How to dance flamenco, flamenco travel in Spain, flamenco dance students and their experiences, interviews with flamenco artists, translations of flamenco letras (songs) from Spanish to English
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Letras
I am in Sevilla where the bells of the catederál keep ringing and the birds keep singing. That was not meant to rhyme, it just did. In Jerez there were lots of birds but not so many bells. And speaking of Jerez, last Saturday we went to hear José Carpio, "El Mijita," sing at a new little bar called Zoniquete. I mean it when I say that the place was small.
Estamos bailando por tangos con Mercedes así que hoy unas letra por tangos para acompañar parte de nuestro baile... Sorry, that means, that we're dancing tangos with Mercedes here in Jerez so below are a couple of letras that we're using to accompany our dance.
Ponte guapa Mariquilla
te voy a llevar esta tarde
a la fería de Sevilla
Te roneas porque vales
Tú eres la piedra más chica
de la acera de mi calle
Last night Mercedes danced in a way that was basically unbelievable. To be expected, as it’s her usual way. We already know that she eats, sleeps, and drinks flamenco.
But last night was even more unbelievable than normal.
So today we begin with a new round of interviews with Mercedes Ruíz. In today's interview, Mercedes talks about the longest amount of time she's gone without dancing, how she interprets a letra, and shares who some of her favorite flamenco of today dancers are.
oday in bulerías at Los Cernícalos I heard Junquerita sing this letra, along with this one, and a bunch of others. Because he sings and sings and sings and sings as people dance and dance and dance and dance. It is great.
Then Ani wanted to teach everyone some new moves. She talked about how changing your bulerías moves is kind of like changing your clothes. You might put on a different shirt one day but wear the same skirt from the previous day. Or perhaps you'll change both. It just depends.
The point is you choose.
An estribillo por bulerías sung by Camarón with a video.
La vida la vida la vida es
es un pasatiempo la vida es
Life, life, life is
It's a pastime life is
As we often do, we danced fandangos with Ricardo when he was in town. And so, a fandangos verse for today. This comes from Argentina's Un Viaje por el Cante. You can hear her talking about it here.
Fandangos del Alosno
from Estación Jabugo-Galaroza Popular/Adapt. Argentina "Juan Rebollo"
En esta noche me paro
y espero que el alba venga
y a mi alma la preparo
porque tú eres mi condena
con esos ojillos claros
The estribillo to Agua Fresca by Luis de Córdoba. Lamiae sang it last Tuesday...
Si quieres agua fresca, Niña
ven a mi pozo, Niña, ven a mi pozo…
Today a folkloric song. Ricardo gave me this one.
Panaderas
Popular
Para empezar a cantar
tengo que pedir licencia
que si no me llamarán
cantaora sin vergüenza
A letra for today ~
La guitarra que no suena
es lo mismo que la mar
que nunca besa la arena
Today a whole song and a video of La Paquera singing it.
Maldigo Tus Ojos Verdes
Antonio Gallardo, Nicolás Sánchez Ortega
En la soledad de mis noches sin luna
busco los luceros de tus ojos verdes
y como una loca repito tu nombre
porque tengo miedo de tanto quererte
Tengo que buscar la vida
con la cruz de tu traición
soy esa rama caída
que a nadie da compasión.
This song has been running through my head since Wednesday. A couple of years had passed since I'd listened to it. I don't know why.
It's Potito's De Puntillas with Estrella Morente, Josemi Carmona & Juan Habichuela. Listen here.
Here's the estribillo
De Puntillas
(estribillo)
Es oficial. Spring has sprung! And so today an estribillo from the song Primavera from José Mercé's Del Amanacer. One of the very first flamenco albums I ever purchased... the very very first one was Manolo Sanlúcar's Tauromagia...
But anyway, in honor of springtime,
I can't stop thinking about doing bulerías in Jerez. And with that on my mind, here's a letra for today.
Bulerias
Como revienta un cañón
a fuerza de tantos golpes
así voy a reventar yo
Popular
I wrote and posted this story about two years ago. I was so inspired by Akiko that I wanted to repost it today, with a few adjustments. Today when I am feeling overwhelmed and stressed out about all kinds of things.
Today when I am feeling shut down and scared to perform this weekend, as I so often get.
Today when I need grounding and inspiration.
Allow me to tell you a bit about Akiko, one of the many inspiring people I've met during my time here in Jerez.
Not too long ago Akiko began taking classes in Japan from Harumi, an incredibly graceful flamenco dancer from Osaka who básicamente seems to have mastered las bulerías de Jerez. She even co-teaches with Ana María López at la Peña los Cernícalos when she is in town.
But back to Akiko.
A letra and a video of Miguel Poveda and Moraíto Chico and family.
¿No te acuerdas cuando entonces
venías en busca mía?
y ahora tú no me conoces
It was Mercedes who introduced me to El Londro, (musically that is). Below find a mariana from El Londro's Luna de Enero album along with a video of Mercedes Ruíz dancing in the streets of Jerez.
Yo vengo de Hungria
con mi Mariana…
Pay no attention to what people say
They are jealous, for I love freely
because my love is like a wild bird …
Ven a borrrame los fracasos de mi mente ven a llenarme de caricias diferentes ven a sacarme de este pozo de amargura donde me encuentro yo...
Today a video of Vicente Amigo and Diego el Cigala along with a letra and a discussion. Enjoy!
La Tarde es Caramelo
Vicente Amigo
Cerca del río hay un sendero
donde la tarde es caramelo
cerca del río yo me pierdo
me encontraré cuando me encuentre con tus besos.
Here's a bulerías for you...
Yo tenía una prima hermana
que por irse con el novio
se tiró por la ventana.
I had a first cousin
who in following her boyfriend
jumped out of the window.
