It's been quite a while......

June 18, 2011  Rota, Spain

I've neglected my blog of late and am sorry for that.  As you probably know, Andrea and I are going through a divorce and she told me that she preferred not to know anything about my personal life.  So I didn't know how to write this blog without sharing that part of myself.  But finally I decided to try to share that part which isn't my personal life.....

I'm still living in Rota, but decided to get a house in a different neighborhood.  I was living in a tourist mecca - charming, but with no parking for guests and way too much noise from the streets.  There was an Irish bar just down the street that served drinks called "chupitos" - which were nothing other than shots of mixed liquours.  They had about 25 varieties of different colors and flavors.  Kids from the military bases would come and drink there, but not understanding the Spanish practice of eating while drinking, they would toss down about 5 chupitos before the effect really hit.  Then they were staggering through the streets, vomiting, cursing, and generally offending the whole town.  I can't imagine a scenario in the US where drunk foreigners could stagger around in the streets, shouting and cursing at 4AM without the police arriving in short order.  But the Spanish seem to be much more tolerant because the police never came.  And just a few hours after the last drunk stopped shouting, the beach people started passing my bedroom window on the way to the beach.  They were well behaved, but spoke loudly in the Spanish style.  It became too much.

So I rented a duplex (not an apartment) in a quieter part of town.  It is outside the old walled city, but still only about 3 blocks from the beach.  It has lots of parking on the street and I still have a closed garage.  The place is huge with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and I have my office with computers all set up.  To get to the old part of town is 10 minutes walking or by car and 5 minutes by bike.  I can visit my old neighborhood by taking a stroll down the beach.  As you can see, rent money goes a lot further in Spain than in the US.  To rent a duplex like this in Santa Barbara would cost 100% of my monthly income.  My half of this duplex is on the right side....

Here is the new house.

Other than the new house, life is about the same.  I continue to make new friends here and am an active and full member of the Peña (flamenco club).  I play guitar for the local singers every saturday afternoon and often for performances as well.  My accompaniment skills have grown considerably and my guitar playing has also grown nicely.  I am totally at home with the people from the peña.  They don't treat me like a foreigner, but as a respected fellow aficionado.  I feel more welcome there than any place I can remember in my life.  One of the older members told me that I was the "alegria" (happiness) of the peña!
I don't know why exactly, but my way of being seems to really work for me here in Spain.  People really seem to like me.  In the US, I always felt a little like an outsider.  I never felt like I totally fit in.  With the "artists" I was always too square - too much of a businessman.  With the business people, I was better accepted, but always as a sort of bohemian.  Here people I don't know greet me on the streets.  And people I do know treat me with such warmth.  I have been accepted into a group of artists (painters) and poets here - who are also important figures in one of the political parties.  So I'm not on the margins of society.
I am still close to the local gypsy community, but have pulled back a little and don't try to spend all my time with them.  In that way, I am different from most American flamenco enthusiasts.  Most of them come here to study; live in little groups of other foreigners; and try to get close to gypsy artists whenever possible.  I have gotten away from that.  I love Andalucia (the part of Spain in which I live) more than flamenco.  I love the annual rituals of Semana Santa (Holy Week), Feria (the spring fair), the pilgrimage to Rocio and all the other events which make Andalucia special.  I love the warmth of the people and their values.  So I don't run around with foreigners.  I have one American friend who is here from time to time, but the rest of the time I am 100% with the locals.  I see the gypsies and consider some of them to be friends.  But I have begun to avoid some of those who who don't control their drinking or otherwise behave poorly in public.  I apply the rule: Would I be friends with this person if they didn't do flamenco?  If the answer is No, then I am a bit more reserved with them.  I have begun to cherish my own space.  For a while, my old house was becoming Club Quijote - a place where you could sing all night with free drinks.  This new house has become more private and I like it that way.
I see my whole attitude about flamenco going through a change.  The great artists who I grew up with are mostly dead.  Those who remain are not at the same level and just don't excite me much.  Most of the young artists are trying to make a living with Flamenkito - pop flamenco mixed with whatever they can imagine.  It might be interesting music, but it's not flamenco.  And none of it will be remembered in 20 years.  So I am a confirmed dinosaur.  I like the old stuff and prefer to be with the few artists who still do it.  But I don't go to very much trouble to go looking for action.  I get all the satisfaction I want with the locals.  My current favorite is Paco Peña, a torero who also sings.  I believe you can hear him on some of the earlier posts or on my new webpage www.cantejondo.com.  He is a great guy and really fun to be with.
OK, time to get dressed for the regular Saturday tertulia at the peña.
Don't be afraid to write.....

Christmas with the family....

December 31, 2010  Rota, Spain

I'll interrupt my discourse on Spanish living for a visit to North Carolina to see my son, Tony and his wife, Annette, and the special star, Akilah - celebrity granddaughter.  Christmas for me is the most fun seen through the eyes of a small child.  Akilah is almost 3 and now old enough to be dazzled by the Christmas pageant.  But she is still young enough to be completely un-material.  When asked what she wanted for Xmas, she didn't know.  I'd be surprised if that were the case next year....

I had two weeks in North Carolina and the kids fixed me up with a bedroom down in Tony's music studio.  Great!

While I was there, I was Tony's roadie for a few gigs that he had.  One of them was with Woody Wood and Artimus Pyle (formerly of Lynryd Skynryd).  They took their last names and called themselves Black Wood Pyle.

Here we all were after the gig, L to R, Woody, Artimus, me, and Tony.  Turns out that I am Artimus' landlord as well.  Great getting to meet him.

But the real fun was just the daily living and playing with Akilah.  She is at the age where she is the center of her universe, which is a good thing when you can get her to perform.  Here we were having some breakfast...and being silly.

Christmas morning rolled around and when we came out to the tree, it was snowing outside.  How perfect.  Akilah was a little new to the Christmas thing so she opened her presents v-e-r-y carefully, trying not to rip the paper and when she did finally rip it, she took each handful to the trash before making the next rip.

This was the fun part for me.  I wasn't feeling very much Christmas spirit - didn't do presents and cards this year - not even a newsletter.  The news wasn't cheerful enough to send out.  But this turned out to be theraputic for me.  I ended up enjoying the holidays completely.

Here is the front yard after a few hours of snow.  It eventually reached about 8 inches. If you click on these pictures, they get bigger.

Here are Nettie, Akilah, Tony and dog Annabelle romping in the snow.

This was a really good picture of Tony and I eating the worlds biggest breakfast burritos

And I thought Nettie deserved her own picture, no?

.

All too soon it was time to fly home again.  Here you can see the snowy fields in the East.  I had some airplane adventures.  As normal, I always ask for seats in the exit aisle to get room for my long legs.  The agent in Asheville mananged to get me good seats for the first two flights, but there was nothing available for the long transatlantic flight.  That is the critical one, so I figured that I would stand on my tip-toes and look pitiful at the boarding gate while begging for a seat change.  So I was the first one in line at the gate.  But I began to get worried when the staff arrived.  There was a little wizened black man who didn't look like the kind of person who could work a computer (I know - stereotyping - but we DO think that way).  His companion was a Latina who walked in like she was carrying the troubles of the world on her shoulders.  Not a happy appearing person.  She took her post directly in front of me and shuffled papers for a about 10 minutes in a desultory way.  Finally she looked up and asked what I wanted.  I explained about the "tall-man seats".  She checked the computer and gave me the answer that I was expecting - that the flight was full and there were no other options.  I asked if she could give me a window seat so that I could try to sleep leaning against the wall since my head is too high for the cushions.  Then she suddenly had a change of mood and broke out in a big smile.  She went to the computer and printed out a new boarding pass.  She passed it to me with a smile, saying "try this one".
She had put me in seat 1-H.  Hmm, that sounds like the very front of the plane.  When I got back to my luggage, I noticed that the pass had the word "Envoy".  Isn't that what they call First Class?  Yup!  When they called boarding, I got in line with the Envoy crowd and in we went.  As I passed the agent, I had a chance to thank her again.  I'd like to send her a card!  That was a $500 upgrade!!!
When I got to my seat, the stu took my coat and gave me a glass of champagne.  I was in the best seat in the plane.  A front row window seat with as much room as 6 seats in coach.  There was nobody next to me.  Lots of vacancies in First Class.  I've never flown 1st class before so I was dazzled.  Instead of eating the sushi and vegetable wrap that I had put in my luggage, I chowed down on some decent food.  It was so artfully presented that I should have taken pictures.  A linen tablecloth, no less!
After dinner, I put the electric seat into sleep mode and it got completely horizontal at which point I slept my way all the way across the Atlantic.  What a treat.
On arriving in Madrid, I got my car and drove back to Rota.  I'm making lentil soup today for our old family tradition on New Years.  But I also bought some grapes to celebrate the Spanish way, too. And I bought myself a good ham to get the year off to a good start.  On the first, I'll go up to Sevilla and have dinner with the assembled Hernandez family - well, almost all of them.

I'm sure there are parties tonight, but nobody knows I'm here.  I'm going to stay home and enjoy just being home again.  Feel free to write......

So what's so different about Spain? Part 1

December 2, 2010 Rota, Spain
I've been living here for a few years now and visiting for 25 more.  So I decided to contribute some thoughts about the differences between Spain and the United States.  I am writing primarily about Andalucia, the southern-most province.  Northern Spain can be quite different although there are many similarities.  I'll start with the physical differences first....

The Countryside:  Spaniards tend to live in cities; even farmers live in little villages and go out to their fields during the day, but return to the village at night.  Living in a house all alone out in the country is just starting to become fashionable now that so many foreigners are building villas in the "campo".  But for most Spaniards, town is where they live.  Well, that means that the countryside is generally pretty empty - miles and miles of rolling fields, or olive groves, or oak trees with pigs grazing under them.  And the government doesn't really allow billboards, so there is nothing to mar the beauty other than electrical wires.  So driving through the Spanish countryside is very pleasing to the eye generally.  Close to big cities, you run into industrial buildings as you approach and those are as ugly as they are anywhere else.

Because people don't live out in the country all that much, driving in the country is pretty relaxed with very little traffic.  Generally Spain has a good highway system with large freeways and lots of little rural roads.  While it is easy and pleasant to drive in the country, it is harder to say that about the cities.  In the old parts of the cities, the streets were laid out in the time of horses and pedestrians - my street is probably 1000 years old - so they are very narrow.  That means only one lane per street.  So one way streets are very common.  I've found my GPS indispensable for getting around in the older neighborhoods.  Another big difference is the use of "glorietas" or what the English call roundabouts and we call traffic circles.  But I have come to appreciate those - you get around a lot quicker because intersections are a monentary delay at worst instead of a 2 minute wait.  Usually you just blaze on through.

Spanish drivers are generally very good.  Rules for getting a license are very strict and too many tickets will get the license taken for a while.  That said, there are very few traffic cops around.  They use radar-cameras on the highways and if you are speeding, a ticket will arrive in your mailbox.  But the Spanish tend to follow the rules that make sense without big brother watching over their shoulders.  For a tourist, it is easy to rent a car and use your foreign drivers license.  The traffic rules aren't that different although you will probably want to drive in cities during the siesta hours or late at night.  Driving in the country is a delight.

There is a big difference in the kind of cars that you find here.  With the prices of fuel in the $5/gallon range, you don't find very many SUVs.  The average car is very small, light, and often with a small diesel engine.  My car, which is a small van, has a 1.3 liter turbocharged diesel engine that is very zippy while getting 40 -50 MPG.  It does that without any visible exhaust smoke or odor!

One thing that you can't miss here is the incredible sense of history.  Rota was an old city when Christ was born.  For a very long time, folks didn't have much respect for their own history.  The Moors tore down Roman buildings and used the columns and stonework to make new Moorish buildings.  And the Christians reconquered and tore down the Moorish buildings to make new Christian ones.  Finally they are starting to preserve things a bit more.  Spain has some fabulously well preserved Roman ruins.  Here you see a Temple of Diana in Mérida - just a small sample of the Roman sites in this town.

And of course, Spain is famous for it's castles.  I was surprised to discover that Spanish castles were rarely homes of the powerful like they were in England or Germany.  They were walled enclosures built on hilltops and were intended to allow all the residents of a town to camp out in the castle while fighting off some invading group.  So the castles were walls with ports for archers and ramps for soldiers, but most of the center was open space for people and animals.

So, I'll leave room for another chapter or two in which I can discuss the food, the bureaucracy, and the people and their culture.

But I should probably update the news.  Life has been about creating a new webpage and flamenco adventures.  My son-in-law Isaac very wisely grabbed the domain name http://www.cantejondo.com/ many years ago, thinking of me I suspect.  Well, now it is a site in development and I've actually made good progress with many pages in 2 languages.  And this weekend, the flamenco just overflowed.  Friday, I was typing away on a webpage when the phone rang and it was the local gypsies, wanting me to come to a party nearby.  It was in the dance studio of Manuela Lopez (who also sings very well).  There was food and drink aplenty and in short order I was accompanying all comers por buleria (the fast, bouncy rhythm).  Miguel and his brother Eduardo started a mano-a-mano singdown that got things really cooking.  There was plenty of whiskey.  Now normally, I don't get drunk - because I have to drive and because I am too busy playing the guitar - but this time I must have had one or two too many because I literally staggered home.  But what fun!!!
And then the next day, Manuel Agujetas invited me to a matanza - that is where a pig goes to meet his maker and a lot of humans eat pork.  It was held at a small private bodega where some wealthy folks made wine for themselves and their friends - nice wine, too.  I already knew some of the folks and so was very comfortable.  Little by little the music started and they got me singing.  We all took turns.  Many of the people had done the pilgrimage to Rocio and liked to sing sevillanas about that.  They sang as a group and lots of folks danced.  Now that is not really what the gypsies like all that well, so they went outside and drank.  After lots of food, we got down to the flamenco.  Manuel Agujetas doesn't much sing in public unless he is getting paid and this night was no exception, but Eduardo did his share.  But most of it was me.  I had ladies dancing buleria and the group was doing palmas and screaming.  A big burly drunk guy kept hugging and kissing me after each song.  All in all, I couldn't have felt more accepted, personally and artistically.  It was just plain wonderful.  But the best part came today - Agujetas came over for lunch and we were listening to some of my private music collection.  He commented on one very well-known singer, "well, his cante no llega (it doesn't arrive - meaning that it doesn't move you - you don't feel anything) unlike the little things that YOU sing which do arrive" (!)  Agujetas is moved by MY singing.  Now that has got to be the best compliment, ever!

Well, you've been so good to wade through all this text so I have a reward for you:

The One Tomato Meal
Take a nice tomato and slice it into thin rings and then cut those into quarters so you have bite-size bits.  Put your tomato pieces on a large plate in such a way that no piece is on top of another. Mince one tooth of garlic and sprinkle over your tomato pieces, trying to get a little garlic on each piece.  Then sprinkle a generous pinch of coarse salt over the whole plate (regular salt OK) and then pour a little premium olive oil over the whole thing.  No need to cover the tomatos, but they need to all be swimming in the oil.  An optional extra is to sprinkle a little basil or oregano over everything.  Let it sit for an hour and then eat with slices from a good baguette or some other kind of real bread. In the US, french or italian bread is best.   Dip the bread in the oil.  A meal for one or a side dish for many.  Spaniards would just put the plate in the middle and everyone would spear pieces of tomato with their fork.

A Date with Destiny....

October 21, 2010 Rota

When your world turns upside down and you find that you are no longer doing what you had planned to do with the rest of your life, it is easy to sink into a kind of depression.  We humans like goals and looking forward to the future.  And so I took a look at my life and discovered that I didn't really have any goals anymore.  That will never do!

I looked around in my world to see what I wanted to do next and the only thing that I could find was to expand my career as a flamenco artist.  I've been fooling around with this for 50 years and now I'm in Spain.  Duhhhhh.  So I decided that I would get serious about it.  Now every morning, I get up and go to work.  I play guitar, sing, work on my recording studio, study and listen to new material I want to learn.  All of a sudden I'm so busy that the laundry is starting to pile up.  But I'm having fun.
 
And the funny thing is that, this thing wants to happen whether or not I get better.  If I did nothing, it would still happen - but if I'm going to be a celebrity (and I am!), then I should get really good so that I can be proud of myself.  I can't rush this because the thing I am most lacking is real fluency with the language.  I get better every day, but fluency is a ways off yet.  I don't want to be in the public eye making grammatical errors or misunderstanding questions.  So part of my job is to practice my Spanish.

Sometimes it is hard to get any work done, because flamenco keeps getting in the way.  Manuel Agujetas continues to have me over almost daily to play for the singing lessons he is giving to Miguel's brother, Eduardo and to Negro Agujetas.  Eduardo is a great cook of Andalucian country cuisine and I've been eating there more often than not.  (Picked up some good receipes, too)  I've taken Manuel to medical appointments several times and am getting to hear a lot of stories.  Fascinating.  They are talking about a fiesta with the neighbors in which a pig will go to meet his maker - and then play a key role in a feast.  I'm looking forward to that.  I'll take some pictures.

I've been invited to go back to La Unión in Murcia for a flamenco weekend with friends of my consuegro (and now mine).  They have an ambitious weekend planned out with a number of other singers.  And tomorrow there is a really good show in Jerez.  I rarely go to shows because most of them are so disappointing compared to what I experience live.  But tomorrow is all artists that I like and respect.

I've put up a recording studio in my living room and am learning how to do multi-track recordings.  Part of my new job....

A little bit about Rota

October 14, 2010 Rota
I thought that it might be nice to share a little of the history of my little town.  Well, not that little I guess. There are 30,000 inhabitants.  The following two paragraphs are from Wikipedia:

(Begin Quote) Archaeological evidence suggests that there was a Bronze Age settlement on the present site of Rota. The current town was founded by the Phoenicians at approximately the same time as Cádiz. Rota is assumed to be the same city known as Astaroth of the Tartesian empire. It later passed to the Romans, who knew the town as Speculum Rotae.

Following the arrival of the Moors in Spain, the city became known as Rabita Rutta ("watchtower of Rota"), from which it derives its present name. From 1248 onwards, the Moors were gradually expelled from Spain, and the city became Christian. In 1297, Sancho IV awarded the town to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán in honour of his defence of Tarifa. Later, Pérez de Guzmán gave it to his daughter, Isabel, as a wedding present when she married Fermin Ponce de León, Maestre of Alcántara and First Lord of Marchena.

Construction of the Castillo de la Luna (Castle of the Moon - right outside my bedroom window) had begun in 1295, two years prior to the bequest to Pérez de Guzmán, as part of Sancho IV's effort to develop strong coastal defenses, especially near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. During the Middle Ages, the town was an important port for trading with North Africa. In 1780 the 11th Duke of Arcos died without issue, and the city was rendered to the Duke of Osuna. (end of quote)

Today the town is heavily dependant on tourism and on the military bases of the US and Spain in the harbor.  The tourists are almost exclusively Spanish, mostly from inland.  They use Rota to escape the summer heat and so the town more than doubles in population during the summer.  The rest of the year, it is pretty quiet except for those who know where to look for action.

Below you see the whole town and the air base at the top.  My house is out on the point, at the red dot.  The "casco antiguo" or the old walled city was actually quite small and that is the part where I live.

The town is remarkably crime-free and is very safe.  There are lots of restaurants, generally standard Andalucian cuisine, because that is what the tourists like.  Andalucian cooking is not particularly elaborate - lots of fried fish, stews, and aliños (chopped up vegetables in oil and vinegar to preserve them, often with shrimp, tuna, or octopus).  I am getting good at cooking in this style.

Since I was playing with Google Earth, here is my neighborhood.  Not far from the beach, so few bugs and it stays temperate throughout the seasons.  This is one of the Southern-most parts of Spain, about 36 degrees North - about the same latitude as Oriental, NC or San Luis Obispo, CA.  The North part of Spain gets real winters with lots of snow.  Here, we almost never get that cold.

And here to give you a musical travelogue, here is a little video of Rota with Gordo Agujetas singing.  He is the father of Negro Agujetas of whom you have read quite a bit in these pages,  Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVL037B2g5o&feature=share

So, like always, I invite you to write and will even provide a link to make it easy for you: saeta@sailingflamenco.com Have a great day!

Los Altibajos

Tuesday, October 12, 2010  Rota
Altibajos is a Spanish word for "highs and lows".  We use it as a joke when Negro Agujetas and I do a show together because he is so short and I am so tall that we are sort of ridiculous if we are both standing up on stage.  I try to stay seated.
But I am using it here to describe my life.  Highs and Lows.  I'm not sure if anyone is reading this anymore, so it is becoming more of a personal journal - perhaps of interest to my family some day.
The Lows: When someone suffers a loss, there are some predictable emotional stages that one passes through.  I read about this when my wife, Kathy, died at the age of 39.  First comes shock, anger, denial, perhaps an attempt to distract oneself to avoid feelings; but finally there comes a phase of acceptance.  In that one, you just get it - this is the way it is and the way it is going to be.  I have now reached that stage and all there is left to do is to grieve about the loss.  There is no changing it, you just have to mourn the loss.
So I am doing that.  I miss the life I used to have and I miss You-Know-Who..  And I can see clearly that, as much as I don't like to live alone, that is my future.  I can't imagine any woman who would chose to be a part of the odd life I have chosen.  So alone it will be - and that is the Low.

The Highs: well, that is pretty much everything else.  In many respects, I have a fabulous life.  I belong to a community.  For the first time in my life, I actually feel like a part of my community.  I know so many people here in Rota. And so many recognize me and greet me on the street.  I truly can't even go for a short walk without running into someone for a chat.   After 4 TV shows and that two-page article in the local paper, I am becoming a junior celebrity of sorts.
The other day, I was having dinner at the bar right next to my house (best tapas in Rota) with some friends when a lady from Rota who I had seen at the peña asked to take a picture of us.  She was making such a fuss over us that the other diners got curious and started asking the barmen who I was.  I turned out that across the room was a table with the president of the Peña Luis de la Pica from Jerez.  They asked if I would play and sing something for them.  Well, the guitar was only 50 feet away, so I went and got it.  And we had a little mini-fiesta there in the bar.  Maybe it will turn into work, who knows?

I feel comparatively wealthy here.  I have a deluxe apartment, a great car, and can generally afford to live.  I couldn't begin to live this well in Calfornia on my Social Security and a little pension.  Not even close.  The bill for the dinner I mentioned above for 4 people with many drinks and all that we wanted to eat came to 30 euros.

And the flamenco!  I keep having the experience of not believing what is actually happening to me.  In addition to all that is happening at the peña and with a growing circle of artist friends (3 of whom speak English), I am now playing the guitar for Manuel Agujetas almost every day.  He is giving lessons to Negro and Miguel's brother, Eduardo.  He likes me to play for the lessons, so every day he calls and invites me to lunch.  Eduardo is a great cook.  We eat and then there is a cante lesson.  I'm supposed to be playing the guitar, but I'm not deaf.  I'm learning a lot - and from the best singer alive today!  Last week I ate at Manuel's house 6 times and went to two fiestas with them.  He has been showing me off to some of his more obscure relatives in Puerto de Santa Maria.  That's what I mean about not believing what is happening.  I am getting into things that I never dreamed I would see.

Like the day in the following link where I sang in the Peña Tio José de la Paula in Jerez, surrounded by famous artists and accompanied by the guitar of Antonio Higuera: Here is one of the most exciting days I ever had here.  And the audience seemed to eat it up!

A few weeks ago, Bobby and Adam Marcowitz, came to visit from Santa Cruz, CA.  They are a father/son team of guitarists that I have known for years.  I put them in one of my spare bedrooms and took them to the peña to see one of the best Saturday afternoon sessions we have had this year.  Some artists came down from Jerez to join us and brought a mariquita with them.  That is an effeminate gay guy who plays on his own gayness as a comedy routine.  He had us peeing our pants, he was so funny.  And there was excellent singing that day.  So Bobby and Adam had a great adventure.  What a delight to be able to offer that.
Otherwise, life has it's little satisfactions.  Like I got my first ham:

And here it is.  Jamón Serrano is a huge delicacy, sort of a richer version of Italian Prosciutto.  It comes as a whole leg and you slice little pieces off to serve as a special treat.
Of course when you are alone with a ham, there is nobody to tell on you if you cut a little slice every time you pass the ham.  Delicious!

And I am nearly ready to take the written exam to get a Spanish drivers license.  Tomorrow I get a medical checkup and take the photos and then the driving school will schedule the test.  Yes - driving school.  It is much harder to get a license here and the other drivers are generally pretty competent.  I did about 60 practice exams (in Spanish) to prepare myself.  You can only miss 3 out of 30 questions.  Once I have my license, I will feel really permanent.  Having my "residencia" means that I can stay here forever.  I can't imagine having a life in the US anywhere that could compare to this.

And I have two spare bedrooms for family and friends.  And the same bedrooms for others as part of a Flamenco Tour package that I am offering for folks who want to see some real flamenco when they come to Spain - not just the canned tourist stuff or the shows that they could see in the US.

NEW GUITAR!!!!!!!

Sunday, October 10, 2010 - Rota

I have my new guitar!  And what a dream it is.

I actually had no intention of buying a new guitar.  I already had a fabulous Faustino Conde 1983 that made other guitarists insanely jealous every time they saw it.  But by chance, I took in for repairs my student model Conde that I use for fiestas and situations where the guitar might suffer damage.  I wanted to clean up some damage to the finish.  I was recommended to a guitar maker in Jerez, Andrew Smith.  This guy is half English and half Spanish - equally comfortable in either culture.

So I took my old guitar to Andrew and was immediately impressed by the depth of his knowledge about things guitaristic.  He had a few guitars around that he had made and I tried them out.  I was very impressed by how easy they were to play; better than anything I had played before.  And the sound was very decent.  I left my guitar with him and went home.  When I came back to pick it up, I played his guitars again - and took with me Steve Kahn, an excellent player and old friend.  Both of us played Andrew's guitars again and I was more impressed than ever.

Then as fate would have it, an old guitar that I had owned since the 60's finally found a buyer and I had a chunk of cash.  More than it would take to buy one of Andrew's guitars.  I wanted to save my good Conde just for concerts, so I wanted a guitar to play everyday and to take out at night.  And I figured that a new guitar would improve my outlook on life.  So I ordered one to be built to my specifications.

It started from pieces, everything created from scratch by Andrew.  But good pieces - cypress back and sides and a top of 1st quality Engleman Spruce.

Here is the top - as you can see, you can see light right through it.

Here is Andrew removing the cord that he uses to hold the bindings together while the glue is drying.  He is a traditionalist and uses hide glue and varnishes with French Polish, which is very labor intensive.

So here I am, getting a first look at my baby, mostly assembled.  You'll notice that it is nearly white because color is added during the varnishing phase.

And here it is all done, in my patio.  The workmanship was beautiful and Andrew wanted me to let it sit for a month or two for the varnish to continue to harden.  But there was no way I could do that!  The guitar is a total dream.  I enjoy playing it so much that I leave it sitting out on a chair and everytime I pass it, I have to play for a half-hour or more.  I've never played so much in my life and it has made an amazing difference it the way I play - with more improvement sure to come along.

To actually hear the guitar in action, here is a video recorded at the Saturday tertulia at our Peña - click on the link below and it will take you to YouTube.....
First Fiesta with the New Guitar

So, this has given my spirits a real boost.  In it's first 3 weeks of life, I went through a set of strings - even though I turned them end-for-end, a string broke.  The video above was shot just before the strings gave up.  I have never played so much to wear out strings so fast.  Everyone who hears it marvels at the sound.  And the guitar invites me play with more sentivity because it wants to sing.

A new chapter - back to Rota for good.....

Wednesday August 25, 2010 - Rota

A week ago I signed a lease for the apartment of my dreams in the best building in the best neighborhood in Rota.  I had always dreamed of living in this building because it has a subterranean garage and there are very few garages in the older, classsic part of town.  So I was sitting in exile out in Cordoba checking rentals in Rota when this one popped up.  Wow.  I moved fast and got it.

I had fun out in Iznájar, Cordoba -  but discovered some things that have proven most valuable.  Most important, at my age it doesn't work to live out in the country.  I want to be able to walk to cafes, shopping, or just go out and meet people in the streets. (I could never do that in the US, but here people walk and meet one another).  It was good to learn that.  In Iznajár I got to do a show (success) and turned down two more when I moved back to Rota.  I met the Iznájar flamenco locals (both of them) and had fun, but it's good to be home.

Here is the central patio of my new piso - 4 apartments on each floor.  It looks classic with the marble columns, but it is only about 15 years old.  Old buildings don't have garages in the basement and elevators.

Here's the living room - marble floors in every room.  3 BR/ 2 BA. means that I have plenty of room for guests and grandchildren.

Here is a typical bedroom, before sheets and bedspreads.  All of the bedrooms have big closets which isn't all that typical in Spain.

And here is a view from the roof of the plaza Bartolomé Pérez taken from the roof terrace.  This plaza is right outside my bedroom window.  Bar La Concha (best tapas in Rota) is on the left, the Castillo in the center, and the cathedral on the right.

And below is my neighborhood - double click to make larger.

  As you see, I am right next to a terrific beach!

I have an idea that I could run flamenco tours from here. 1200€ would get the guest(s) a week's lodging and tour guide services all week, visiting whatever flamenco attractions are the most interesting in Cádiz, Sevilla, Jerez....  Included in the price is a private fiesta with the local gypsies from the Agujetas dynasty.  Frankly, only the very most experienced flamenco travellers would be able to get even close to as much action as I can provide.  When I first came to Spain in 1983, I brought a knowlegeable friend to get me started.  It took years off the process of learning how to get around in the world of flamenco.  And even when things are slow, my brain is available to be picked.

Otherwise, I've fallen back into my Rota friend group; am playing Saturdays at the peña; and will be coming out in the local newspaper this week - a 2 page interview.  So things are going pretty well.  I still miss You-Know-Who, of course, but am getting used to the idea that this is the way the rest of my life is going to look.  I think I can handle it.  Lately doing a lot of cooking and reading - living quietly between intense social life.

And the other exciting thing happening is a new guitar, made especially for me.  I met the guitar maker, Andrew Smith, (half English- half Spanish) in Jerez when I took my cheap guitar in for repairs.  While there, I tried a few guitars that he had in process of being finished and was amazed at the quality - and how easy they were to play.  After several visits, I ordered one.  They are very affordable for the quality.  As I write this, he is varnishing it and it should be ready by the end of the month.  Very excited!!!

Don't be afraid to write - same email as always.

Things DO get better....

Thursday, June 17, 2010 Rota, Spain

Just when you think that things couldn't possibly get worse..... sometimes they get better. That seems to be happening around here.

Little by little, I have been coming to the conclusion that I should stay here in Spain. I love the people and their way of life. It is inexpensive to live here - a beer costs $1.20 to $1.50 and sometimes comes with a tapa. The people do not have crazy political ideas. And there is a lot of fun to be had, both with flamenco and just being with people.

So, I have been putting down roots. I got a permanent cell phone contact that now gives me internet all the time, wherever I am. Then I bought my own car and insurance. This has been wonderful.

This is a 2005 Opel Meriva with a 1.3 turbo diesel engine.  It is zippy and gets 56 MPG on the road and in the 40's in town.  It is quiet, big inside, and all around delightful.  Why can't we have cars like this in the US?

The next thing has been to try to find a more permanent home.  My piso (apartment) is a summer rental and I have to vacate it at the end of June so the summer people can move in.  Rota becomes a zoo in summer because the people in Sevilla all want to live at the beach during the heat.  So everything is crowded and there is no place to park.  So I decided to live away from Rota for the summer.  But where?

Well, as luck would have it, I made some friends in a little town in Cordoba province - a town called Iznájar.  If you've never heard of it, don't feel bad.  Neither had I.  But I went to visit there and had a chance to play and sing in a benefit for some kids who needed medical care.  So on my first day, I got introduced to the whole town.  My performance went well and I have been asked to come back for a paying gig in July.  Imagine!  This little town is on a peninsula projecting out into a big lake.  Here it is from a distance:

Walking in the old part of town can get pretty steep, but this place is really scenic.  The surrounding country is all olive groves for miles and miles.

The community is a mixture of Spaniards and a surprisingly large English Ex-pat group.  But these are not the kind of Brits that one finds on the Costa del Sol, sitting by the pool, or playing golf.  No, these folks speak Spanish and love the the Spanish way of life.  They are a more adventurous group than the coastal Brits.  And they like to hear flamenco.  Well, OK...

There is not as much interest in flamenco from the local Spaniards, but there are flamenco peñas in many surrounding towns and I have already met some singing gypsy families that look promising.  It is a new venue for me and like Rota, not overpopulated with flamenco students from abroad.  Here is a panoramic view of the town from part way up it's hill.  Double-click on the image to make it bigger.

It was serendipity that I met someone who introduced me to this town - but often wonderful opportunities come out of chance events if one is willing to pursue them.

I'll continue to stay related to my friends in Rota and come back for fiestas and special events.  In fact, Negro Agujetas and I are going back to Vejer to compete in a singing contest this Saturday.  We'll see what happens in the fall.  I have the same phone numbers and emails.

Well, things don't seem to stand still, do they?

Thursday, May 13, 2010 Rota, Spain

There is little danger of boredom around here. Things are too dynamic.

The big news items are pretty sad. Andrea won't be back. And worse, after leaving, she was diagnosed with cancer. It turned out to be on a tonsil and they removed it. They think they got it all, but it will be a year before they are sure. But we are now doing a divorce. She had things she wanted to do with her life that weren't happening with me.

I sold the boat. I couldn't imagine sailing around alone. Some folks like that sort of thing. I'm not one of them. I listed the boat and two weeks later, it was gone! Damn. I wasn't really ready for that, but I quickly rented a piso (flat) here in Rota and am now all moved in. It could be worse. I am on top of the building with a huge outside terrace - with views of the ocean and castle right next door. Next thing is to buy my own car.

So all of a sudden I am having to figure out what to do with the rest of my life - and here I thought that it was all planned out. Silly me! Well, one thing that is still working for me is that I love Spain and things are going wonderfully here. People are so friendly and they really seem to like my music.

Funny, the flamenco fans in the US are mostly all performers of flamenco in some way. And when they go to parties, they are all waiting for a chance to perform. I'm not criticizing - I was one of them when I was there. It's a competetive scene and I am competetive. But here - there are listeners - people who just love the music and know how to listen to it. Wow, what a difference. It is wonderful to really feel heard!

So that's the news from here. I have a spare bedroom and would enjoy visitors.... or emails.

Still more of the same, but with some changes

January 28, 2010 Rota, Spain
This is sort of a good news/bad news report. The good news is that I continue to have an artistic success here. Famous artists like Luis el Zambo and Manuel Agujetas are dropping by the boat to visit and sing.

The bad news is that Andrea has gone back to California. If you read the last post, you saw that she wasn't having as much fun as I. She finally decided that she just wasn't happy here and couldn't see things getting much better. She has gone back to CA to regroup and create a life that she finds rewarding. So I remain here, not the cheeriest that I have ever been, but getting along OK. I'm devoting myself more to my writing and guitar to stay busy.

I have decided to sell the boat since this was a venture for the two of us and I have no real desire to sail around alone. I'm going to give it a few weeks and then list it with a broker. It will probably take a long time to sell in the current market and so I will just continue to live here and do what I am doing. If and when it sells, then I will have to decide whether or not to return to the States.

In the meanwhile, I remain here and would enjoys guests for a few days (if you have a wild urge to visit Spain). The emails are the same and I'd love some conversations in English.

More of the same - ain't it great???

October 31, 2009 Saturday
Again, I must apologize for the infrequent entries. I did add some ideas to the other blog - Essays from the Heart (see link at right), but basically we have gotten used to life here and things that once seemed marvelous now seem sort of normal. We divide our time between living quietly on the boat to intense social life and lots of fiestas. I continue to be the "house guitarist" at the local peña and in fact will be going there very soon for the regular saturday afternoon session. There have been some awesome fiestas lately - one of the high points being a fiesta in Utrera with about 30 singers, most of them pretty good. They sang buleria until daybreak with Steve Kahn, Isidro de Morón, and I sharing guitar duties.

The number 1 singer still living, Manuel Agujetas, came over to our boat the other day and left the spaniards on the dock with their mouths hanging open. He showed up on a motor scooter, bored because his wife was out of town, and looking for some socialization. Wow!

We went and picked olives yesterday with Miguel and are now curing them. Can't ever seem to get enough olives. I get it from my mom, I think.

Andrea and I are having sort of different experiences. My spanish is now to the point where I can participate socially pretty much all the time. She is where I used to be a few years ago (and can clearly remember) where after a while your brain gets exhausted trying to translate and you just space out and let it all go over your head. This of course separates you from the action and pretty soon you are bored. There is no quick fix for this, but she is studying hard and has found a fabulous tool, at least for her learning style. Friends gave us the program Rosetta Stone with spanish I, II, and III. This program doesn't ask you to conjugate verbs or memorize rules of grammar. It teaches language the way we learn it as children - by showing pictures and asking questions - everything in spanish. She is doing really well with this and is now starting conversations with me in spanish, just to practice. Yay!

The other thing that is hard for her is that there are lots and lots of foreign dance students over here (although not in Rota). The locals have no real interest is dazzling choreography, no matter how good. They welcome a very brief dance exhibition once or twice in a fiesta, placing value on personality and self-expression rather than on technique. In the fiesta in Utrera, there were about 7 spanish ladies who got up and did a few steps (over the course of 5 hours)and it was welcome. When Andrea got up, she kicked butt and got a warm response. But, here singing is what is prized and dance is just an occasional extra. That is the opposite of the situation in the USA and so she gets to sit around a lot listening to old farts singing and talking andalucian spanish - which is about as bad as Yorkshire english.

I on the other hand continue to get fussed over - an amazing number of people have seen us on television. When we applied for our Residencia at the Consulate in LA, the lady behind the counter recognized us because she had come back to Spain for the holidays and saw us on TV! So I try to compromise and when I see her eyes glazed over, we get up and leave. I'm now pretty blase and I don't worry that I will miss something since most of the really great singers are now dead and the younger generation isn't nearly as good. We can always see more flamenco.

What I really love is being with the people, and amazingly fitting in. Our email is the same - write and give us the news....

Back in España

Friday, September 25, 2009
Sorry to have virtually abandoned blogging while in the USA. Things were so ordinary that I didn't feel like writing about them. That said, it was wonderful to see so many family members and friends and to share time with them. Our big thanks to the many who provided spare bedrooms for us while we were there.
I came away a few impressions that I will share.
1) The pace of life in the US is pretty intense. Here in Andalucia, we have grown accustomed to a more leisurely pace and, being retired, we take full advantage of it. We found many Americans to be super-busy and had to carefully plan get-togethers around their hectic schedules.
2) Prices have gone up since we left. Three and four dollar beers (or more)!!! Yikes! And it was hard to find a burrito and a drink for lunch for less than $10.
3) Ideology seems to dominate political conversations - folks seem to have their minds made up and are not asking the important questions of the day. (I will list some of those on the other blog one of these days).

But now we are back in Spain. We visited the family in Madrid for a few days and then drove down to Rota where we relaunched the boat the same day. We are back in the same slip we had last year and started into massive cleaning and repairing of things. I brought back a new inverter/battery charger and replaced the one that died. Then our refrigerator/freezer wouldn't get cold because all the refrigerant had leaked out. This happens when the box is turned off because when the compressor doesn't turn, the seals dry out and the freon leaks. (This is why you should run your car AC every few weeks). But I had new refrigerant stored away and so was able to recharge the system and voila, ice cubes! The worst part was the dirt and grime. We continue to work on it.

But tonight, we are off for some social life at last. More later. And don't be afraid to write. We love to hear from y'all.

In the good old USA

Santa Cruz, California - August 12, 2009

We've been back for quite a while and I apologize for the lack of blogging. I've been busy writing essays on my other blog - Essays from the Heart - reached by clicking the link on the right side of this blog. This contains my ideas on Prison Reform and a lengthy essay on Parenting.

So we went through culture shock on getting back to the states. Everything moves sooooo fast and things have gotten noticeably more expensive. But we have been thriving thanks to the generosity of our friends. Ellen Troelszch was kind enough to loan us a car - a Lexus no less - during our stay and we are delighted to be travelling in such luxury. Many other friends have offered us a spare bedroom along the way. Thanks to all of you.

This is the Lexus. Cool, huh?

We have been busy performing and opportunities just keep showing up. We did shows in Big Sur and Fresno so far and have one coming up next weekend here in Santa Cruz. It looks like it will be sold out well in advance. We didn't notice the improvement in our art since it happened gradually, but folks who haven't seen us for a while could tell the difference. After Santa Cruz, we will be going down to Southern California to visit more family and friends.

Here we were at the big Fin de Verano Fiesta at the house of Pilar Moreno - I'm singing to the guitar of Ethan Margolis with Marisol Fuentes looking on. I had a horrid cold and this was the only time I sang.

Finally, before returning to Spain, we'll stop in North Carolina to visit even more family and friends. If you are reading this, I hope we got to spend time with you!

We stopped in Asheville, NC to visit son Tony, his wife Annette, and new grand-daughter Akilah.

We had so much fun with her!

But we miss Spain and are looking forward to reconnecting with our friends there as well. So far, not many friends have come to take advantage of our tour guide services in Spain. Maybe next year??

Our schedule in the USA....

June 15, 2009 Madrid
We are just about to fly back to the States and would like to catch up with as many of our old friends as possible (even some of our young ones).

Here's what we have so far:
June 20 -22 ..Sister Carol, Tucson AZ
June 23 - 25 .Brother Tom, Mojave, CA
End of June ..Santa Cruz storage unit, Doctors & Dentists
July 1...... .set up personal camp at Sweets Mill
July 4 .......Fresno, Sister Nancy
July 5......."work week" begins at Sweets Mill - Fresno area
July 10.......Sweets Mill begins
July 20- 22...Santa Cruz storage unit unload & hang posters in SC for show
July 26 ......Richard's Birthday in and around Northern CA
Aug 1.........Berkeley Daughter Elinore's Birthday
Aug 3........ Dermatologist - Santa Cruz
Aug 4 ........Fresno - sister Nancy?
Aug 15........Flamenco Show in Santa Cruz (The show on 16th is pending)
Aug 17 - 20 ..teach workshop in Santa Cruz
Aug 21 -23 ...Santa Cruz?
August 24 - Sept 8 ( Labor Day)..... Santa Barbara, LA, etc.
Sept 10 -18 visit son Tony & Nettie & Oriental, NC folks
Sept 19 arrive in Madrid

All or some of this may change if we get gig offers. We don't have time to organize them ourselves, but will happily jump into something that is ready to go. We're looking forward to seeing y'all!

Closing out Spain Chapter One.....

June 8, 2009 Monday
This will be our last posting from Rota this spring. We are in the process of packing our things and getting ready to leave the boat in the boatyard for the summer.

But some wonderful things have happened recently. Probably you would have to be us to really appreciate it, but we are just marvelling at the kindness and warmth we have received in Spain ever since we got here. Everywhere we go, we are welcomed like family. I almost can't believe it. Sure, we can do a surprising amount of flamenco - essentially a very arcane and private artform. But still, for whatever reason, we are truly grateful. I think they like that we love their culture so much.

One of the high points of my artistic career has been the presentation of a bronze plaque from our peña in appreciation of our contribution to the artistic life there - I played guitar for the saturday sessions and accompanied local and visiting artists during shows. Andrea danced in fiestas and on the stage. We were treated like equals.

Here is the plaque that they gave us.

Here is the president of the peña, Antonio "Bergalo", making a little speech.

From L to R, Miguel, his wife Pilar, us, Bernardo (who put us on local TV), and Juan Rizo, the first aficionado who opened up to us when we arrived.

Then yesterday we went on a Romeria in Chipiona. Romerias have become very big - they are essentially a pilgrimage, but unlike the big one to Rocío, these local ones don't go very far because they are for working folks who can't take a week off work. Like the one in Rota, they leave the downtown church on Saturday morning and go to a small chapel in the pines or on the beach. The devout walk or ride horses or travel in carriages. The trip takes and hour or so, then they arrive and have a little mass in the trees and then it is party time. (This must be a consolation prize for those who don't go on Rocío, which is truly special - we've been 7 times).

Strangely enough, the local virgin (every town should have one) is black, but the baby is white. I have no idea......

Here is the procession of pilgrims coming through the pines.

Then it was partytime. Here are Miguel, his sister, Maria and her husband who is singing a fandango.

Here is Juan "el Moro" from Sanlúcar, singing from his carriage. I get to accompany everyone who wants to sing and never know exactly what they are going to sing, only the basic rhythm.

And here are the two of us....

Better than dreams coming true....

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sometimes dreams come true and that is a wonderful experience, but what is beyond that is when things you never dared to dream about come true as well. I've been going through that of late.

Yesterday was a prime example. We were scorched after being at the Feria de Jerez until 5AM, but we had to get up for a communion celebration that was being held at the peña. We got there and discovered that we were in the midst of a gathering of the Agujetas clan (this is a dynasty of gypsy singers that is one of the most important remaining). There were Diego, Luis, and Negro Agujetas as well as Miguel, el gitano de bronce. As soon as I got there, a guitar was shoved into my hand and from that point on it was full-on flamenco. This was the first time I had ever seen Diego other than videos. In no time I was accompanying his bulerias and then the singers just rotated. From time to time I threw in a verse or two. What was amazing was that I got away with it. It was totally accepted - who knows, it might have been enjoyed. This is where the dreams come true part comes in. All afternoon I got to play for some of the best flamenco singers alive and they were totally happy with my playing. I hadn't played for Luis in many years and previously he didn't much like to sing with me. Well, I guess I learned a bit and things are now different. In fact, I had to turn down an offer to do a paying TV show with all of them in August because we will be in California. Now does that go beyond a dream come true?

Here we all were. Hopefully the labels show.

Sometimes fiesta pix come out blurry, but the content is more important than the technology. Here is Luís, with Miguel looking on.

Then, to keep the day from being dull, we jumped in the car with Manolo, Ana, Negro, Andi and I and drove to Vejer where Negro and I sang in a concurso (singing contest).
Here we all were when we got out of the car. Right to left, Manolo, Ana, Andrea, me, and Negro (whose real name is Angél).

The streets were so narrow that had to park outside and walk in. Vejer is a walled city on top of a mountain, although there has been a lot of building outside the walls now. This part of it is the old section laid out by the Moors - narrow, eh?


Negro was terrific and I wasn't the worst by any means. I was the first to sing and the peña was packed because it was still early. My soleá and siguiriya came off very well, judging from the video and the audience response. Then I invited Andi up to the stage to dance with my alegria. She rocked them! She's been in dance deprivation because there are few opportunities for dancers here and much competition for whatever there is. (Spain is all about the singing - dance is reserved for a few little steps at parties or full-on theater productions). But we have been rehearsing and she has a lot of new things worked out. Manolo did palmas, Andi tore up the floor, and the audience went nuts.

Some days, life is very, very good......

Videos are now on YouTube - there is a link on the right side of the page for all of our 17 videos - pick the ones from Vejer..

Zamora and the Feria of Rota

May 2, 2009
Miguel and I took off on a long road trip to perform in Zamora at a festival there. 8 hours on the road is what we got paid for; the singing and playing was fun. We were thoroughly saddlesore by the time we arrived. But we chilled in the hotel and soon felt much better.
The show went well. I opened with some of my usual schtick and then welcomed Miguel to the stage. Can you believe that I actually served as the announcer? He sang beautifully and the both of us got really cranked up. (Sorry no pix or video, but the camera operator wasn't there) After the show, the peña hosted a dinner party for us and since we were so pumped up, we kept the flamenco coming and the peña really got their money's worth.
After all that, we went back to the hotel, but neither of us could sleep and so we started telling stories and laughing (it reminded me of a slumber party complete with giggles) until finally the neighbors banged on the wall. We were just talking - what was the problem? Thin walls I guess.
The next day was another 8 hours on the road, but we ended up happy enough. We took a nap and then escorted the ladies to the feria. They had already gone without us the previous day and so had their own adventures to relate. The daughters of Manolo and Ana really liked to dance the sevillana, so Andi got lots of exercise. They they ran into Jose Merce, who M and A know well.

Here is the entrance to the Rota Feria at night.

Although nothing to compare to the horsey scene in Sevilla, Rota still has plenty of horses and carriages. To my eye, the horses here are the most beautiful in the world (although they can't equal the women!).

Here is Andi with Manolo and Ana and their daughters in the caseta of the Socialist Party PSOE (the one in power at the moment).

Here are Andi and Ana with flamenco superstar Jose Merce.

The parents, if they can afford it, love to dress the muppets up for feria. They start learning to dance at this age.

Some of the casetas are just bars and tables for socializing. Others, like this one, have a full on stage for entertainers.

After Miguel and I got back from Zamora we jumped into feria with both feet.