• June 4, 2002 Summer Reading
• June 3, 2002 Here's to a great summer!
• May 28, 2002 Playing for different "species" of teachers
• May 20, 2002 It's OK to make mistakes
• May 14, 2002 The DC Feria is THIS Sunday!
• May 2, 2002 Be careful what you wish for...
• April 17, 2002 Just because you can, doesn't mean you should...
• April 9, 2002 The cante comes first!

Bear in mind, that flamenco is a very subjective art form--what art form isn't? There are a number of books out there that many will claim to be a definitive reference for flamenco which others might denounce as pure garbage.

Learn a bit about the different versions of history and theory of flamenco, and decide for yourself which is valid information and that which is not:

Art of Flamenco by Donn E. Pohren Includes an encyclopedic section that has brief definitions of most of the more popular and also the lesser known palos from alboreá to bulería to trillera to zapateado. Hey, do you know the difference between Taranto and Tarantas? Read this book and you'll know that and much more.

Gypsy Cante: Deep Song of the Caves translated by Will Kirkland Haven't read this one yet. On the cover is guitarist Diego del Gastor with one of the Utrera sisters. Flamenco dancers and guitarists have enough to keep themselves busy for a lifetime, but we all need to learn about cante. Bonus points if you can name that cantaora: Bernarda or Fernanda?

The Flamenco Dancer and the Biker by Michael Yatron Haven't read this one either. It's a mystery book. What the heck, might as well escape reality for a while with fiction related to flamenco.

Peel My Love Like an Onion: A Novel by Ana Castillo Another fiction work. This one's also about a flamenco dancer. Read it just for fun.

This are just a few ideas to get you started. Explore sites like Amazon and Flamenco Connection for yourself. Pick up a book and as you head for the pool, forget the sunblock!

Here's to a great summer!
(Monday June 3, 2002) I was in such a good mood after spending an afternoon with friends at the rooftop pool yesterday. We had food, drinks, music and good times. What more can one ask for?

Well, we made some new friends, got invited to another party. One person that we met was a former flamenco dance student who took notice when she heard the guitar and palmas por bulerías. Without even trying, my friends and I managed to promote DC flamenco while taking a "one-day vacation."

[Editor's note: I do not recommend taking a $5000 concert-quality flamenco guitar to a pool party where one big splash of water upon such a fine and delicate musical instrument could cause some serious damage. For the above photo, I made sure that there was no one swimming in the pool.]

Summer is coming soon! Here's what's on the calendar so far:

• May 31-June 16, 2002
  Noche Flamenca at the New Victory Theater in New York.
• Saturday June 15, 2002 7:00pm
  Natalia Monteleón's Arte Flamenco at the Gaithersburg City Hall Concert Pavillion 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersurg, MD
• Saturday June 15, 2002 8:00pm
  Carmen de Vicente's Requiebros Spanish Dance Group at the Gunston Theater 2700 South Lang Street in Arlington, VA
• Wednesday and Thursday June 19-20, 2002 8:00pm
  Noche Flamenca at Lisner Auditorium 730 21st St NW DC
• Friday June 21, 2002 8:00pm
  Calle 54 at the Jim Rouse Theater in Columbia, MD
• Friday-Sunday June 21-23, 2002
  Workshops with members of Noche Flamenca at the Oxford Academy
• Sunday June 23, 2002 7:30pm
  Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba at the Jim Rouse Theater in Columbia, MD
• Sundays June 30th & July 7th, 2002
  Sevillanas Workshop with Anna Menendez at the American Dance Institute 1570 East Jefferson St in Rockville, MD
• Monday July 15, 2002 2:30pm
  Flamenco Amazement (Lecture Demonstration for Children) at the Beltsville Library
• Sundays July 21st & 28th, 2002
  Castanet Workshop with Anna Menendez at the American Dance Institute 1570 East Jefferson St in Rockville, MD
• August/Sept 2002
  La Tati's workshop Exact dates and details coming soon!

So what I have learned? Lots of stuff--more than I can cover in one article. Today, I'll illustrate how to play for several generalized types of dance class teachers.

• Teach explainsitallus: Best for beginning accompanists. Why? This type of teacher tells you exactly what music she wants you to play and provides palmas. All you have to do is show up with your guitar and follow the dance teacher. Pay attention, however: you still have to know when to stop the music--usually she will say "last time" when the last compás is coming. Still, it's your responsibility as an accompanist to sense when the routine has come to an end.

  TIP: When the teacher explains the dance routine to the students, don't tune her out. Pay attention and listen and memorize the sequence.

• Teach youpickthemusicus: This is more challenging and therefore geared towards more experienced accompanists. This type of teacher will never tell you what to play nor will she tell you when to start. Sometimes, the teacher might be working on a technique or rhythm pattern where the guitar accompaniment functions only to beat out the time. After a few repetitions of the dance routine, you should be able to figure out what the rhythm is (12's as opposed to 8's etc). If you're absolutely positive what the rhythm is, start playing at full volume. Sometimes, you'll get the rhythm right, but you might be playing the wrong variation (e.g. marking vs escobilla). If you're not sure, play what you think the rhythm is at a low volume and see how the teacher reacts and change the music accordingly.

  TIP: as the teacher demonstrates the routine, listen to the melody that she is humming and also listen to how the melody relates to the palmas--these are good clues to what the rhythm could be.

• Teach mixofbothtypesus: This is probably the most common type of teacher.

Here are a couple of general tips to remember when working with any type of dance teacher:

1. Remember that this is a class for the dance student. While the class should be thankful to have live music, you also should earn that thanks by being able to play the basic rhythms well enough to keep the class going and not slow it down with your mistakes. It's OK to make mistakes, but you have to recover from them AND keep the compás. The dance student is paying her hard-earned money to learn something in this class, not to listen to the teacher tell you how to play.
2. Remain quiet when the teacher is giving verbal explanations. Too many times, I've seen beginning accompanists practice falsetas or rasgueados at full volume while the teacher is trying to explain complex techniques or rhythms. This is usually distracting to the student. Rest your hands and pay attention to what the teacher has to say: learn something about flamenco dance!
3. Situate yourself so that you don't block a student's view of the mirror. Unless the teacher asks you to sit in a specific area of the dance studio, do the students a favor and don't block their view of the mirror. Also, place your guitar case and other personal belongings in an area that doesn't get in a dance student's space.
4. Arrive to the class early. Arriving late can be disruptive to the class. Arriving early will give you time to setup your amplifier (if necessary), tune up and find a good spot to sit and possibly talk to the teacher beforehand. Some teachers will have a class routine where they prefer no music in the first half and will therefore ask you to come later during the class session.
5. Learn the pecularities of the teacher's style. The teacher is the focus but you and the teacher are working as a team. Adapt to their individual styles. For example, teachers vary in the way they give you the count-off. For soleá some might go: "Seven..eight...nine...ten...eleven...twelve" while others will count a whole compás and some will just say "Ready...AND!" and some, especially Spaniards, will just say "¡Y!"
6. You are indirectly giving the dance students musical ear-training. When the students practice the steps outside of class, they will be hearing in their head the music you played in that class. Give the dance students the best quality accompaniment you can give them. If you are working with another, hopefully more experienced, accompanist see my tips below in the article "It's OK to make mistakes."
7. Concentrate! Yeah, it can be mind-numbing to play the same things over and over again. Believe me, you are building a new skill here: concentration! But there will come a day when you will be asked to play for some of these dance students in a performance. There will be footwork sections that will seem to go on forever, and you can easily get mesmerized to the point where your mind will wander and you will lose track of the compás. Use this opportunity in dance class to work on your concentration.

I can go on and on, but again, these are enough tips to get you started. Good luck!

It's OK to make mistakes...

(Monday May 20, 2002) Yesterday, at Centro Español de Washington's Feria de Sevilla, yours truly had the pleasure of performing with many of my fellow guitarists (see photo). At one point in the afternoon, there were five of them onstage playing together at the same time! Pictured here are guitarists Michael Blalock, Henry Jova, Jesús Serrano (behind Henry), singer Cuquito and guitarist Richard Marlow. At the bottom of the photo is the headstock of the guitar of yours truly.

It was a bit of a challenge but this wasn't a formal concert where one might strive for perfection. Of course, we all want to do our best, but the emphasis yesterday was to enjoy ourselves.

So how do five guitarists work together with no rehearsal? Here are a few tips:

• Figure out which guitarist is "in charge." Usually this is the most experienced guitarist or the one who most frequently works with the dancers and singers that are onstage. When things musically go wrong, you should be able to quickly glance at the head guitarist and figure out what you should be doing.
• Tune your guitar. If possible, quickly double-check your tuning with the guitarists next to you.
• Listen carefully to the singer and keep your eyes and ears on the dancer (see photo below). Try to blend-in dynamics-wise and musically mesh with the guitarists next to you. If you're not sure what you're doing, keep playing but slightly back away from the microphone, play softer and quickly glance at the head guitarist and figure out what you should be doing
• Make sure your cejilla (capo) is at the correct fret and that you know what key you're supposed to be playing in.
• Sometimes, the head guitarist might play some complicated falsetas (e.g. silencio in alegrías) that he/she has worked out with the dancer and singer ahead of time. If you're not sure what to play, it's better to fade out your playing, let the head guitarist have some room to musically breathe. When the complicated falseta is finished, you can fade back in.
• Don't forget about dynamics (loudness and softness). Unless you have monitor speakers, there's a tendency for guitarists to play excessively loud. Five guitarists playing excessively loud sounds like mush. Not good. Listen to the head guitarist's dynamics. If he's seated too far for you to hear him/her, watch his strumming hand to get an idea of what level of dynamics you should be playing.

Playing with other flamenco guitarists in a performance is a challenge if you really want to create a beautiful inspiring musical backdrop for the singers and dancers, but it takes a serious effort to make it work. When everyone is "clicking" together, it can be a very satisfying experience. I highly recommend it!

The DC Feria is THIS Sunday!
(Tuesday May 14, 2002) It's the biggest local flamenco event for the DC community. The DC Feria is on Sunday May 19th from 12:30pm to 6:00pm at Fort Reno Park near the Tenleytown metro {see map). Admission is FREE!

While many people may go to enjoy the free performances by several of the local flamenco groups, I just want to alert you to other things worth checking out:

1. SPANISH FOOD! There will be several kiosks representing several regions of Spain with their most well-known dishes. The portions are usually small and you'll have to purchase tickets to get some food, but it's for a good cause. The DC Feria is organized by the Centro Español de Washington.

TIP: get to the Feria early and do a quick reconaissance of the kiosks to see what dishes are being prepared. Locate the kiosks that will be serving what you want and as soon as the food is ready, get in line quickly!

2. SHOPPING! Usually there are several vendors selling flamenco and Spanish-related products. TIP: bring sufficient cash because there are no ATM's nearby. Practice your bargaining skills.

3. PARTIES!
So what to do flamencos do for fun when they're not performing? Between shows, head to the casetas (tents) and see for yourself. There will be a dance floor and live music (or a boombox). TIP: don't be afraid to get up on the dance floor and join in.

Additional tips:

• It's forecasted that we will have showers the day before--the ground may be muddy--so wear shoes that you can throw out. (Soheila la Persa)
• Fort Reno Park is in a residential area so parking will be a pain in the butt. Allow extra time or better yet, take the metro.
• CULTURAL AWARENESS Anytime you have the urge to go and experience a new cultural event, it is important that you keep one thing in mind: try to step outside of the box and learn new things.

  Obviously this is your goal if you are attending a cultural event, but there seems to be a trend which I most certainly would recommend against. DON'T JUST WATCH! Gather the most you can from everything you do and don't be afraid to ask questions. Some things, and I say this from personal experience, are quite confusing in foreign cultures. The Flamenco community, like many other heritage-rich communities, is most commonly very welcoming and willing to guide the new learner in their discovery.

  So, take it from me, the questions can only add to your experience...it's okay to be curious! (Anonymous Anthropologist)

• If you have another tip to add, just email me

1. Arte Flamenco will perform at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage at 6:00pm sharp. This will feature the Arte Flamenco company, local guest artists as well as special guest singer Cuquito.

   TIP: get there at least an hour early to ensure you will get the best available seats--admission is FREE and seating is first-come first-served.

   There is a free shuttle at the Foggy Bottom metro which leaves for the Kennedy Center every 15 minutes or so.

   The show ends at 7:00pm sharp which gives you plenty of time to head to the next event...

2. Pre-Feria party at the Taberna del Alabardero restaurant at 8:00pm sharp. Taberna is located at 1776 I St NW DC near the Farragut West metro.

   It's not mandatory that you wear formal attire, but this is a fancy (and expensive) place, so please dress appropriately.

   TIP: you absolutely must bring cash, preferably ones, fives and tens. If a lot of people come, paying the tab at the end of the evening will be a serious headache when everyone has $20 bills.

The downside is that I can't easily take time off to go to concerts on the same nights as my tablao shows.

An ideal situation for me would be to have a number of competent available flamenco guitarists that I can call when I want to take time off. And I know there are a number of DC area flamenco guitar students who are dying to get started playing for dancers. Keep working at it! Someday soon I hope to be able to depend on you!

Anyway, last night there was a lecture performance at the Smithsonian's Baird Auditorium that I so much wanted to attend. But the best I could do was sneak in during the tech rehearsal. Here are the photos. Enjoy!

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should...
(Wednesday April 17, 2002) I'll admit that, without hesitation, I've burned copies of flamenco CD's for my friends.

But last Saturday, guest flamenco singer El Cuquito asked me to sell his tapes at the intermission of the Arte Flamenco concert. I sold ten tapes and gave Cuquito the cash. It wasn't much, but he was still pleased to have made some extra money for the night. Actually seeing the money go from the purchaser to the artist made me realize that sales of these tapes is really a part of his living.

Pictured on the right is El Cuquito with Salvadora Galan.

Just because I can easily copy CD's (or tapes) for my friends, doesn't mean I should. Sure, making free copies for one's friends does help increase the popularity of an artist, but every copy means one less paying customer for the artist.

In Cuquito's case, I could've just bought one tape and made multiple copies for my friends. But that wouldn't be fair.

It's something to think about the next time you make a copy of a CD (or tape) for your friends.

[Editor's note: Cuquito will be performing tonight April 17th at Toro Tapas at Shirlington Village (south Arlington, VA). Call (703)379-0502. Support this artist by buying one of his tapes.]

Post your comments about this topic on the message board.

The cante comes first!
(Tuesday April 9, 2002) "The dancer comes first," I explained to a guitarist friend of mine. "All those cool falsetas you learned don't mean squat if it doesn't somehow complement the dance."

"No, first comes cante, then the dancer and finally the guitarist," interjected one of the dancers.

"I know that, but here in DC where most of the shows have no cante, it's a different mindset," I replied, "you have to deal with the fact that there is no singer and learn to get inspiration from the guitarist's music instead."

When I perform, I don't pretend to replace the singer but I still pour my heart into my music whenever I play for a dancer, so I get put off when dancers dismiss my music by saying things like, "That's really beautiful Miguelito, but I really need the cante to be inspired."

Years ago, New York-based singer La Conja came to one of my shows here in DC and afterwards asked me, "How do you do it without the cante?"

I didn't know what to say. I just took it for granted that flamenco can be done without cante since I've been doing it for years. But every now and then when we do have a singer, I realize what she's talking about. I really can't put it into words. You have to experience it for yourself.

And, it just so happens that this Saturday April 13th, Arte Flamenco's Spring Concert will feature two very special guest flamenco singers from Spain:

• Salvadora Velasco, from Utrera, Spain. Salvadora has performed in the U.S. with Romería Flamenca
• Cuquito de Barbate, from Barbate, Spain, (via Madrid). Some of you may have seen Cuquito before, as he has performed a number of times at the Taberna del Alaberdero.

You owe it to yourself to experience flamenco with cante, the way it was really meant to be experienced. Attendance is mandatory! I will be taking attendance! :)

Many thanks to La Tati, Joaquín of Amor de Dios in Madrid, and Edwin Aparicio for engaging singers for us on short notice.

Also to be featured in this concert are local guitarists Jesús Serrano, Henry Jova and Richard Marlow; local dancers Anna Menendez, Edwin Aparicio and Sara Jerez and the Arte Flamenco Dance Company directed by Natalia Monteleón.

Cuquito will be in DC for six weeks; he will also be peforming at the Smithsonian on May 1st, with Arte Flamenco at the Kennedy Center on May 18th, and with Arte Flamenco on May 19th. Details in the calendar.

Unfortunately, the originally scheduled singers Silverio Heredia and Keka were not able to make it to the U.S. due to illness and last minute doctor's instructions. We wish them speedy recovery.

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