Well, I remember quite a long time ago not wanting anyone to know what my ethnicity was. I was very shy about it and very secretive about anything about myself. Of course, that was so many centuries ago that I guess there was a lot of prejudice at that time. Although, that was not my reason for keeping it under wraps. So . . . . .alright, I'll tell you! I'm 50% Castilian (that's Spain, for those of you who are pretending they don't know) and 50% Mexican. Whew, that wasn't so hard, was it? Anyway, as the centuries started to roll by, somehow I started to have a need to get back to my roots. I don't know why it had been such a problem for me before. I remember that our mom sent my eldest sister and me to flamenco dance classes. I always thought that the reason was that we were so horribly shy, and close to being autistic. Mom said no, that the reason was that she wanted us to reconnect to our heritage. I don't know.......??? Sounds awfully fishy to me. Anyway, I think it was probably the best thing my sister and I could have done -- being totally antisocial as we were. Yes, I remember in my early teen years and even as recently as last week, wearing dark sun glasses and crossing to the other side of the street so that I wouldn't have to have any interaction or eye contact with anyone possibly walking by. Plus during our former years, into our adulthood, we did not want to wear our hair in curls, nor wear frilly dresses. We just wanted to be plain janes. Pluueeeeze, God forbid you make us look nice and someone might notice us!!!
We all used to go to our maternal grandmother's house. Yes, that would be our Castilian grandmother. God forbid that we said our Spanish grandmother. Mom would probably respond, "We are The "Blue Blood" of Spain!! As yes, I wonder where I got my prejudicial ways from? Aw, it's okay, mama!! Well, we would sit in abeulita's house(that's what we called our grandmother) and listen to "Castilian" music ad nauseum. My sister and I would try to stifle our laughter every time one of the gypsy flamenco songs came on (which was constantly). You know, the Spanish (I mean, Castilian singers who scream and yell and clap their hands (palmas)?? Meanwhile, abeulita would serve us (yes, 8 yrs and 12 yrs old) shot glasses of anisette. I would scrunch my face all up with dislike after drinking one glass and then follow it up with a shot of cool, plain water. Wow!!! It's a wonder I didn't become an alcoholic.
Well, later in my adult life. Yes, this century. I had a personal need to sing Mexican and Castilian songs (no, I'm never going to refer to Castilian songs as Spanish songs; so just forget it). I don't know why, or where that need came from, but it did. I started out with Mexican songs, or cowboy songs with a Mexican style. I found that I had an ability at yodelling too. So, I got great glee from doing this in everyone's ear. I even did the good luck speech at my daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner as a yodelling song. Yeah, I know. If you're shy, why in the world would you choose to do a yodel at your child's wedding rehearsal, rather than a conventional speech? Well, my reason is, I wouldn't have been any good with a speech!!!
First I started off singing cowboy songs (that my Mexican father used to sing --YEAH, he did; with a yodel even!!). So, I would sing Spanish songs with that Mexican style falsetto using. I sang Spanish songs that my mother used to sing. Yes, she sang too. And Wow, did she sing. She had the loveliest high soprano voice there ever was. She told me she was a high coloratura (whatever that is?) until she ruined her voice satisfying other people's whims by talking while she had laryngitis. Could never understand why she never used it before that happened, though, in a commercial way. Her voice was really, really beautiful.
Then, I got it in my head that I needed to learn cante (yeah, there's that word again -- castillian (ghee!!! I actually should learn how to spell it). For two years now I've been googling and searching all over for a cante school. Well, last year, through a complete accident of joining a flamenco dance/cante class (which was actually only a dance class to the cante music), I found this great cante teacher.
So I finally went to the cante class. Actually, I decided to add the flamenco dance class that took place just before the cante class. Well, I thought, I know this. I took six years of it as a child, so it should come back to me. So, I took the dance class. Everything was fine until the teacher said, "Ok, now we're going to dance with a partner." Well, what's the big deal?," I thought. "I go partner dancing several times a week." Whoaaaaa!!!! I got so discombobulated!!!! I could not believe it. "Ahh, I start with my right foot? Errrr, now my left foot? Ummm, I'm a little confused here, which foot??" Whoa!!! How embarrasing is that??
Well, now to the cante class. There were about eight students. The teacher is the most adorable continental-type Spaniard there is. Everyone in the class got kisses on both sides of their cheeks. And, he has an incredible voice!!! I just love him!
So, we start. I sit back and listen and wonder what in the hell is happening. They're singing, but I can't follow the lyrics AT ALL!!! Plus, they are systematically dropping off consonants and changing the last syllables to sounds that are not written there. Of course, the lyrics are in Spanish, but I really can't follow the system here. I was so totally confused. Plus, I didn't have a full complement of the music sheets (which consist of only lyrics). More confusion.
Well, I humbly submit to you. I just sat there mute for the entire class. It was so very intimidating. There was no way I could do anything on my own. It was on my third visit (2/15/10), having forgotten my eyeglasses at home, that I attempted to do anything. You ask me why? I don't know. Call me STUPID!!!. So, our teacher asks me if I want to try it out. I'm holding my lyrics page. The other students are offering to lend me their eyeglasses. But, to my dismay, none of them are the right magnification for me. So, I finally tell them, "it's ok, I'll just squint." And squint I did. I got through it "somehow" and will post the outcome below. And, let's hope that in years, maybe centuries to come, I will have improved. I'll tell you, this is the hardest vocal challenge I've come across. But, I MUST get back to my roots. Also, I found that the same challenges I have singing songs in English appeared in Spanish songs. Albeit, I didn't have my eyeglasses on. But, the outcome seemed to be the same as with English. I am completely lyrically challenged and just fumble through the lyrics. If you'll note, the group and the teacher laughed (good heartedly, yes), at my lyric mess-up.
http://www.flamencolatino.com/cante_group_class_audio/Bulerias%20Conchi%205.3.10.mp3
Well, the next time I got a chance at making a fool of myself was on 3/1/10:
http://www.flamencolatino.com/cante_group_class_audio/Bulerias%20de%20Jerez%20Conchi%203.1.10.mp3
And now, I've missed classes for about one and a half months. You can imagine how I feel. Like the little kid who has missed classes for a long time and feels he will never catch up with the class. Well, I'm gonna try to do a bit of homework this weekend and get to that class this Monday. We'll see. But, I certainly do not feel that I've progressed at all. And, maybe that's because I really haven't. I've been busy with the ass fresco catering, then dance weekends, then the solo at the jazz concert, and lastly the CBC concert with the noodling, along with Monica on Aquarius. I'll be going to cante class next on 5/3/10 and will report back. I hope I haven't taken two steps back.
Well, I decided to go to the Kennedy Bar and have a big fat hamburger and french fries (which I read they are famous for). But, when I arrived there it was already a bit late (due to the ridiculous crawling of the train). So, I decided to have a glass of wine, go to the class, and then return for the hamburger.
I get to the class, and as I thought, I've missed very important classes in one month and a half. They are doing clapping (palmas) and counter point rhythms, etc., etc. Again I don't know what is going on. Well, what else is new? Well, here goes. I actually got to the second page of the one song. Hopefully, I'll reach the third page by 2012.
http://www.flamencolatino.com/cante_group_class_audio/Bulerias%20Conchi%205.3.10.mp3
Whew!!! Back to Kennedy Tavern for my comfort food. And, it certainly was comfort. :)
Well, I went to Ashokan with the hopes of singing this song. I asked Larry Baione, one of the highest respected guitarists and director of the guitar department at Berklee School of Music to accompany me. He told me "I'm by no means a flamenco guitarist but I'll see what I can put together." I tried to give him an idea what it sorta sounded like by attaching a capo on my guitar and playing an E fingering. He had never used a capo before. Of course not, he's a real musician and makes his own chords.
http://www.flamencolatino.com/cante_group_class_audio/Bulerias%20Conchi%207.5.10.mp3
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/959832111/27c25d8a4af94cc85ce4b0af728f8f25
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