When I was in Spain for the first time, I attended several performances that had the same two local professional palmeros. These two men did ONLY hand clapping; they didn’t sing, dance or play an instrument. One of them was quite a character, taking his own bow at the...
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m hopelessly in love with Arabic music and the Moorish influence in flamenco. You can only imagine my delight to learn that the Moors had a very important role in the history of the world, and that their influence has affected...
One of my good friends maintains that a musician’s relationship to their art is very much like any other relationship; it takes time, care and attention, it has its own dynamic and needs nourishment. I agree! Like any other encounter with a friend or lover, every time...
I will always remember my first weekend in Seville, Spain, back in 2006. A friend wanted to show me around, so she took me to a little concert at the Peña de Pies Plomo, or the ‘Pummelled Feet Peña.’ Peñas are small performance venues seen in many of the...
Racism has been a big topic in the news lately, as always. The gypsies are arguably one of the most marginalized groups around, and I’m reminded of my time studying in Seville with Señior Paco Fernandez. In Spain, study is often accompanied by a rich sharing...
4. In our reserved Canadian culture, it seems to be less socially acceptable to express our passion openly. Do you think flamenco gives people permission to express passion in a way that we normally wouldn’t feel comfortable? It’s more than that. Art in general gives...
