On January 16 2009, Sólo Flamenco travelled to London to take part in the Peña Flamenca de Londres, a flamenco espectacular organised by and featuring Felipe de Algeciras. The concert took place in the Jackson’s Lane Theatre, which also houses the studio where Felipe spent the last 16 years teaching.

The concert was to be Felipe’s last show with his students before returning to his home in Algeciras. He organised the event to provide an opportunity for his students to showcase some of the pieces they learned from him over the years, and so we were particularly pleased when he also invited us to come and perform.

We were accompanied on the trip by guitarist Lucas González, who was an invaluable help to us in preparing for the show. During the performance, Lucas joined with the other musicians - Tito, Jasmine and Alex - to accompany not only Sólo Flamenco, but all of the dancers who performed on the night.

We arrived at the theatre mid-afternoon and ran through the choreographies a few times while waiting for Felipe to arrive. Eventually he came and immediately set about preparations for the show. One by one the other students began arriving, until eventually the stage was filled with dancers rehearsing their pieces and a cacophony of the competing rhythms of the different palos filled the auditorium. Things were really warming up now.

Finally, at 8pm the show began. Felipe and the musicians took to the stage and after a short introduction the first group of students opened the show with a Tanguillo. They were followed by Nathalie and Carina from Sólo Flamenco, performing a Soleá por Bulería. There were two more performances from the London students, and then Nathalie, Carina and Damian closed the first half of the show with an Alegría.

Throughout all of the performances, Felipe stayed on stage to provide palmas and jaleos. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to attend a workshop with Felipe will know the energy he carries and imparts to every member of the class. Being on stage with him is no different. Somehow he reached deep inside us, drawing out an energy that - after the early start on Friday morning and the many hours of travelling - none of us even suspected we had. The experience was further enriched by Jasmine’s singing, and the wonderful guitar of Tito Heredia, Alex and Lucas.

With our own performances behind us we were able to sit back and relax and enjoy the second part of the show. It was amazing and inspiring to see pieces that we are only now beginning to learn being performed in such an accomplished manner by some of Felipe’s more advanced students.

Towards the end of the show, Felipe led his students in the performance of two pieces. The first was a Martinete, an old palo originating amongst miners who would keep the rhythm by beating an anvil. In Felipe’s interpretation, the anvil was replaced by a bastón. The piece started simply enough with the accents of the palo marked by the tapping of the bastón on the stage and slowly developed in complexity as Felipe and his students added layer after layer of varying contratiempo patterns, until finally it reached a mesmerising crescendo of rhythms and counter rhythms. This was of particular interest to us as it is a piece we have just started studying with Felipe.

The second piece was a beautiful Alegría, featuring a wonderfully energetic solo by Felipe himself. The evening closed with an impromptu set of Sevillanas, for which Felipe invited both the dancers and members of the audience up on stage.

All in all it was a wonderful evening, and a truly inspiring and memorable experience that will stay with us for a long time.

For pictures from the evening, check out our galleries page.

¿Y qué más? Pues que te queremos Felipe y que no te vamos a echar de menos porque vas a volver a Dublín cada mes. Sacas lo mejor de nosotros con tu energía, tu afán de enseñar y tu arte. Sin ti no habría flamenco en Dublín y te lo agradecemos de todo corazón. ¡Gracias maestro!

In February 2008, Sólo Flamenco traveled to Spain for the
XII Festival de Jerez

The primary purpose of the trip, which was partly funded by The Arts Council, was to participate in workshops organized by the festival.

For more details, read the posts on our news page and check out our trip report.

… as Leonard Cohen sang in Famous Blue Raincoat, but I don’t think even he has ever had a 4am quite like the one we’re experiencing at the moment. We’ve just returned from the after show party for the first concert of the much-anticipated Garcia Reunion Tour.

The show itself was great, and foretells a fantastic tour. All of you who have tickets for concerts in your area are going to be pleasantly surprised. Those of you who don’t, go get them now! And then come back and read the rest of the post.

As I said, the gig was great. But as good as it was, the after-show party was better. Let me begin by saying a big thank you to Jeff and the staff of La Paloma who were kind enough to host the party, and even kinder to not throw us out. Believe me, they would have had an easier time if they had - but perhaps not as memorable a one.

And memorable is the word. All of the performers who took part in the performance came back to the restaurant and, freed from the trappings and pressure of stage lights and concert audiences, relaxed and began to celebrate the success of the first gig of their tour.

And it was then that the real Flamenco began to flow, as the reunited group of friends sitting around a table began to sing and play for each other and we, the fortunate onlookers, were treated to song, after song, after song. Each song was accompanied by various rhythms and counter rhythms as each member of the group provided palmas that continuously rolled in and around the music of the song, like waves breaking on a beach.

And this is where I’m going to finish. There aren’t words to capture the spirit of the evening, but those of us who were there will remember this night for a long time.

The tour dates for the Flamenco García Tour are now confirmed.

For for information visit the official page.

Sólo Flamenco are very pleased to announce their involvement in the upcoming Flamenco Garcí­a tour.

The tour, which takes place in June and July of this year, will cover the length and breadth of the country and provide many with their first ever experience of a puro Flamenco show. Renowned Flamenco guitarist Francisco Garcí­a will be accompanied on the tour by singers José Parra & Mara Delgado, dancer David Lozano, fellow guitarists Salvador Andrades & José Manuel León and Pastora Andrades on bass.

Throughout the tour, David Lozano will take time out from performing to teach workshops in Flamenco dance, with support and assistance from members of Sólo Flamenco. Workshops have already been confirmed for Dublin, Cork and Galway, with more dates being added soon.

June 16th & 17th - Liberty Hall, Dublin.
June 22nd - Firkin Crane, Cork. For more details click here.
June 28th - The Rowing Club, Galway. For more details click here.

Details of the Dublin workshop, which we are organising directly, will appear on our website in the coming days.

We’re really looking forward to this and hope to meet you at some of these events!

The second half of our stay in Jerez was no less inspiring and memorable than the first. Having found our feet, both figuratively and literally, the city began to feel like a home away from home - or maybe just home - and we began to take so much more away from our classes.

The shows continued to impress as well. Highlights included Eva Yerbabuena in “Santo y Seña”, Andrés Marí­n in “El alba del Último dí­a” and Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya and Rocí­o Molina in “Mujeres”. Rocí­o was especially impressive in this show.

But possibly the greatest moment of the festival came on the last night, when we went to see Manuela Carrasco. The first part of her show, “Romalí­. Danza de los gitanos” explored the very soul of Flamenco, tracing its origins in Indian dance and its evolution amongst the Romany. The second part of the show featured a number of pieces in a traditional setting with cajón, guitars and singers, but performed with an energy and vitality that was unequaled by any of the other performers we saw at the festival. Manuela has a unique presence on stage that commands your attention.

As we slowly walked away from the Teatro Villamarta for the last time that evening, fate presented us with one final coda. We were crossing behind the post office when we noticed Matilde Coral and her friends walking alongside us. Suddenly somebody started to clap a Bulería and then the contratiempo began and before we were fully aware of what was happening, Matilde was dancing Bulerí­a. Then, as quickly as it began, it was all over a few compasses later and everyone continued walking. A more perfect scene you would not find in a Saura movie.

There is something poetic about your last memory of Flamenco in Jerez being Matilde dancing on a street corner. I for one would not have it any other way.

At the moment Sólo Flamenco are in Jerez de la Frontera for the 12th Annual Flamenco Festival. The primary purpose of the trip, which is partly funded by the Arts Council, is to take classes with some of the greatest Flamenco dancers of our day. Nathalie is studying Tientos y Tangos with Andrés Peña; Carina, Lynn and Sarah are studying Siguiriya with María del Mar Moreno; and Damian is studying Martinete with Javier Latorre.

While we’re here we’ve also been lucky enough to see some wonderful performances. Highlights so far have been “¡Viva Jerez!”, featuring María del Mar Moreno, Mercedes Ruiz, Fernando Terremoto and Angelita Gómez, and choreographed by Javier Latorre, and “Puertas adentro”, performed by the Compañía de Antonio El Pipa.

The former show was a selection of pieces by each artist, and included a breathtaking Siguiriya danced by María del Mar Moreno. The climax of that piece, when she danced face to face with the singer, left us all with goose bumps. The latter show was inspired by events from the life of Antonio El Pipa, and told of the death of his mother and the subsequent birth of his second son. This was an intensely emotional performance, and showcased two stunning young stars, Macarena Ramirez and Christian de los Reyes, who simply have to be seen to be believed.

Last night we saw Isabel Bayón in “La puerta abierta”. This award winning show was elegant and simple in its concept, and hugely effective in its execution. The set was designed to resemble the interior of a home, with doors leading to various rooms. Isabel never left the stage during the performance; costume changes happening modestly at the back of the stage while the musicians played on. This lent an air of intimacy to the show that served to bring the audience closer and make the experience all the more personal.

We have our daily routine now. Breakfast at 10am, a short walk from the hotel, sitting outside under the sun and reading the critiques of the previous evening’s performances in the festival supplement from the Diario de Jerez. Actually, yesterday’s and today’s editions had special significance for us. Each edition features an interview with one of the students who has comes to Jerez for the festival. Yesterday they interviewed Damian, and today they interviewed Nathalie. People here have been warm, friendly and very helpful, making us all feel very welcome.

For more information on the festival, check out the online edition of the local newspaper, Diario de Jerez.

June and July 2008 will see a series of concerts in Ireland by the renowned Flamenco guitarist, Francisco Garcí­a. Touring with Garcí­a will be singer José Parra, guitarists Salvador Andrades and José Manuel León, bassist Martin Leiton and Lucas González on cajón.

Already confirmed is a concert on June 18th in Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Tickets are on sale, this is an event not to be missed!

Watch this space for more details as the rest of the tour is confirmed.

Click here to watch a video of Salvador playing at a tribute to Paco de Lucí­a.

Pictured here are Jeff, Noel and the wonderful staff of La Paloma.

This was taken at the end of our last performance of 2007. We would just like to take this opportunity to thank Jeff for allowing us to perform and to say that we look forward to many future performances throughout 2008.

In the meantime, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!