World Cup has been my obsession these past few weeks at the expense of all my other interests. I can’t help thinking though about the respective Romani communities of the countries I’m watching playing on the field. For instance, this morning, Portugal, made me think of Ramón el Portugués (who is actually from Spain) and while searching for one of his famous tangos, I came across this excellent clip of Portuguese Gitanos. Amazingly distinct from their cousins across the border in Spain, their music sounds more ancient, more North African. The Moorish influence is very apparent.

Thanks to Juana Cruz, la madre de Camaron, for passing on her arte to her son and to all the mothers who share their gifts and beauty with the world.

A beautiful clip, a perfect setting. One of the best eras for flamenco. ‘La Diosa’ in all her flamenco puro glory!

From the DVD description, courtesy of Flamenco World:

Cantaor Children
The earliest steps taken by artists such as Moraíto, La Macanita, Remedios Amaya, Carmelilla Montoya, Antonio de la Malena and Carlos Heredia, who fascinated their relatives, friends and neighbours with their gracefulness and self-assurance from a very young age. They are unique performances that provide some of the keys for understanding the transmisssion of the heritage of flamenco culture.

Dolores Agujetas

La Paquera de Jerez (from the movie Vengo)

From Flamenco Quote of the Day by Sakai Flamenco:

Federico Garcia Lorca writing on seguiriyas…

…There are songs where the lyrical tremor reaches a point inaccessible to any but a few poets:

The moon has a halo; my love has died.

Cerco tiene la luna; mi amor ha muerto.

There is much more mystery in those two lines than in all the plays of Maeterlinck. Simple, real mystery, sound and healthy, without gloomy forests or rudderless ships. It is the living eternal enigma of death:

The moon has a halo; my love has died.

…Behind these poems lurks a terrible question that has no answer. Our people cross themselves in prayer, look at the stars, and wait in vain for a sign of salvation. The gesture is pathetic but true. And the poem either poses a deep emotional question with no answer, or solves it with death, which is the question of questions.

If you are in the Bay Area, you might consider checking out this event.

Main Event at Croatian American Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga St (map) , 7:30 – 11:30 pm – Dance workshop, followed by live music and dancing. $15 or $20 with after-party ticket. Features Rumen Sali Shopov with Brass Liberation Orchestra, and Orkestar Sali with special guests Chris Bajmakovich and Cele Paskoski. Have dinner at the event – super Balkan food by Christo Kolev available for purchase.

After the main event, the musicians and crowd will migrate to the
After-party at Bollyhood Café, 3372 19th St. at Mission (map), 9:00 – 2:00 am – DJ dancing, then live music at midnight with the featured artists. $10 party or $20 combo ticket for both events.

From the Voice of Roma website:

About International Roma Day
International Roma Day (April was officially declared in 1990 in Poland, during the fourth World Romani Congress in honor of the first major international meeting of Roma representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in London, UK. Since then Roma around the globe celebrate our social origins, language, culture, unity, and in particular, romipen (preservation of Rom identity) near the date of the original gathering.

VOR held San Francisco’s first annual International Roma Day event in 2000. In addition to romipen, our goals are to introduce audiences to and provide performing opportunities for renowned Romani performing artists, create a gathering place for Romani and other immigrant and refugee communities, and raise awareness about the human rights issues faced by Roma in today’s world. In particular, we focus on education regarding the dire circumstances of the Roma in and from Kosovo.

Romani traditional culture around the world and specifically in the U.S. is weakening. Old neighborhood communities, so nourishing to the culture, are disintegrating. Many young Roma don’t do traditional dances, and some young Roma don’t even share a language with previous generations of their families. This erosion of cultural identity and collective memory could easily result in the loss of Roma artistic expression and traditions that are infused with hundreds of years of history. VOR’s International Roma Day celebration events respond directly to this need. The artists and Roma participants reconnect through their participation, strengthening ties to their culture and preserving the artistic expression of our people.

Saban Bajramovic – Djelem Djelem

Happy International Roma Day! Djelem Djelem is considered the unofficial anthem of Roma/Gypsy people worldwide.

Are you in the mood yet? We are! Hope to see you this Friday and Sunday for some communal Flamenco festivity!

Dos Lunares is excited to present Calé Rachi a weekend of exploration into the world of Flamenco through film, discussion and interactive rhythm making/palmas in conjunction with Actions, Conversations and Intersections an exhibition of participatory art by 60 Los Angeles artists and organizations, January 24 – April 18, 2010 at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Our Flamenco weekend will kick off with a film night, discussion and tapas on Friday, March 5 at 7:30pm. We will be screening the wonderful documentary El Turista Soy Yo about Flamenco singer Luis Agujetas, the youngest son of the well-known and highly regarded Flamenco cantaor Agujetas el Viejo. This documentary by Trina Bardusco, follows Luis Agujetas through his daily rituals which include his nightly job singing at the famous Flamenco tourist mecca La Carbonería en Sevilla, Spain.

Palmas, the art of Flamenco hand clapping will be featured in our Sunday presentation, March 7 at 2pm. Join us for a lively afternoon of interactive, participatory rhythm making with Los Angeles bailaora, Cristina Lucio.

The name of our presentation, Calé Rachi or Gypsy Night is a nod to the intersections of Chicano and Gitano culture that took place along the Mexican-American border during the early 1900s.

Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park 4804 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027-5302 - (213) 485-4581

www.actionsconversationsintersections.com

Yesterday, I attended the Roots and Evolution of Flamenco presentation at USC sponsored by La Peña Andaluza en California. Despite arriving a bit late, I was fortunate to catch some of the performances and was especially glad to make it in time to hear Angelita Agujetas sing as she is one of my favorite local cantaoras.
After the presentation, there was a short question and answer period and a thoughtful and at times biting, discussion took place regarding flamencologists, the difference in dance styles, the use of castanets and most surprisingly, some comments on whether Camaron was a good interpreter of Solea. As someone who worships at the altar of Camaron, I was surprised to hear this but considering the source, one of the Agujetas clan, I was willing to examine the idea.
I don’t think I know enough about cante to say anything on the subject but I have included two videos here, one of Camaron con Tomatito and the other of Antonio Mairena, who is well-known for his interpretations of Solea. I will let you make your own decision.

Antonio Mairena con Manuel Morao – Soleá

Antonio Mairena con Melchor de Marchena- Soleá – Parte 2

To hear even older interpretations of Soleá, please check out the excellent site Excavated Shellac. There are a couple of very interesting soleá tracks including one por baile.