PUBLISHED MARCH 28, 2005

This month's articles | Man | Student Show | Yard Sale | Jerez | Talk

Jerry Fields strives to be a flamenco leader in Atlanta.

Who is Jerry Fields?

If you've got to give him a title, start with percussionist, teacher, performer, poet, singer, producer, cajon player. And, that's just a start. Fields wears so many titles because he is a man who loves music so much that he has given his life to it. Now, flamenco has his attention, and 40 years into his music career, he's devoting a large part of his time to growing the Spanish art form in Atlanta.

Jerry Fields leads a master class at Lagrange College, along with Ulrika Frank and Marija Temo.   Flamenco students circle Jerry Fields during dance class.   Jerry Fields performs at Compound Nightclub.

Fields first appeared in the Atlanta flamenco scene in late 2001, when he began performing with Atlanta-based Pasión Flamenca, a group composed of dancer Ulrika Frank, guitarist Witold Tulodziecki, basist Mike Cady and singer Carmen Deal. Since then, he has performed with Seville-born flamenco singer Alfonso Sid, San Antonio flamenco singer Chayíto Champión, flamenco guitarist Arturo Martínez of Chicago, and Atlanta flamenco dance company Perla Flamenca.

Flamenco came easily to Fields thanks to his vast musical knowledge and professional experience playing numerous genres from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco. He earned a music degree from Kennesaw State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Fields has decades of experience as a professional musician, including a national tour as a recording artist with Columbia Records. Before entering the flamenco scene, Fields was well known in Atlanta and around the country as the founder of Atlanta-based Vecinos del Mundo. For years the Latin jazz group garnered acclaim for its ability to mix jazz melodies with the syncopated rhythms of the Afro-Cuban tradition.

Today, Vecinos del Mundo - Neighbors of the World - includes the folks next door from Spain. That's speaking figuratively, of course. But, literally, Fields is tapping into the United States' best professional talent to produce shows in Atlanta that are on a level commensurate with top companies anywhere in the country. He's doing so not only as a percussionist, but as a producer -- a leader.

"As a very non-necessary component of flamenco (a cajon player), I choose not to wait around for guitar players and singers to show up and possibly hire me. I want to play flamenco," says Fields.

Expect Fields' flamenco presentations to be world-class and of extreme quality. "I'm comparing myself to the international professional flamenco community. That's the bar that I'm trying to reach. I'm trying to provide music in the Atlanta area that will stand up anywhere." While that sounds like a mighty goal, it's realistic for Fields, who has achieved similar stature with the Afro-Cuban work done by Vecinos del Mundo.

Fields is on his way to accomplishment. He has strong relationships with local talent agents and is builing a list of out-of-town flamenco contacts that includes artists who visit Atlanta for workshops and performances. Fields is encouraged by their reception of him, from Teo Morca to Marija Temo. "I never get resistance from out-of-towners," says Fields.

Left to right, Ulrika Frank, Marija Temo and Jerry Fields perform in Flamenco Dreams.

Fields has produced two flamenco shows in 2005, inviting out-of-towners to join him on stage for both. The latest spawned dozens of Atlantans to drive nearly two-and-a-half hours to Lagrange, Ga., in mid-March. That's where Fields' presented Flamenco Dreams, An Evening of Flamenco, at Lagrange College. The show featured himself, and two talented ladies from Washington, D.C.: singer/guitarist Marija Temo and former Atlanta dancer Ulrika Frank. Together the trio meshed thunderous moments with silky melodies and even silence to get their point across to the audience.

"I consider the show a success because of the level of passion, the level of professionalism, the element of surprise [during the show]," says Fields. "There was improvisation. There were things that happened in the moment that were not planned. When you're comfortable, you can have a conversation that's meaningful - communication."

Fields hopes to carry that success into his next two projects. On May 7, he will head an ensemble of musicians and dancers in a production for a private corporate client. The project gives locals a chance to work with other artists and producers who are nationally renowned. Following that production, watch for Fields to draw together a handful of musicians to form a new concept for flamenco in Atlanta.

"One of the projects that I'm planning to do is to put together an instrumental-based group that is challenging to musicians as well as dancers and will occasionally feature local singers," says Fields.

Fields not only wants to give to the local flamenco community by bringing in great artists. "Hopefully I'll be able to interface with locals and give them opportunities to perform at a high level," he says.

Thus, a new flamenco leader emerges, providing opportunity for those who follow to see the level that is above and providing inspiration for those same people to rise up to their own higher bar.

In addition to performing, Jerry Fields also teaches percussion to children and adults. Inquire about his classes and his flamenco productions by e-mailing him at absolutejerry@comcast.net, or visit his Web site at www.jerryfields.com.

Back to Top

Inspiration is Jerez Souvenir

An Atlanta dancer brings home words of inspiration, as well as new dance steps from the Festival de Jerez.

Back from a long trip to Spain, Perla Flamenca dance company member Stefanie's mind is whirling not with dance steps, but words of inspiration that she heard from her teachers at the Festival de Jerez.

Andres Peña taught Stefanie about showing strength during his seguiriyas workshop in Jerez, Spain.

Stephanie studied with two flamenco dancers who have just begun to make their mark on the art: Antonio el Pipa and Andres Peña. She says, while she is greatful for the dances that she learned from these men, she's even more greatful for the inspiration they have left in her heart.

Antonio el Pipa told her in class, "The footwork and the speed are not at the most important things when you dance flamenco. What is important is what comes from the heart. Okay, you have the step, and so? What are you doing with it? Now, dance it! Argh! Dance it I said! With all your heart, you muscles, your... and look up!!!"

From Andres Peña, she learned, "Be powerful in your dance. When you dance you should feel that you are heavy, that you weight at least 200 kilos. But it's not question of making noise, it's question of being strong and showing your strength."

Stephanie's trip to Spain included a two-week visit to Jerez for the city's Festival de Jerez. Held every February and March, it's the only flamenco festival in Spain devoted solely to flamenco dance. Stephanie was among thousands of dance students and aficionados who descended upon the city for 14 days of workshop classes, theater performances and pena showcases.

Back to Top

Student Show

Students take the spotlight in June.

Mark your calendars for the jaleolé.com student expo! It will be held on the evening of Saturday, June 4 at the Atlanta International School. All flamenco dance and music students across metro Atlanta are invited to take part in the show. Students are already hard at work to prepare pieces that will explain to their friends and families just what they do when they "go to flamenco class." Visit jaleolé.com again in April for more details about the show.

Back to Top

Yard Sale

Flamencos go bargain hunting and swap goodies.

Make plans to attend a flamenco yard sale on Sunday, April 17, 2-4 p.m. Used and new items, including clothing, shoes, and more, will be offered for sale by local flamenco students, teachers and performers. This is the perfect time to pick up a new costume for the student show or any other special event. It's also a great place to sell flamenco items that have been crowding your closet. Anyone wishing to sell items at the yard sale should RSVP by April 15 by e-mailing jaleolé.com at jaleole@jaleole.com. Buyers do not need to RSVP. The sale will be held in Roswell. Please contact jaleolé.com (e-mail: jaleole@jaleole.com) for the address of the sale.

Back to Top

A Lot To Talk About

Students react to the Marija Temo & Ulrika Frank flamenco communicatio workshop.

March was an eye opening month for those who attended the flamenco communication workshop given by guitarist/singer Marija Temo and dancer Ulrika Frank. The two instructors worked together to demystify flamenco communication for dancers and guitarists during the three-day workshop.

Students in the level II dance class give energy and expression to their steps. Photo by Martha SidAhmed.

Marija Temo (left) and Ulrika Frank (right) teach the flamenco communication workhsop together in Atlanta in March. Photo by Martha SidAhmed.

It was Temo's fourth full-blown communication workshop in Atlanta, and the first time that Frank joined her as a co-instructor. Their new, joint format gave dancers body movements to apply to Temo's communication lecture notes. Meantime, Temo explained to guitarists how they can change one musical thought into different sounds to intensify the expression of the singer or dancer.

Reaction to the workshop was mixed, as beginners learned beside people who have studied flamenco for years. All took away something new from the weekend.

Rachael Gorwitz, first year flamenco dance student and first-timer to a Marija Temo workshopsaid, "Even though I was kind of intimidated (most people seemed pretty experienced, even in level one), I felt like I was able to pick up a lot. So, I would say that it was definitely worth attending. Ulrika and Marija were both wonderful teachers, even though Marija was kind of scary when she told us that, if we don't understand how to modify the dance based on the interplay with the music, we have no business doing this. I was thinking, 'man, I am just trying to figure out where we are in the 12 count!'"

Rebecca Money Johnson, fourth year flamenco dance student and first-timer to a Marija Temo workshop, compared the experience to a painter's development, saying, "Picasso could paint [realism of] Davinci, Titian and Raphael when he was younger. He took what he knew and made the cubism paintings that we know now. Marija gives us structure for us to later develop."

"I'm glad that Ulrika made sense of the choreography. It was interesting. She said, 'Here are the steps, but I don't care about them when Marija is playing. It's more important to be thinking and listening.'"

Finally, she talked about dealing with the fear that comes with communication class. "Julie's class prepared me for the workshop. We've been working in a circle. It helped me get over the fear, knowing I have a back pack [of steps to use] from my classes with Martha. Ulrika and Marija had an attitude that was open. They just want to see us get it. For that, my anxiety didn't get worse during the workshop. It subsided."

Kim Nolte, fourth-year flamenco dance student and third-timer to a Marija Temo workshop said she finally understood what Marija means by "the structure" of cante. It helped to see the structure by watching Marija trace the rise and fall of the "lines" of cante in a diagram, while she sang the words. Of her first two workshops with Temo, Nolte recalls being "terrified, as if I were sitting in the chemistry class... It was as if Marija were speaking another language," she said.

Back to Top
 
Back to Archive main page

© jaleolé.com 2005