Flamenco Louisville

I mentioned in a previous post the experience I had of hearing the host of a peña talk about the elements of flamenco: el cante, el baile y el toque . . . the singing, the dancing and the guitar playing, the essential trinity of flamenco. I'd like to take a few steps into the world of the flamenco guitar. I'm a flamenco guitarist, and while the challenges of learning and playing flamenco guitar (starting at age 40 . . . better late than never) have been profound, they have al

The first time I was lucky enough to go to a peña flamenca (most simply, a flamenco club or organization for the support, enjoyment and promotion of flamenco, but their history in Andalusia is incredibly important to the development and preservation of the art . . . that's a whole post for another time), I heard the host that evening talk about the elements of flamenco: el cante, el baile y el toque . . . the singing, the dancing and the guitar playing. This is the basic tri

Tangos is often a much easier flamenco palo for American beginning students get a grip on. To start with, tangos has a basic pattern of four beats, making it super-familiar for those of us who grew up with American pop & rock (and folk, country, etc.). Basic tangos (or tango) accents look something like this: (1) 2 3 4 where the 1 is silent or very subdued, and the accents are on the 2-3-4. The basic compás here is two groups of four, typically expressed a cuadrado (square,

Bulerías was my first real challenge in flamenco, both because I started with it, and also because it's a 12-count (starting on 12 . . .), which is often a very unusual beat pattern for people to wrap their heads around if they've never been exposed to it. Each basic compás is twelve beats, typically with five accents. Why "typically"? Well, like all flamenco palos, or forms, there is a variation for every family, neighborhood and town. The standard version is: 12 1 2 3 4

I've been involved with the practice of flamenco since about 2002, first as a complete novice, then as a percussionist, now as a guitarist (and dabbler in dancing sevillanas . . .). Flamenco, as an art form, and Flamenco Louisville, as a community, have become my path for discovery, growth, and belonging. And when I say path, imagine a meandering route through an amazing landscape, where opportunities abound . . . including the opportunity to get overwhelmed and lost. I've b