PUBLISHED AUGUST 2006

This month's articles  
| Bye Felipe | Tapita | Live | Sevillanas

Flamenco Dream continues

Local guitarist Felipe Coelho is packing up and leaving to go back home to Brazil next Thursday. But it's just another step towards his flamenco dream.

Felipe Coelho, native of Brazil, has lived in Atlanta for 3 years; first to attend school earning a master degree in performance from Georgia State University and to work as a professional performer soon after graduation. Although he was not a mature artist, Atlanta did have great opportunities for him to earn living playing mainly Brazilian music and jazz. He also has played flamenco more and more recently. How was Atlanta and Atlanta's flamenco scene to him? What's his grand plan for the future?

jaleole: How was your artistic development in Atlanta?
Coelho: Although not a mecca for flamenco or arts in general, (Atlanta) did offer me the opportunity for growth and to support myself with my art. As an artist who was beginning to flourish, it was perfect.

jaleole: Do you dream of going to a place like New York?
Coelho: Yes. In 10 years I'd like to go to New York City and work in flamenco or music in general, Brazilian jazz or whatever I've been working on.

jaleole: What's your immediate plan right after you leave Atlanta?
Coelho: (I will) work on a cruise ship for 6 months starting September 30, cruising from Boston to Canada, then down to Caribbean and Central America. (I will) play broadway music with an orchestra and some jazz. I may do flamenco if I get a chance to have his own solo concerts on the ship. (After that, I will) pursue recording my own material in Brazil.

jaleole: (As far as flamenco goes) did working with Perla Flamenca Dance Company and other flamencos in Atlanta help you develop?
Coelho: Immensley. Working with Julie (Baggenstoss) was a real nice door. She was ther first dancer I accompanied. Then I worked with Rina (Menosky). And, I've been accompanying Martha's (SidAhmed) classes for this past year. I experienced a lot of growth.

jaleole: Was it difficult to be an educated musician, with a master's degree in music, to more or less start over when you learned to accompany?
Coelho: It's something that puts you in a humble place. The only way to go through that successfully is to be humble. You can study for years on something, then know nothing on that instrument when you look at it from a different direction, like from jazz to flamenco. I don't feel like I have to be perfect because it's a quest and the pleasure is in the quest.

jaleole: What do you see for Atlanta in the next 5 years?
Coelho: Not a lot of future for Brazilian jazz or flamenco. Hip hop is taking a lot of energy here. Maybe (there's) a chance for cross-over. I see jazz people working with hip hop. Jazz and flamenco naturally grow as the city gets bigger. Jazz clubs in town are always empty. The flamenco community is alive. It's there. But in the city itself, I don't see a boom, at least not in my short time here. Flamenco, I don't see it going down but not taking over either.

jaleole: ANY LAST words for Atlanta as you depart?
Coelho: Remember why we're here. Try to forget about the things that happen in every day life. The more the world develops, the more we get caught up in the things that go with it, like money. It's not about that. It's about giving love.

jaleole: es muy flamenco!

Atlanta was a good place for Coelho because of the time in his life - his age, his getting out of school, his beginning to work. Now he pursues his dream of becoming a world class touring guitarist. Atlanta flamenco community will always remember this young energetic flamenco lover and miss him tremendously!

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¡Toma La Tapita!

Janet Ruiz is known as an awesome chef amongst her sevillanas dancing friends. Today she shares her little secret on making her "pinchitos". Contributed by Janet Ruiz:

Here is the recipe I use to make the "Pinchitos". You can use all kind of meats (boneless pork chops, or chicken or beef in small cubes). I use pork because that's what they use most in Puerto de Santa Maria (in Spain where I used to live). Even the hamburgers are made with pork!!!!

Mix enough to cover the meat and marinade for at least 2 hours: You determine the quantity - a pinch here and there, a drop of this, a shot of that, a bunch of this and a little of that - but use the following ingredients:

-olive oil
-paprika
-cilantro
-parsley
-oregano
-cumin (a touch only, very overpowering if too much)
-onions
-garlic
-salt and pepper

And I even added a guindilla. A very small and skinny red pepper (pepperoncino) for an extra "hah"!

Put the meat in pinchos (sticks) and grill (use a grill pan if you use the bamboo sticks so they won't burn) until they are done.

How'd ya like my recipe? I got my inspirations from these two sites: http://www.atapear.com/recetario-de-tapas/brochetas
and
http://www.geocities.com/buenascomidas/pinchitos.html

Besos,
Janet

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Loving Live

A flamenco student, Rebecca Lutz, shares her experience and view of the relationship between live music and dance. By Rebecca Lutz

I've been a musician my entire life and my very fondest musical memories are of playing chamber music with other musicians. Playing music in these settings taught me, very quickly, the importance of listening and responding to what others around me were doing. Learning to communicate in this manner was an amazing experience and is what really drew me into becoming a musician. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was to discover the same type of communication in dance.

I began dancing in 1997 at a Latin dance club in St. Louis. I was overjoyed to learn I could respond in my dancing to what I was hearing in the music. The same was true, if not more so, when I began belly dancing.

And lucky for me, I was in a dance troupe that allowed me to marry my musical skills with dance. I became the resident flute player for our dance troupe and had the great opportunity to join forces with our drum-playing troupe members in performing live music for the other dancers in our troupe. While I played, I watched and fed off of the dancers probably more than they were aware. In this way, I learned that with live music it really is a two-way street of communication ­ the dancers aren't just dancing to what the musician is playing but the musicians are most certainly playing to what the dancers are dancing.

Although playing for dancers was an invaluable experience, I still hadn't really had the chance for ME to dance to live music. Here is where flamenco comes in!

I've had the great fortune of being able to have dance class nearly every Saturday for the past 6 months with live guitar accompaniment. And now, to have had an amazing workshop with not only the amazing Ulrika Frank but with an entire set of flamenco musicians - I really couldn't be more lucky!

The wonderful things I've learned through these dance experiences are probably too many to mention here, but I there are a few notable ones.

Performing dance now for 8 years, I've certainly discovered that no two performances are exactly the same. Some times you nail that difficult step and other times you don't... However, by using CDs and recorded music (which is most certainly okay and absolutely necessary a lot of the time) I know that I can always depend on the music to "be there" (unless the CD skips!) which certainly helps but sometimes hinders. I know the music is dependable but I also know I am "tied" to the rhythms and tempos dictated by the recording. I can alter what I do only so much.

With live music, yes, it is certainly less "predictable" but that is where the real communication between dancer and musician lies. I¹m no longer the only one that can "change" the experience. The musicians can alter the experience, change the mood, surprise the audience as much as I can as a dancer.

But, herein lies the beauty and the challenge. We have to work together to create something special. It really is a truly cooperative experience that can only be perfected through the act of doing. In this way I feel extremely lucky that Atlanta's flamenco community has fantastic flamenco musicians both in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. Musicians that are willing play for us dancers and to help us learn the true beauty and excitement of this "otherworldly" form of communication.

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New Tablao, New Commitment

Atlanta flamenco aficionados can now see flamenco performance on Friday and Saturday nights, weekly.

Pinchintos flamencos. It's one of the hottest things going at new tapas restaurant Ibiza, but don't look for it on the menu. Rather, you'll find it on stage, where flamenco dance performances satisfy the appetite of the eye every Friday and Saturday night.

"Ibiza is bringing a new concept to Atlanta. It wants to give customers a short trip to different Hispanic/Mediterranean cultures through distinctive dances. Performing flamenco at Ibiza is enjoyable, because this art has been observed and appreciated as one," says Gloriela Rosas, who has been performing at the restaurant for nearly a month.

Rosas' performances are drawing a crowd, according to Mansour Ismail, partner and manager of Ibiza Restaurant and Lounge. He says some customers seek out the restaurant because they know flamenco is there.

Ismail says he decided to include flamenco in Ibiza's line up of live dance performances because of his Spanish roots. "My mother is Spanish... When I was a child my mother influenced me a lot with flamenco... So I got hooked into it," he explains.

Ismail is in turn getting Atlanta hooked on flamenco, along with the help of Rosas. As a flamenco dance teacher, in addition to performer, Rosas is interested in promoting and raising awareness of flamenco in Atlanta. "Ibiza is opening the doors very gratefully to anything that relates to flamenco and that is a huge help," she says.

Ibiza has made a commitment to flamenco, building a tablao for performers and offering its restaurant to Atlanta's flamenco community for more than just performances. "It's part of the restaurant. I'm looking for long term," says Mansour.

So far, flamenco is growing with Ibiza. Local aficionados are flocking to the restaurant to celebrate with flamenco and sevillanas dancing. Meantime, performers are working behind the scenes to develop what the audience sees on stage. More performers and live musicians are on the wish list for future performances, according to Rosas.

Ibiza is located at 2285 Peachtree Rd, Suite 100. Flamenco shows begin at 8:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

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© jaleolé.com 2006