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PUBLISHED JANUARY 1, 2008 |
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Essentially FlamencoFlamencos near and far share "must-have" items to help them survive being stranded during holiday travelsAs the holiday travel season gains momentum, jaleolé.com recently posed the following question to flamencos around the globe: If you were stranded at an airport, on a tropical island, at a relative's house, in a car, on a train --- or even in a mall parking lot --- during the holiday rush, which three flamenco-related items would you absolutely want (or NEED) with you and why? By Dawne Dawson jaleolé.com appreciates the opportunity to share the following "must-have" lists so other readers can find and experience the essential objects of our respondents' "flamenco passions:" Angela Gomez - Lawrenceville, GA Rina Menosky - Atlanta Windi Sebren - New Orleans Dawne Dawson - Atlanta Solangel "Lali" Calix - Sevilla, Spain Rebecca Money Johnson - Atlanta Ruth Petitt - Duluth, GA Anailza Cordeiro - Decatur, GA Rebecca Lutz - Atlanta Armando "El Torito" Bermudez - Atlanta Gaby Girón - Duluth, Julie Baggenstoss - Decatur, GA Celebrating the season the Spanish wayVillancicos and Los Tres Reyes Magos By Mocha TrimierWith the Christmas season upon us, it¹s time to take a break from the eggnog and sing some carols! However, before you start your rousing chorus of ³The Twelve Days of Christmas,² let¹s take a look at how the season is celebrated in Spain. Villancicos are the equivalent of our Christmas carols, but while we sing of ³The Twelve Days of Christmas,² the Spanish mean it! Villancicos are sung throughout the season, with subjects ranging from the birth of Jesus in the manger to the motherly duties of Mary. They can range from light and festive to solemn songs sung as arias and at masses during the season. Warm up your pipes and learn a few here: navidaddigital.com/viancicos/ The holiday season officially starts for Spaniards on December 22nd and ends January 6th. When the Spanish Christmas Lottery (Sorteo de Navidad) numbers are announced over a five-hour broadcast and students are free for winter vacations, the season has begun. The lottery was supposedly started in 1763, by King Carlos III, so if you¹re feeling lucky and are in Spain for the holidays, pick up a ticket, and send me 10% of your winnings! Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is celebrated much the same as it is here in the States and is followed by Mass at midnight, with celebrations continuing throughout Christmas Day. December 28th, El Día de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocents), marks the brutal killing of thousands of children under the age of three by King Herod. However, before you get depressed, in Spain, it is a day of outrageous practical jokes (like our April Fool¹s Day), not dramatic recreations. Next comes New Year¹s Eve (Nochevieja), so have your twelve grapes ready when midnight strikes to ensure your luck continues into the new year. I¹m still waiting for my check from your lottery winnings, by the way. To end the season and preceding Three Kings Day (El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos) on January 6th, a parade filled with floats and candy-tossing representations of the Magi (Baltazar, Gaspar and Melchor) is held. Those who did not receive their presents from Papa Noel will receive them on the 6th of January. A traditional cake, Rosca de Reyes, is made, and the one who receives the slice containing the small doll baked into the cake to represent the baby Jesus is said to have good luck the rest of the year. If you¹re in the mood to try your hand at baking one of these cakes, there is a recipe from Belief Net here: beliefnet.com Hopefully these little factoids will inspire you to add to your own traditions and customs. Happy Holidays!
Don Pohren RememberedAn integral figure in the flamenco world has recently passed away. Pohren's personal friend and Atlanta-based flamenca, Martha SidAhmed shares some memories of his life and contributions with jaleolé.com
His passing is of high significance in the flamenco world. Don was a young guy from Minnesota, who went to Spain in the 1950s and walked straight into the heart of uncommercial flamenco. He moved in and never left, staying stubbornly in that place to defend it against...time. An impossible battle. An "impossible dream," as the other Don sings. But it was Don Pohren's truth, so he had no choice. We maintained a friendship for 40 years, since I first went to Spain at Don's invitation. He had just written his first book, "The Art of Flamenco," and a mutual friend and guitarist suggested I contact him. It was the first summer he and his wife, gorgeous dancer Luisa Maravilla, opened "Finca Espartero" for flamenco studies, at the base of a mountain outside of Moron de la Frontera. What I experienced that summer was of inestimable value. It instilled a sensibility about flamenco that has never wavered --- a core of trust about what I am hearing, viewing, or dancing.
For many American flamencos of my generation , an impoverished time for flamenco information (no internet, CDs, DVDs, US festivals, or workshops), Don Pohren was the one who opened a door and invited us in to share his discoveries and create our own adventures...and not just flamenco adventures --- he did the same for enthusiasts of Spanish wine and food through his book "Adventures in Taste," providing recipes for regional tapas as well as maps and tour routes to obscure artisanal vintners in all corners of Spain. Don's passion for everything Spanish informed, inflamed, and nourished our own passions...passions which continue to nourish us and others in our path. Don is survived by his wife, the dancer/artist Blanca Luisa Bergasse, known
to many as "Luisa Maravilla"; daughter Tina and family; grandchildren;
and --- to Don's delight --- half-gypsy great-grandchildren.
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Don's uncompromising
traditionalism and opinions --- very palpable in his books --- stirred
controversy. He was a self-deprecatingly good guitarist. A vibrant sense
of humor was always ready on the surface of his easy-going, lived-in
personality, and he had an insatiable appetite for the curiosities and
eccentricities of people and life. 