For the first set at 6:30pm, Pam danced seguiriyas and it worked suprisingly well. Aside from the customers watching the show from the adjacent tables, many of the people passing by stopped in their tracks for a few minutes to enjoy the show. Mariya, who danced an alegrias for this set, later told me that the people living in the condos above were also watching the show from their balconies!

Keith is always kind enough to be our photographer whenever Mariya is performing, but he looked like he was in the mood to just chill out and enjoy the show from the bar so I gave him a break this time. However, I did get some nice pics of the food and drinks...

Glass of sangria. May 13, 2006 6:38pm

Miguelito, Pam de Ocampo and Mariya hanging out at the bar between sets. May 13, 2006 8:57pm (photo by Keith)

For the second set, it was Mariya's turn to do a serious palo and I asked her to dance a solea. She has several versions of her choreography but I insisted that she not tell me any more details. This would force me to pay extra attention to catch the subtle cues. Of course, this also meant that she had to be especially clear and deliberate about her movements. Pam danced an alegrias.

View of the bar from my seat. May 13, 2006 8:59pm

While the quality of service is gradually catching up as the staff gets a feel for the clientele and menu, the food here is very good. The kitchen staff really pays attention to details from the delicately thin but oh-so-flavorful slices of Manchego...

Carpaccio Manchego: ultrathin slices of beef dressed with olive oil, Manchego cheese and olives. May 13, 2006 9:01pm

...to the touches of green olives to spruce up the presentation of the potatoes...

Garlic mashed potatoes. May 13, 2006 9:05pm

...and the fresh and flaky bacalao--salt cod, yum!

Bacalao al vino blanco: fresh cod baked in herbs, white wine and cream sauce. May 13, 2006 9:06pm

But it was still a relatively slow night in the dining room--the outdoor patio however was full thanks to Mother Nature's gift of a gorgeous night and of course our flamenco show.

Got lots of compliments from the customers including some of my former neighbors from when I used to live in the River House apartments across the street. One of the them remembered me when from when I used to practice guitar on the roof which I did late at night when I wasn't supposed to be up there. hehe. Another neighbor was the apartment building property manager who called me in whenever I got in trouble for being up on the roof late at night. hehe. But he has since long retired from working at River House. I was touched that these people remembered me from more than 9 years ago!

This one lady and her family remembered me from a show I did at the Key Bridge Marriott which was several months ago.

This got me thinking...I've been performing flamenco here in the DC area for a long time--longer than anyone else currently performing in the local tablaos today. Over the many years, the dancers have come and gone and stayed but it's always been me there supporting them with my guitar accompaniment. Without realizing it, I'm sure there are many people that I pass by on a daily basis that have at some point seen me perform somewhere. It feels good knowing this but still it's always nicer when people actually come up to me and say something like, "I saw you perform at blah-blah-blah. Nice show!"

View of dining room next to bar. May 13, 2006 9:43pm

The previous night (Friday) was extremely busy--I imagine that this is due to the fact that with all the nearby high-rise apartment buildings here many locals pass by on their way home from work. Ah well, give it some time. Still, for a place that's been open only two weeks they're doing rather well.

Miguelito, Pam and Mariya. May 13, 2006 10:10pm (photo by Keith)

I hope you enjoyed this pics. I need to get to my NYC pics before my well-deserved mini-vacation becomes old news.

The next show at Tapeo will be on Saturday May 20, 2006 at around 6:30pm and 7:30pm featuring dancers Ginette Perea and Mariya. For more info call 703-416-6431or visit their website.

P.S. I just want to wish a Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's out there who gave birth to and raised all the beautiful dancers that I have the pleasure to work and be friends with!

P.P.S. Of course, my Mom, a musician herself, is the one who put a guitar in my hands at the age of eight--putting the seed of the love for making music so early in life. She was hoping I'd take the hint to learn more about music and do something with it and she was right. Thanks Mom and Happy Mother's Day!

P.P.P.S. I just realized...this is the 100th entry in this new blog/photo diary format! Congrats to me on keeping the DC community hooked on the soap opera of my flamenco-filled day-to-day life--you know you like it! ;-) Small milestone I know, but I love this new layout and I hope you do too. Give me some feedback: you can always add your comments using the form below.