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Miguelito's Photo DiaryJanuary 7, 2005 - January 27, 2005
Andalucia January 27, 2005 The Andalucia Restaurant, I admit, is hard-to-find and far from downtown DC. So I'm always grateful when my friends come out to see the show on Thursday nights. Last night was good. Thanks to a great review in last week's Montgomery Gazette, the place was packed! 
January 27, 2005 9:35pm(photo by Monica) Although, she's been listed in teacher directory for quite some time now, this was the first time that I met Gloria Monge (pictured above). She came all the way from Reston, Virginia! Thanks for coming to the show Gloria. Needless to say, we got her to dance a little Sevillanas after the show. Cafe Citron January 24, 2005 Monday is my favorite flamenco night. It's so much fun to have a singer--unfortunately, none of the other DC tablao shows have cante. As fun as it is, business still slows down in the winter months (not just here, but at all the local tablaos). But this particular night wasn't too bad: eventually all the seats at the bar were filled. Let's face it. Cafe Citron is mainly a bar and when people have a few drinks they are usually easy to entertain. But on slow nights when the crowd isn't so inebriated, we still get a very enthusiastic response. I'll take that as a compliment. We put on a good show. 
January 24, 2005 7:23pm Lately, I've been making an effort to meet the people in audience afterwards thanking them for coming and getting some feedback about the show. Turns out that quite a few of them come especially for the flamenco. 
Miguelito, Sara Jerez and Gerard Moreno. January 24, 2005 8:05pm (photo by Madiha) 
January 24, 2005 8:13pm (photo by Madiha) Most of the time, people hear about the show through my website. Others, read about it on other websites like DCNites.com or ClubZone.com. Some just hear about the show by word of mouth or just walk into the restaurant on a whim. 
January 24, 2005 8:22pm (photo by Madiha) Business-wise, having a good show is not enough. It takes time and good publicity for word to get around. This September 2005 will mark four years of performing at Cafe Citron--long enough to make our mark on the DC nightlife. 
Madiha Tariq (right) and Rajeev. January 24, 2005 8:35pm My thanks to Madiha for taking pics during the show. Singer Gerard Moreno and yours truly have been featured in the show from the beginning. We started with dancer Micaela Moreno then Marta Chico Martin. Later Sara Jerez and most recently Sara Candela has been dancing here regularly. Unfortunately for the DC flamenco community, Sara Candela will be relocating far from DC very soon. She and I have been performing in the local tablaos longer than anyone that's currently performing today--in fact, we did our first show together on New Year's Eve 1991. Can you believe how long it's been? We're all going to miss her. In the coming months, Sara Jerez will be performing more frequently at Cafe Citron but when she can't make it, we'll be featuring other familiar faces and perhaps even a few new ones. According to my New Year's poll, the number one answer to the question What would most convince you to come to local tablaos more often? is Change artists more frequently. Your wish just might come true! Cafe Citron is located at 1343 Connecticut Ave NW DC near the Dupont Circle South exit. Shows on Monday nights at 8pm and 9pm. Jam session at Studio Boulet January 16, 2005 It was inevitable. When one enters the Boulet Studio, where you can find musical instruments hanging on almost every single wall, a jam session will happen sooner or later. 
Miguelito and Ginette Perea improvising por bulerias. Violin in flamenco is not anything new. I remember that instrument being used in a show with guitarist Pedro Cortes as well as Joaquin Cortes' USA debut in New York eight years ago. January 16, 2005 2:30pm (photo by Lenore) 
January 16, 2005 Not visible but musically present: John Boulet on cajon. 2:36pm (photo by Lenore) 
Flamenco dancer Ginette jamming on the drums. It certainly helps you as a dancer, to be able to play a musical instrument. The same concept applies to flamenco guitarists. Ideally, we accompanists have to know something about how dancers feel the compá. For that reason, when I first started playing flamenco guitar in Los Angeles, California, I took flamenco dance classes and attended a few workshops. January 16, 2005 3:01pm (photo by Lenore) 
John and Lenore Boulet playing flamenco duets for piano and guitar. Did you know that they used to perform every week at the Bethesda branch of the Andalucia Restaurant? Sometime you should hear them play toques like tangos and bulerias! January 16, 2005 3:15pm (photo by Gina) Taberna del Alabardero January 13, 2005 The first time I came to this restaurant was to see Jaime Coronado and a young student dancer do a Sevillanas show about 13 years ago for a private party. They used to have flamenco shows here about twice a year. I even worked here for a few months doing rumba shows on Friday nights with guitarist Amilcar Cruz. But the last time I talked to the staff, it didn't sound like they're going to have entertainment again anytime soon. For a starving artist like me, Taberna del Alabardero (translation: weapon maker's tavern) is very very expensive. But they had a dinner special in honor of the new year: $30.05 per person for dinner ($20.05 for lunch). Plus I couldn't turn down an invitation from four beautiful women. :) 
This particular evening, I finished my gig at Andalucia in Rockville and rushed off to DC to meet up with several my new flamenco friends that I made this past year at my gigs at Cafe Citron and Andalucia Restaurant: from left, Jenifer (from Spain), Pilar (from Colombia), Dina (from Paraguay), Palma (from Mexico) and me, Miguelito (from the Phillipines). January 14, 2005 12:10am Cafe Citron January 10, 2005 My camera is still out of commission. When many of my flamenco friends showed up last night, I was so glad that my friend Cecilia had her digicam! Thanks Cecilia! It was an expecially good night having so many friends in the audience. Singer Jesus Montoya even came up onstage and sang a few letras por tangos. 
Micaela and Miguelito. January 10, 2005 Bonus points for Mica: she came all the way from Delaware (a two-hour drive) to get her flamenco fix! 
Micaela Moreno, Carlton Ashton and Cecilia. January 10, 2005 
Alicia, Miguelito and Ceci. January 10, 2005 My new friends from Monterey, Mexico. Alicia is also a flamenco dancer. 
Gerard Moreno and Jesus Montoya. January 10, 2005 Jesus was in DC for a brief performance at the Kennedy Center with Anna Menendez and Richard Marlow for the Mayor's Arts Awards ceremony. 
Jenifer Jaketic, Miguelito and Cecilia. January 10, 2005 
Cecilia, Jen and Nora Lopez. January 10, 2005 
Miguelito, Monica and Diana. January 10, 2005 
Jesus Montoya, Jose Oretea and Richard Marlow. January 10, 2005 
Rahim, Soheila Nassiri and Sara Candela. January 10, 2005 Guarapo January 7, 2005 This is my regular Thursday night hangout where I go to support my fellow working musicians and spend time with my music-loving friends. 
Clockwise from left: guitarist/singer Cesar Oretea, Madiha Tariq, Samiha, Miguelito, Jenifer Jaketic and Alma. January 7, 2005 around 1:00am (photo courtesy of Jenifer Jaketic)  Photos taken with the Olympus Stylus 300 Digital Camera Text and original images ©1996-2013 by . Please do not republish content from this website, including text and photos, in whole or part without prior written permission. |
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