Hola de Granda!

[amoroccan]

Hola de Granda!

Lo siento, my Spanish is not that good (even after 4 days in Barcelona), so if you excuse me I will write in English instead of Spanish. I cannot write in Hebrew either since there is no Hebrew support in the computers here in this Internet Cafe in Granada. So... so far I am excited and thrilled.

I saw two flamenco shows in Barcelona: The first in a tablao called "Cordobes" (in La Ramblas), the second in a tablao called "El Tablao de Carmen" in Poble Español. The second felt more authentic the first, although both were very polished and very impressive in terms of virtuosity. The second advertised itself as "flamenco puro", but they also tried on me the so called "Shitat Matzliah"... Anyway I am here in Granada now, staying for 3 days in a beautiful apartment in Albaicin and looking forward to experience an even more authentic flamenco show. Very close to us there is "La Escuela de Carmen de Las Cuevas" and while this name sounds awfully familiar, I am not sure whether this is one of the more "touristic" types of flamenco places or one of the "better ones". So, my first question to you dear friends is: What is, in your opinion, a good place to experience flamenco in Granada? Now... everywhere I go in the Albaicin neighborhood I see "*** de Carmen"! Is this the same Carmen owning everything? If so, she must be very rich! he he he.. Who is this Carmen anyway? Can someone here solve the mystery for me? Also some breaking fresh news from Granada: I tried to find the store where the Valeriano Bernal guitars are sold, but it is closed! I could not understand from the reception clerk in the nearby hostal whether he moved to another location or simply went out of business. He did manage to give me the store owner´s name and phone number, so if anyone is interested, I am more than willing to share it with you. I will try my luck in Sevilla in a few days. By the way, the prices for the flamenco CDs here in Corte Ingles are ridiculously low. I bought 3 CDs of Paco de Lucia for €14 only. The latest CD of Vicente Amigo cost me €17 though. Hasta Luego!​

 

[amoroccan]

Granda = Granada

 

[amoroccan]

One more question

What is the best place (in Sevilla or Granada) to purchase DVDs of Carlos Saura? I tried at Corte Ingles, but they do not have any. Muchisimas Gracias!​

 

[paco chico]

hola

אמרוקאי שלחתי לך הודעה פרטית עם הרבה פרטים בקשר לחנויות אני לא זוכר את שם הרחוב אבל יש במרחק של 15 דקות מהפסל של קולון חנות דיסקים dvd ועוד תשאל שם אנשים. בהצלחה

 

[Zidan de Toledo]

הולה אמיגו../images/Emo45.gif

טוב לשמוע ממך, ולדעת שהולך טוב בארץ הקודש.. אל תשכח לבקר במערות הצוענים בסקרמונטה שם בגרנדה. לגבי, הכרמן, היא אחת מהאנשים האלה שמוזכרים בכל מקום וכל פינה, ואפילו שזכו ליום חופש -פייסטה, כי היא היתה קדושה. במיוחד בחגים הדתיים היא מוזכרת הרבה. לגבי חנות טובה וזולה גם של דיסקים וגם של DVD, תלך ל SEVILLA ROCK, בסביליה , נמצאת ב PLAZALA DUQUE (מול הקורטה אינגלז). תמשיך לעדכן ולהינות!

 

[amoroccan]

OMG../images/Emo70.gif

First of all, thank you so much everybody for your advice. I just came back from an unforgetable evening (it is 1:00 in the morning now) wandering around Sacromonte and experiencing a show at one of the many cuevas. But before I go on with some comparisons between the shows I saw in Barcelona and this one, let me ask you one question: Are you sure that this forum doesn't have a representative in Granada? The reason I am asking is that in the cueva where I saw this flamenco show ("Los taraNtos"), one of the dancers looked so Israeli... I wouldn't have made of it much of a deal, hadn't she wore a Magen-David pendant during her performance. Unfortunately, the setting was such that I did not get a chance to ask her directly about the circumstances of this Magen-David pendant. So, I am asking you instead:

Now the interesting part that I think I noticed: The flamenco show tonight here at Sacromonte was much closer to what I have known and learned. It was different from the ones I saw in Barcelona - and I loved it! It was simpler yet felt much stronger. The ones I saw in Barcelona were very virtuosic, very professional, very high level, very polished. Yet I liked more the one here in Sacromonte. I finally got to hear a Seguirilla here in Spain... Everything feels so authentic.

This was a wonderful end to a day spent mostly in the Alhambra.

. Since I was so eager to find a good place to experience flamenco (I knew nothing 24 hours ago), I actually started the day by wandering around Sacromonte, hoping to find someone who can lead me to a good cueva. And I found this wondeful gypsy woman who recommended "Los taraNtos", where the "Israeli girl" was dancing (again, I could be completely wrong - maybe she is not Israeli at all). After the show, I continued walking through the Sacromonte cueavs area and realized what you said: every flamenco cueva/bar is a good such! I also happened to meet a Moroccan guy who happened to have originally come from the same city in which I was born... It was an exciting encounter, at the end of which he recommended a bar by the name of BULERIA (same main street of these flamenco cuevas) in which the owner and friends gather and play flamenco till 3 in the morning... Tomorrow is my last night in Granada, so I'll see what I can accomplish. Thank you again everyone.​

 

[amoroccan]

I forgot to mention

I forgot to mention that I got very lucky in the choice of were to stay in Granada: I actually stay in an apartment in Albaicin, 100 meters only from the Sacromonte street where all the action happens. What could be better?

Also, yesterday when I was still sniffing around and knew nothing about Granada, I was sitting in a bar were I met this very nice guy and told him about my passion about flamenco and my interest in flamenco jondo and not just the touristic type. He immediately spotted that I am serious about this stuff and recommended a place called UPSETER. It is not in the cuevas though, but since paco chico recommended this place too, I guess I will have to make here some hard choices (tomorrow is my last night here before heading to Cordoba, then Sevilla). All the best!​

 

[La Vela]

SEVILLA ROCK CENTER

נסגרה

 

[Zidan de Toledo]

que pena ../images/Emo10.gif

 

[amoroccan]

../images/Emo45.gifmission accomplished../images/Emo9.gif

Yes! I made it to the #1 on the recommended list: UPSETTER

Needless to say, I enjoyed the show and the intimate setting very much. I sat very close to the artists and the audience seemed much more intelligent (in terms of understanding flamenco) than the audience in the Los taraNtos Zambra yesterday. One little surprise was the ridiculously low price: only 6 euros per ticket. Yesterday we paid 20 euros per ticket and in Barcelona the ticket prices were even higher: 30 euros. I guess that part of the reason is the number of peformers? Yesterday there were 8 artists, while today only 3 of them. And now the interesting part: I easily recognized 2 of the 3 today in UPSETTER (which is in Placa Nueva) because... they were part of the group that performed yesterday in Los taraNtos (in Sacromonte). Isn't that an interesting coincedence? And as if this were not enough, the bailora was no other than "the Israeli girl" about who I reported yesterday.

Are you curious to know her name? Well, here is the name of the artists that performed in UPSETTER today:

Raul Sakay - Cante

Manuel Fernandez - Guitarra

Violeta Ruiz - Baile So now you know - she is not Israeli.

Hasta Luego!

 

[Zidan de Toledo]

../images/Emo51.gif לכתבנו באנדלוסיה..

שמחים בשמחתך ובחוודת הפלמנקו שמציפה אותך. אגב, לפעמים אמנים (גם ישראלים) נוטים להחליף את שמם לNOMBRE DE ARTISTA, כלומר 'שם במה', לכן אל תמהר לפסול אולי אותה ויולטה היא בעצם משהו אחר.. אגב שני, דיברת קודם על הקשר בין ערבית לספרדית - תמשיך לחקור והוא יפתיע אותך כל הזמן, בהרבה מאוצר המילים הספרדי. שיפ לב שכל כפר שמתחיל ב-AL, הוא בעצם ממקור ערבי בשמו (אל הידיעה), כמו גם מילים כמו AZAITUNAS (זייתון בערבית) והדובדבן - OJALA = אינשאללה.. תמשיך להינות וכמובן - לעדכן.

 

[Jose de Jerusalem]

Have fun

I heared 3 opinions of Cramen de la and all were good. Nevertheless there is no such thing in Andalucia ""touristic" types of flamenco places or one of the "better ones"" since the locals learn the legacy in the family. Thus, places such as La fundasion or Carmen are mostly for forieners and yet they are excelent. Big Places where also spanish learn flamenco are in Madrid. in Andalucia you can fined smaller places, I can ask for you. This is what I heard of learning in Spain.

 

[bailaora]

QUE BONITA ES GRANADA

hola!!! carmen באמת היתה קדושה,אבל כל פעם שאתה רואה שם CARMEN DE,,,, זה בא לסמן בית גדול,וילה. carmen de las cuevas זה בעצם כמו להגיד הוילה של המערות. תנסה ללכת ל CHUMBERA בסקרמונטה בכל יום שבת יש הופעת פלמנקו שונה,פעם זה היה בחינם היום אני לא יודעת.... תנסה כם לראות בתיאטרון ISABEL LA CATOLICA גם לשם מגיעים הטובים... לצערי כל הטבלאוס די גועל נפש,בלי השקעה או טיפת אוטנטיות,זה מיועד לאנשים שבאמת לא מבינים כלום בפלמנקו,אבל לטעמי ועוד אחרים זה סתם יקר ומיותר. ד"ש לגרנדה זה כנראה אחד המקומות הכי קסומים שיש בתבל....

 

[amoroccan]

../images/Emo45.gif tienes razon

I have a feeling that when I leave Spain in a week, I will leave with the impression that Granada is the most beautiful place in Spain. I may be wrong since I haven't seen Cordoba and Sevilla yet, but I can say with utmost certainty that I like Granada much more than Barcelona. The main thing(s) to see in Barcelona is Gaudi... Now the big scoop: I discovered who is Carmen. To be more exact, I discovered *what* is carmen. I took the guided walking this morning and the guide explained that Carmen is a style of building which is a house surrounded by a garden enclosed within walls. So bailora: you are right! Now here is some more interesting information: The word Carmen came from the Arabic word "Carm" (Kerem in Hebrew) which means a vinyard. Isn't that interesting? BTW, I also discovered here while visiting the Alhambra that it is written الحمراء in Arabic, which literally means "The Red". So many words in Spanish coming from Arabic. Wow! Someone in this forum mentioned a while ago that there is an entire street in Granada of guitar builders (luthiers). I am not sure whether this is what s/he meant, but on the street leading to the Alhambra has at least 4 luthier stores: The street's name is "Cuesta de Gomerez" Now some more good news: After much searching and researching I finally found where the UPSETTER flamenco club is. Apparently, very few in Granada know where it is. Seems to be exclusive for only those who truly understand flamenco (I personally cannot claim that I know enough about flamenco, although I learn something new every day

). It is now only 20:00 and the "action" starts there only at 23:30. We'll see how this goes. How I discovered where it is located is another exciting story (meeting and befriending people that I would have never imagined that I would do). It is actually good material for the other Tapuz forum I am participating in.

As for "Pena La Plateria", it is a much more known place and the walking tour guide was able to tell me that it is active only on Friday nights. So, it seems that I missed that place for this trip. It seems that I want to do the impossible: To attend flamenco places not intended for tourists, but... I *am* a tourist.

I came for only 3 days and I cannot seriously expect to do and discover things that take weeks and even months. Oh well. I guess I will have to make another, much longer, trip - when I retire.