and this place proves right from the clips I've seen. From the center of town you have to take a not to far taxi trip. Make an evening of it and explore the Poble Espanyol, the World's Fair exhibition artificial city of 1929 (where Carmen made her debut) which sat out to capture the reginal differences of Spain.
http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/index.php?lang=en
http://www.poble-espanyol.com/pemsa/en.html

And now, strictly getting back to know Spain through her music!

amsdon

Oh no problem Kim & Ann. I was not ignoring this I just went back to work and now cannot check as often.

I have never been to Barcelona (yet) So many people comment that there is no good flamenco in Barcelona...forgetting that Carmen Amaya herself was a gypsy from Barcelona area. I rcently re-watched the documentary "Queen of the Gypsies" about her life & as always really enjoyed it. Talk about energy!!

Ann if you can get that video somewhere it may enhance your visit to that tablao which is named for her.

Thanks for helping as always Kim.

mikelg

Despite the several answers showing music from other parts of Spain, I guess flamenco has won the battle among foreigners. Funny, as it is mainly played just on Southern and southeastern Spain...(and on places for tourists on the rest of Spain) but this art was the chosen one for export as it is very visual, very alive, and according to the image of very "Spanish". While I´ve never been to a flamenco show and wouldn´t know where to find one, here in Northern Spain.

amsdon

Oh no Mike it is not a contest...it is just that is my expertise is in flamenco. However having ancestors from Asturias & Zamora I am very interested in thart as well as ALL other parts of Spain..
Hopefully Fodorites have enjoyed all the contibutions.

Feel free to contribute a favorite!

annhig

hi kimhe,

thanks so much for the recommendation for el tablao de carmen. we are staying at the nearby fira palace , so the idea is a great one. if we go, [probably tomorrow night!] we will report back!

regards, ann

amsdon

Yay!!! have fun OLe.

amsdon

Ann did you ever see who Carmen Amaya was???? Here is some info:

In her youth ( aclip from a documentry)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQlk5...eature=related

and in the movie Los Tarantos very shortly before her untimely death at age 50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDdJi...eature=related

mikelg

In the Basque country we have a very old tradition, in the form of a contest, by people called "bertsolariak" (verse makers). Here you can see 2008 final,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uERur..._embedded#t=12.

Verses are improvised, based on some theme given by the jury to the participants. They compete on wit, funnier verses, irony, etc, and they can´t rhyme twice with the same word, or ending, I think.

Very popular among Basque speakers and in villages, this "sport" is based on oral traditions, but the verses are on any popular subject.

mikelg

Also in the Basque Country, there´s a very popular music and dance called "aurresku" (plenty of videos on youtube), an old and traditional ceremonial dance in honour of a important person. Performed also in all Basque weddings as a sign of respect and to honour the grooms.

Another "song", the "irrintzi", a "yell" formerly used for war purposes and now sung at the end or during many Basque music festivals. Breathtaking.

amsdon

I was wondering what arresku meant...when I saw some on you tube...can you post one I wasn't sure which one to post?...

What a nice tradition and way of honoring the bride & groom. Thanks Mikelg!

By the way can you improvise verses too?(I mean you personally? Must be hard)

mikelg

Aurresku means "forward", more or less. There´s a variation when it´s the full dance, called "atzesku" (backward). Four parts on each.

Couldn´t say which one on youtube is the best. Most are taped by non professionals, so they are quite real.

Also, widely performed are the "ezpatadantza", (swords dance), the mutildantza,...hundreds...and a very special one, the "kaixarranka", in Lekeitio, in honour of St Peter, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muDYW...eature=related.

A tradition that is getting lost is people singing in bars while having some glasses of wine...male voices in groups of eight, generally.

No, I can´t improvise verses, one must be very fluent in Basque and I´m not.

In any case, it´s perfectly understandable that out of Spain flamenco is the big thing...but just not played everywhere.

kimhe

For me, the most impressive thing about experiensing bertsolariak(s) in Plaza de la Constitución in San Sebastián/Donostia was to see how young people with skateboards listened and stayed throughout a very long presentation. Muy fuerte and one of many expressions of the vitality of Basque culture!

And about flamenco "not [being] played everywhere" I, of course, perfectly agree. But, on the 20th of November, Juan Peña "El Lebrijano" sings in the Victoria Eugenia theater in San Sebastián. And as the author Gabriel García Márques says: "Cuando El Lebrijano canta se moja el agua/ When El Lebrijano sings water gets wet".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfn-K...eature=related

mikelg

Well spelt, the "k" marks the plural in Basque. Yes, of course we have flamenco exhibitions in the Basque country, or northern Spain, but it´s a rarity. I meant it´s not normally our type of music.

Bert4545

Dear amsdon,
If you had put your email address on your profile, I'd email you directly, rather than publicly. You are obviously well-educated, since your posts are almost faultless. There is just one thing you seem to get wrong every time - "its". This is a possesive adjective like my, your, his, etc. It does not have an apostrophe. "It's" is an abbreviation for "it is" or "it has". If it's a typographical error, rather than a punctuation blind-spot, just preview before poting.

amsdon

Bert, I am sorry that I make these mistakes, I am usually rushing and or sometimes simply lazy. I am aware of most of the errors and also of the rules of grammar, but again often I just rush through these posts. It would be different if I were retired and had more time.

I am also trying not to take this personally, but my guess is other Fodorites may be just as surprised as I am by your comment here about my grammatical mistakes. I know you must mean well, but I do not give my e mail for your proposed purpose.

My deceased parents were both teachers. They too would be dismayed at these mistakes by the way. But they are likley now more upset with you than me. Watch out for mom she was a pistol...

Bert4545

Sorry, amsdon. My comments were certainly not intended to be taken personally. It is only because your posts are so well-written, that I thought it worthwhile to mention this one lapse. I'm sure we all do make mistakes, and some I make I do not notice even when I use the preview button. [For example 'poting', the last word in my previous post. Talk about hoist with my own petard!] I know these forums are informal, and not English exams, but hardly anybody posts in "text-speak" - to give an example of one extreme of writing style. Hardly any Americans and few English people seem to get the its/it's thing right, so I thought it might just be something you were not aware of. I certainly did only mean well.
Just think, you could actually type more quickly if you did not put the unnecessary apostrophe in "its"!

mikelg

Bert4545, there is a good number of non-native English speakers on these forums, as myself, so it may not be a good idea to "correct" other people´s mistakes...

amsdon

Bert I am home again now and have gotten over it.
Thank you though for your words. I realize now that I have been touchy lately. Somehow I just knew you were not being mean spirited. But I am ok now. Here is my e mail, but go easy on me. [email protected].

Mike thank you you raise a good point too. We al do need to feel safe here. Funny I realize now that some people may not know the expression about being a "pistol." Hopefully they do not think she carried a pistol.... lol. Well these idiomatic expressions are a whole new thread.

So on with with the show...Rocio Jurado we miss you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By_6bqg-Sz4

portuense

bert - i think you need to remove your head from somewhere dark and forget about small grammatical errors. i make plenty when i post - frankly, i don't normally have time to edit everything i write. i don't believe that forum users have a problem with this. it's information and experience they're after. still, this post is probably superfluous - i imagine amsdon's gracious response has left you as embarrassed as you should be