minamax10

Greetings!

I'm planning to see a flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria in October. Since I need to buy 7 tickets, I do not want to do it on the day of the show. I think I'd like to reserve / purchase tickets in advance. I see that tickets for flamenco shows (at different venus) are available through FlamencoTickets.com site. They do have tickets for Casa de la Flamenco too. Is it a reliable site?

Also, I think this is a question for Kimhe Is there a way to see who will be performing at Casa de la Memoria on Oct 5-6-7-8?

kimhe

Never used FlamecoTickets, but they seem to be all over the place, and have been so for many years, so probably a perfectly fine service. They know what the're talking about when presenting the different venues. "The performance features singing, dancing and guitar playing by a rotation of some of the best flamenco artists from Seville. Performers at the venue have included Pastora Galvan (National Prize of Flamenco Dancing), as well as Asunción Pérez “Choni”, Maribel Ramos and Leonor Leal, all award winners of different flamenco dance competitions. Singer Jeromo Segura, was awarded the Special Prize as the best young flamenco singer in the prestigious “Festival de las Minas”.

Also look out for Davíd Pérez, Adela Campallo, Rafael Campallo, and Lucía Alvarez "La Piñona" (but only great artists perform here). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBo1M7qX53k

The program for your dates is eventually published here (click on the date and performance), but the October program will not be published before the last day in September. http://www.casadelamemoria.es/agenda/

minamax10

Thank you Kimhe. I will check the link you sent sometime at the end of September. Since we are all novices when it comes to flamenco, we will enjoy the show with whoever will be performing on our date

kimhe

I'm sure you will enjoy, but you will also be richly awarded for being a bit prepared. Here's a short presentation of flamenco on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/flamenco-00363

Here's the start of Carlos Saura's brillant movie "Flamenco" from 1995, the best intro to this powerful and beautiful art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H-j7VXEXzE

Nelson

We used FlamencoTickets for advance booking for our performance at Arte y Sabores de Córdoba, a kimhe recommendation that was fabulous.

In fact our reserved table in the small venue was right in front of the stage, perfect! A confirmation e-mail came from FlamencoTickets in a timely manner.

As I recall we only paid a portion of the ticket price at time of booking, then paid the balance in cash the night of the show, but don't hold me to that.

At least one of Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy is on Netflix DVD, amazing stuff.

minamax10

Thank you Kimhe. "Flamenco" is uploaded in bits on YouTube. Have it on now. Powerful! Indeed makes the anticipation of our actual flamenco night even bigger. Starting to have slight regret that we didn't try to be in Seville during Flamenco festival this Sept-Oct. We are arriving just a few days after.

Before the trip, the ladies and I usually try to do something related to the place we visit. Just a couple of days ago, we all went to see a documentary film "Paco de Lucía la búsqueda" We greatly enjoyed it.

Our next activity probably will be ...an hour introduction flamenco lesson here in Tokyo! That'll be a sight to behold

minamax10

Thank you Nelson, glad to hear that you had no problem using FlamencoTickets site. Very reassuring.

kimhe

The Paco de Lucía documentary is fabulous, what a guitarist he was! Entre dos aguas (Between to waters) stands forever. Paco was from Algeciras where the Med meets the Atlantic, and this "between two waters" approach brought some whole new life into flamenco. And today even the purists praise him as the greatest flamenco guitarist of all times. Entre dos aguas from (1976): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyhlad64-s

And, as I probably have mentioned earlier, flamenco is huge in Japan, more flamenco schools there than in Spain. And plain fantastic and boundary breaking Rocío Molina is highly fascinated by and influenced by Japanese culture, theater traditions and dance (both she and the most cutting edge male flamenco dancer Israel Galván are clearly inspired by butoh dance). Seeing her again in a four hour long night performance into the last day of the Bienal.

Molina in a fine and small recent interview: "Simply sit back and let yourself be taken away, flamemco is very generous, it's an explosion and you will receive so much": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXUxaGZVF3Y

kimhe

And what a coincidence, a couple of days ago the major flamenco web-site in Spain published an article about the popularity of flamenco in Japan: http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/es...s-world-1.html

minamax10

Yes, Kimhe, you mentioned before that flamenco schools were in abundance in Tokyo. I think that was my push for planning a hands on experience with the fierce dance! Haven't told the ladies yet, but I am sure they will get a kick out of trying their skills. I've looked up information about flamenco and its connection to Japan. Also, it was, as you rightly put, a coincidence that they had an article published about the popularity of flamenco in Japan! Good timing!

I enjoyed the documentary about Paco de Lucia a lot. Even though it was in Spanish and even though I understood only a small part of it ) But the music is universal and his talent was awe-inspiring.

kimhe

Here is Saura's follow up movie from 2010 "Flamenco, Flamenco" with many of the greatest artists on the current scene, Sara Baras, Miguel Poveda, Estrella Morente, Israel Galván, Rocío Molina etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4qz9V9unk

And a documentary about the greatest flamenco dancer ever, Carmen Amaya (1917-1963) from the poor Somorrostro district in Barcelona. Amaya - "La Capitana" - became an international living legend after she fled Spain and the Civil war in 1936 and laid all America for her feet, not least New York and Buenos Aires, and through several movies. She said she learnt to dance flamenco from the waves of the Sommorostro beach, now the Barceloneta beach, and here is also her memorial, the Fuente de Carmen Amaya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB8Rl0xWbCs

minamax10

Dear Kimhe, thank you for the links. these two will make for an interesting watch over the weekend!