Latin Dub: 10 Sep 08

It was an EP launch party for a Latin band, held in Brick Lane for free entry as long as you booked in advance. I managed to put my and my husband’s names on the guest list. Although it would start at 7pm, we got there about 8pm. We were still allowed to enter, while some people weren’t due to the fact they hadn’t booked beforehand; the guest list was full.

The venue is famous in Brick Lane, open to various sorts of events and parties, with a proper bar serving nice pints. We could also enjoy some South-American nibbles while waiting for the party actually started – it hadn’t started yet at 8pm. I presume it actually kicked off about 9-ish, when my husband had already been bored. As the time passed, more people came in to make the place get jam-packed.

The main reason why I wanted to go to this party was there was supposed to be a flamenco live set as one of the supporting acts. I wasn’t sure what it would involve, and thought it could be just a DJ set with some flamenco-ish Latin music. But it turned out that it was a pair of professional flamenco dancer and guitarist. I recognised both of them, the dancer from other events and class, the guitarist from a London-based flamenco website.

The party started off with the flamenco show. As soon as the beginning of the party was announced, quite a few of the guests rushed to the front, pushing each other. I ended up standing behind a bunch of young girls, who were more interested in chatting than watching the flamenco showcase. I had to peep at the dancer through their hairy heads, trying not to be disturbed by their nonsense blabbing. I honestly wanted to kick their ar**s, but I decided not, because I didn’t want to ruin the show. Apart from the bitc**s, the people kept being noisy so that they didn’t quite appreciate the sounds of flamenco guitar or castanets. I felt sorry for the flamenco artists, but both of them did their best. I suppose they are used to such a situation in which not all the people pay attention to their performances. Besides, it was a late-night party after all.

As for the dancer, I hadn’t really liked her style but last night she was at her best I’ve seen so far. I was impressed with her professionalism. Maybe she could concentrate more than usual thanks to the horrendous audience.

After a couple of tunes, their turn was over, and another supporting act came onto the stage. The female singer was impressive, and the audience seemed to be more glued to the band than to the previous flamenco.

Noticing the dancer and guitarist were leaving the party, I popped out of the crowd to greet them. I was glad she recognised me. I told her I hadn’t expected to see her performing there, then she replied that she hadn’t either. So, I suppose it was a short notice. Both of them are very famous in the London flamenco scene, so it was just by luck both of them were available. On the other hand, I hoped other dancer or guitarist could be given such a chance… Anyway I thanked both of them, but wasn’t happy about the fact that nobody else seemed to appreciate their performances.

The main band finally appeared. We liked every act at the party, so hanged about a little bit longer. It was supposed to be on-going till very late, but before 10pm we decided we had seen enough. It could have been a lovelier evening if the people had respected all the performers there.

‘Ole’ by Opera UK: 3rd April 2008

Seems this blog is going against chronology… Never mind, I just keep remembering things at random.

I went to see this ‘Opera’ as I wanted to know what kind of thing a Zarzula is. It was a UK premiere of a Spanish-influenced music show, so they featured not only Spainish but also South American music.

Maybe because it was the first showing, or for some other reasons, the performers – dancers and musicians especially – didn’t really give a convincing performance. The Zarzuela (or Zarzuela-ish) show consisted of several scenes, featuring an opera singer as the main character and a couple of dancers. It was supposed to be a lyric-dramatic show like an operetta with a taste of good old Spain. Each scene featured different Hispanic music tunes or songs, including some flamenco repertoires (they didn’t sound like flamenco very much, though).

I suppose the opera singer from Puerto Rico was OK, or could have been better if her colleagues did better. But the dancers were disappointing. It was possibly because musicians had a difficulty learning flamenco rhythm… A male dancer didn’t really dance well. A female dancer failed to convince the audience, especially when she played castanets poorly. She kept doing simple pan, pan, pan, instead of combining pan, ta, ria, tin, etc. effectively. The least impressing thing was she kept producing sounds of uncontrolled ‘clink’: the sounds which were not made by controlled plays but made accidentally.

A brave choreography for a man and a woman fighting was interesting to watch, as it was like a wrestling rather than dancing. Overall, however, the dance performance was not really impressing. It was a pity, but this show could improve.

Taste of Spain (2) – Cuadro Pena de Camaron: 27th&28th May 2008

Taste of Spain Festival also offered a real live flamenco show brought over from Spain. I suppose they are normally working at a tablao or restaurant somewhere in Spain. I saw quite a few Spanish people, either tourists or residents in the UK, enjoying the performance.

The open-air stage was set in a restaurant square off Regent Street, where the show kept going on with some breaks between. There were 2 female dancers, a guitarist, a cajon player and a female singer who chose to wear a suit like a man. As female flamenco singers normally wear dresses like dancers, she looked quite outstanding. But it wasn’t only one outstanding feature of her. Her voice, compas, palmas, energy, passion! Her Rumbas and Bulerias were absolutely excellent. The audience continuously cheered for her more than for the dancers. Only to see and listen to her again, did I go back to the place next day.

Bailaoras were good as well, but I noticed that at least one of them reproduced the same choreography for Alegrias instead of improvising. Their style seemed to be from Madrid or Barcelona rather than Andalusia. I think most of flamenco dancers follow this urbanised style nowadays. Anyway I was impressed to see how nicely they danced flamenco, especially Sevillanas, which they performed with some different formations and choreographies.

For 27th, 2 old ladies from the audience joined dancing Sevillanas, by which the show was concluded. They could be Spanish themselves. It was as if they couldn’t stand being spectators anymore, and burst into a dancing spree. It was fun to watch them, but I hadn’t known that I was going to witness even more exciting thing on 28th.

When the group was performing Bulerias, a skinhead man suddenly appeared between the stage and the audience. He started off dancing to the tune, and it was so professional. I believe he is, but don’t even know if he is British or Spanish or other. The best thing, however, happened later. The show was going to finish off by Sevillanas, just like the previous day. The same guy, before the music started, gestured at one of the dancers on the stage, and she gestured back ‘OK’. Then, he went onto the stage and started dancing Sevillanas with her. I have never seen such a wonderful Sevillanas dance by a male dancer before. His dance was masculine but elegant, as if he was escorting her. It was a pity I couldn’t recognise him, but he must be professional somewhere in the UK or Spain.

Cuadro Pena de Camaron - thank you for the unforgettable evenings.

Taste of Spain (1) – Guinness World Record Breaking Attempt of Sevillanas: 25th May 2008

It was a Spanish Festival celebrated in Regent Street, mainly featuring dancing events as well as stimulating people to go on a shopping spree by discounts offers at many famous shops around the street. The Sevillanas World Record Breaking Attempt was one of the biggest attractions during the festival. The aim was to dance Sevillanas together with as many people as possible, although I couldn’t imagine there would be so many flamenco students or artists in the UK alone. I supposed quite a few people from Spain would be persuaded to come and join as well.

I heard about this event in my flamenco class and our teacher was going to register us as a group, but it turned out that we had to register individually in prior to the event. Each of us was supposed to dress up with a Sevillanas costume borrowed from our teacher. We brushed up the choreography in the class and got prepared.

On the previous day, however, our teacher declared she wouldn’t come because of the wet weather. In fact, it had been raining from the previous night through the morning. I wasn’t sure if I should still have a go, as my teacher wouldn’t be happy if I put on her dress without her being there, especially when the street was still wet. I didn’t own a proper Sevillanas dress myself, and I was told before that wearing a practice skirt at such a sort of fiesta wouldn’t be appropriate. But in the last minute I decided to go there anyway, at least to see how it would go. On the official website they didn’t mention they would cancel or postpone it because of the weather. It meant they would still put the thing on in the rain! I also thought they wouldn’t be able to cancel it since they had invited some artists from Spain. Yeah, OK, here I come – but I didn’t take any flamenco gear as I didn’t imagine I would dance without my classmates or friends there.

Well, actually, I should have brought something, even a practice skirt. I spotted some of my classmates there in either Sevillanas costumes or their practice gear. Just like me, they decided to come in spite of our teacher’s absence. It’s a festival! What a waste staying at home! One of them persuaded me to become her partner, so I made up my mind, went to the registration area and got a red wrist band indicating I was going to be one of those people who would attempt to break the world record – if such a thing has ever existed in flamenco.

The event started off with a demonstration by Spanish guests. They sang and danced Sevillanas repeatedly. Many tourists and passers-by stopped to see the lively show on the street, and some of them spontaneously joined in the performance with party sprits.

It was almost a miracle that the weather stayed alright, at least it didn’t rain during the event. We were divided by two groups according to the colour of our wrist bands, without which nobody was allowed to enter the performing area. After a few rehearsals it finally went off – I suppose we danced 6 or 7 courses of Sevillanas including the warm-up session. Stamping on the hard pavement killed my knees but it was such fun.

It was announced that we succeeded in breaking the record by 456(?) participants. I’m not sure how accurate the information is, or if it was really true that it was the new world record, but we didn’t care – it was a festival! All participants were given a free flamenco hat (cheap, though), free paper fan and specially designed T-shirt to remark our ‘achievement’.

Big Dance (2) – Flamenco Show of Isabel Baquero and Students: 11th July 2008

Another event I went to for Big Dance was a flamenco show held at Bishopsgate Institute, a cultural centre in Liverpool Street. The good-old-British building was impressing, its inside especially, with classical paintings, well-polished floor, chic wooden ornaments. What a huge difference from the shabby places I normally go to for my flamenco class and practice...

As it was a students’ end-of-the-term show, I shouldn’t complain about the quality and level of students. A good thing was that I could see how much they liked their teacher, Isabel, who was heavily pregnant and going to take a maternity leave. She didn’t dance very much herself, but her mother entertained us with her rhythmical castanets play. When Isabel joined in, we were all struck by the crisp and accurate sound of her castanets.

The show included a jota singing as well, for which Isabel’s husband gave an energetic performance by singing while playing the guitar. It was a pity that he didn’t accompany any of the dances. The music from CDs didn’t quite create a flamenco-like atmosphere. We saw Sevillanas 3 or 4 times in total, but they could have done different palos.
At the end of the show, the audience was asked to do clapping to Rumba rhythm like a short workshop. In the end, it was a heart-warming event, if not a real flamenco show.

Big Dance (1) - Kathak with Gauri Sharma Tripathi: 6th July 2008

London hosted a huge event called Big Dance from 5th to 13th July in order to feature dancers of various genres and inspire those who wanted to taste something exciting. Most of the showcases were free – Salsa, Ballroom Dancing, Argentine Tango, Jazz, Hip Hop, Flamenco… There were also dance workshops which would turn onlookers to participants.

I went to the Kathak workshop organised and taught by Gauri Sharma Tripathi, who is a resident artist of the Southbank Centre. I had tried a similar workshop when I was in Japan – I’m interested in this particular Indian classical dance as it is said to be a route of flamenco dancing.

We - some were sitting and watching, some were keen to try – were impressed by the teacher who was energetic, encouraging and maternal. I thought being a good teacher meant being a good public speaker as well as entertainer. She introduced us to the world of Kathak by a series of movements celebrating the nature: raindrops from the sky joining a river, water immersing into the motherly land, the earth growing trees, the branches swinging by winds… It was accompanied by indigenous music as well. We felt something spiritual. As a dance, it was difficult, though!

She also let us try stamping, which could be the origin of flamenco zapateado. The choreography became complicated and faster, but we all enjoyed the dazzling experience. The workshop was concluded by her students’ demonstration, in which an English-looking girl was the most impressing.

I went to the event because of my interest in flamenco, and I was even thinking to start taking a course. But after the workshop, which was more than enjoyable, I felt I shouldn’t enter this deep, spiritual and holy world of Kathak for such a shallow reason that I want to deepen my knowledge of flamenco. Kathak is like an innermost sanctum itself. If you want to learn it, you have to respect Kathak itself rather than making a use of it for any other form of art. I hope to have this kind of workshop again and again, though!

Tapas Fantasticas – Rioja Wine & Flamenco Show: 29 June 2008

I hadn’t heard of this event before but it seemed to be held annually around this time or year in Brick Lane. It was a perfect summer chill-out, being able to taste various kinds of authentic wines from Rioja region in Spain, to see some live Spanish bands and dance performances. In fact, the weather stayed quite hot, celebrating the Spanish atmosphere.

There was a long, long queue to enter the site, proving that it was such a popular and well-known event. I think it took us nearly 40 minutes until we finally got to the reception area. You can technically enter for free, but if you would like to taste some wine you have to buy a plastic wine glass for 2 pounds, then wine tasting itself is free. If you are also going to try some tapas or buy a bottle of wine, you have to obtain pre-paid tokens to be used instead of cash. As for us, we just got a wine glass for each and a small amount of token for tapas.

We really enjoyed the wine tasting, but our (or mine, to be precise) aim was to watch a flamenco show there. It was organised by one of the best known flamenco dance schools in London. Well, it was a little disappointment. Some of the dancers seemed beginners or not to remember the choreography well. Unfortunately I didn’t find anybody who looked good. One thing is certain, though – they really enjoyed the dancing and their class, which is great - if only they had looked themselves better in the mirror. They were not up to the level they could go on stage.

There was a show by children as well and they were so sweet. The audience including me was fascinated to see a little boy not following the others but doing it in his own style. It was smile-inducing to see older girls, while dancing, looking after small children who were wobbling and toddling.

For both adults and children, I thought the choreographies could be better. One of the choreographies was exactly the same for both parties, which was OK for the children as we do not expect them to show off any skilful movements. But for adults they could have done something better than such a childish dance.

After the show, the teacher offered a free workshop for flamenco tasters among the audience. The show was successful at least in the sense that quite a few people got interested in the art form and wanted to try it themselves,

In general, flamenco students in London only seem to be interested in having fun. They are not really into flamenco seriously. I can’t see any flamenco-like emotions such as pain, sadness, depression, anger, passion, joy from their attitudes or performances. Maybe joy, but not the flamenco kind; more like a party sprit. Perhaps it is fine in London, though. I sometimes miss Japan not only for my family but also for flamenco (I know Andalusia is the best place to learn flamenco, but unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to do it yet. Japan is a better place to see flamenco than London).

At the end of the event, we enjoyed a professional show performed by the teacher from the previous group and artists from other group. The female dancer impressed me the most – I believe she’s the best flamenco performer in London. She could not only sing and dance expressively but also entertain us by her energetic attitude and friendly talk. To be honest I didn’t really like a jazzy number sung in a male dancer in English and the last flamenco rap thing. Still, she made me feel much happier after seeing such a rubbish dance previously. Gracias!