Tangos.
Tangos del Titi
Popular
Mi mare me lo advirtió
que a ningún forasterito
le diera conversación
My mother warned me
not to strike up a conversation
with a stranger
You can hear Argentina sing this letra in the video below
Bulerías doesn’t exist anywhere as it does in Jerez.
It’s just its own thing there
And that's that.
That's why they call it Bulerías de Jerez.
I'm not saying you have to be in Jerez to do bulerías or anything like that.
Not at all.
You can find and do bulerías all over the place.
Nor am I saying you have to be from Jerez to do awesome bulerías.
Not at all.
(Many of you know how Ricardo first got me with his bulerías back in 2006. )
But, anyway, bulerías de Jerez, in Jerez
In Jerez you hear bulerías all over the place.
Keep Reading
I saw this video the other day on Facebook with Argentina (so beautifully) singing this coletilla,
Todo es de color...
Accompanied by Farruquito, sitting at a dining room table. (You can hear it at about 3 minutes.)
And so, today's letra
It's actually an entire song, and it's kind of long, and you definitely don't want to miss the video of Lole and Manuel performing it live which you'll find (along with the translation) as you scroll down in the post...
Todo es de Color
J.M. Flores*
Todo es de color
Todo el mundo cuenta sus penas
pidiendo la comprensión,
quien cuenta sus alegrías
no comprende al que sufrió
I told you that today I'd post a video of Manuel Molina singing...
Along with another letra:
Que Nadie Vaya a Llorar
Que nadie vaya a llorar el día que yo me muera
es más hermoso cantar aunque se cante con pena
que nadie vaya llevar ni flores ni ropa negra
no me vayáis a enterrar para pudrirme bajo tierra
es más hermoso cantar mientras mi carne se quema
y luego me ofrecéis al mar o al aire o sobre la arena o en un jardin,
me da igual
pero cuando yo muera que nadie vaya a llorar
Nobody cry the day that I die
It's more beautiful to sing even if one sings with sorrow
Nobody bring flowers or wear black clothes
Don't bury me just to rot underground
It's more beautiful to sing while my flesh burns
And then offer me to the sea, or to the air, or over the sand, or in a garden,
It doesn't matter to me,
But when I die, nobody cry
You can watch another version here, one that will be part of the upcoming Flamenco Sin Fronteras documentary.
Oh, and you might want to check this out as well.
At his funeral, people sang as he requested, and his daughter, Alba Molina wore white.
You might also enjoy these...
Manuel Molina passed away on Tuesday. Que descanse en paz.
May he rest in peace.
Here is something to remember him with today. An incredibly beautiful video of Lole y Manuel performing Dime.
Keep Reading
I want to tell you about some things that help me to feel better when I'm in a funky place. I also want to show you a very cool video and share a flamenco verse with you. But first, some words I wrote last week
(my first week back home post Flamenco Tour)
Coming home I feel overwhelmed.
This is not new.
It is how I usually feel after a trip to Spain. Excited to be back but overwhelmed and sort of confused at the same time.
Keep Reading
I want to tell you about green bananas. Because knowing about green bananas will help you when it's time to dance bulerías. (In Jerez or anywhere really).
And so, a short story from Jerez
Tú vas a comer un plátano verde?
This is what Ani asked Ana.
Ani is Ana María López, the bulerías teacher.
Ana is a student from Russia.
Un plátano verde is a green banana.
You don’t eat a green banana
Keep Reading
Tell me I'm not alone
Dime que no estoy sola
When I have to stop what I'm doing and close my eyes. Cerrar mis ojos y pararme.
Because I hear something too beautiful not to. Not to stop. To listen, to take it in, to feel. And to let myself cry.
Close my eyes and stop
to
just
listen.
And then do it again.
Tell me you know what I mean
Keep Reading
I am sitting on my bed looking up at the Alhambra. (No, I am not joking.) It is almost 1am, and I am in Granada. I was doing almost this exact same thing at almost this exact same time last night.
In a moment I'll get to this week's letra along with a great raw video of Junco singing and playing guitar for the camera…
Keep Reading
David Lagos sang the following letra at our private show here in Jerez the other night.
Naturally, I cried, and I wasn't alone…
Keep Reading
On Friday I went to the Peña la Bulería. As you may recall, it is literally steps away from our apartments here in Jerez. I was feeling sleepy and my legs were not looking forward to standing on the hard marble floor after having spent a good deal of time in flamenco shoes and walking on hard streets that day, but once there I was glad I went. As usual.
A young singer named Enrique Remache was performing.
I heard many fantastic letras, like like this one, and jaleos, and took great pleasure in witnessing the reactions of the público.
The reactions
Always one of my favorite aspects of seeing flamenco in Jerez. Men looking at each other and laughing with pleasure upon hearing a particular thing sung a particular way. I won't try to explain this. Just please visit Jerez sometime in your life, and see.
I also love seeing the mix of generations at the peña shows. Teenagers to people in their 70's voluntarily going to hear flamenco.
Keep Reading
Quite awhile ago I published this letra. It was fall not spring when I posted it, and at that time I was preparing to embark on the VERY FIRST FlamencoTour to Jerez. Now as I get ready for the sixth (yes sixth!) tour, I'm re-posting it…
Keep Reading
One of my favorite sites of the Andalucían countryside,
The olive trees
Below, a verse from a traditional Spanish song. Tío Gregorio El Borrico recorded it por alegrías...
Al olivo al olivo
al olivo subí
por cortar una ramita
del olivo caí
Keep Reading
Here’s another tientos letra that we did with Sol and a video of La Moneta dancing to it.
When Sol was here we studied cante por tientos. It was scary singing out loud in front of a bunch of people, even though we all knew each other... But it was great fun too.
Below is one of the letras we sang:
Tientos
Popular
Cuando me meto en mi cama
hablo con mi Dios y le digo
que me parece mentira
lo que tu has hecho conmigo
When I go to bed
I speak with God and I tell him
that it seems a lie
what you've done to me
Keep Reading
Last week we were remembering Paco de Lucía.
Today let's remember Camarón with this video and this song
Keep Reading
Today a song that Paco de Lucía composed for his mother from the album of the same name which he dedicated to her, Luzía.
Las cuerdas de mi guitarra
están llorando…
Keep Reading
Today marks the one year anniversary of Paco de Lucía's passing. I reposted some words I wrote last year after it happened along with a favorite video (with you-know-who playing palmas) on the experience flamenco site.
Below, let's revisit one of his most popular pieces,
The classic Entre dos Aguas:
Keep Reading
Today on the one-year anniversary of Paco de Lucía's passing, in honor of him, I share with you some words I wrote last year upon learning of his death.
Paco se Fue...that's what the message said
It was 1:06 am.
I was in bed.
1:06 am last night,
And I received a text from Toshi.
“Paco se fue,”
That is what it said.
Oh my God,
Paco de Lucía passed away.