PUBLISHED MARCH 18, 2008

MARCH 2008 articles | Lorca in Atlanta | Noche Cancelled | El Izan | Spring

The surrealist words and imagery of poet Federico García Lorca are set to music in Atlanta. By Dawne Dawson

The words of a traditional English nursery rhyme blithely proclaim that "life is but a dream."

Vecinos del Mundo performs during "La Luna Asoma: Inspired by Lorca" Photo by JoEllen Holmes, courtesy of Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde

However, 20th century Spanish poet Federico García Lorca seems to challenge such a notion in his poem "Ciudad Sin Sueño," which is the inspiration for a commissioned piece by local composer David Marcus. The world premiere of Marcus' cantata "Ciudad Sin Sueño: Three Images" was featured as part of the performance "La Luna Asoma: Inspired by Lorca," presented by the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde (AYS) at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 1, 2008. Guest artists at this performance included Ann McPhail of Spelman College, J. Robert Adams of Clark Atlanta University, Mel Foster of Morehouse College, and Jerry Fields and Vecinos del Mundo Flamenco.

While much has been documented of the strong connection between Lorca and flamenco, the cantata "Ciudad Sin Sueño: Three Images" beautifully exemplifies how poetry is essentially music.

Vecinos del Mundo Flamenco with the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde during "La Luna Asoma: Inspired by Lorca" Photo by JoEllen Holmes, courtesy of Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde

The three movements comprising "Ciudad Sin Sueno" are based on three images David Marcus states that he drew from Lorca's poem. A somnolent longing for "sueño," interrupted by the bustling chaos of the sleepless city was the basis for the first movement. A sensual reverie, as singer Carmen Delgado Deal is joined by the AYS choir in singing of warm, living flesh ("carne viva") rather than dreamy images, is the primary subject of the second movement. A somber rumination on the pain of living, fatalism, and eternity is the theme for the third movement. Marcus says that there is a fourth movement inspired by the poem, which will be unveiled at a later time.

The cantata melds the sounds of swing jazz, a sacred chorus reminiscent of Handel, with a Baroque interlude by a quartet of singers...and in the midst of this composition is the haunting sound of cante jondo, a flamenco vocal style notably revered by Federico García Lorca himself.

Composer David Marcus was raised in Mexico and California, and during his global travels and musical studies over the last 30 years, he has delved into a variety of musical styles, including but not limited to salsa, tango, jazz, Afro-Cuban ritual music, Central American folk songs, and flamenco. However, Marcus states that his knowledge of flamenco is based more on his musical ear than the result of studies as an apprentice of the art form. Marcus says that as soon as he read Lorca's work "Poeta en Nueva York," written during the poet's year of studies at New York's Columbia University, he was inspired to compose the cantata performed in "La Luna Asoma."

Says Marcus, "...'Ciudad Sin Sueño', and the poem's images --- moon-creatures prowling about their huts, ants attacking yellow skies, a dead child weeping, and especially the prohibition against dreaming --- signal what I imagine is Lorca's fury towards the 'City That Never Sleeps,' and perhaps toward modern life in general. In fact, given its early date, the poem seems remarkably prophetic about problems we still face."

The blend of "real" with "surreal", so movingly presented in the performance of "La Luna Asoma" reminds listeners that although life may be anything but a dream, participating in the human experience with eyes --- and ears --- wide open is what the "living" is all about.

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The Rialto cancels Saturday's show due to weather. By Julie Baggenstoss

The Rialto Center for the Arts says the Noche Flamenca show set for Saturday, March 15 is cancelled, because of the storm that struck downtown Atlanta on Friday night. The theater contacted ticket buyers about the cancellation via e-mail, and instructed them to contact the theater starting on Monday, March 17, to request a refund for show tickets.

An EF-2 tornado struck the area around Centennial Olympic Park at around 9:45 PM Friday. High winds shattered windows of tall buildings, showering streets with glass and debris. The storm overturned cars and reportedly injured about 30 people. In addition, the Rialto stage and theater sustained water damage as a result of the storm, according to Leslie Gordon, Director of The Rialto.

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Atlanta workshop teacher Ethan Margolis releases a new CD with El Funi. By Molly Simmons

Atlanta workshop teacher Ethan Margolis accompanies El Funi on the CD "Aires Gitanos."Ethan Margolis takes the guesswork out of shopping for a new flamenco CD with his personal connection to Atlantans. Margolis accompanies singer/dancer Miguel "El Funi" on the CD "Aires Gitanos," released late last year.

Margolis and co-teacher Cihtli Ocampo played some songs from the new CD during their workshop in Atlanta in January. Ocampo used the CD to demonstrate different styles of bulerías in her dance class, while Margolis actually played - and sang - some songs in his portion of the workshop, focusing on the connection between the dance and the song.

The beautifully packaged CD, DVD, and letra notes were completely photographed, videographed, and produced on the Discmedi label by California-born --- but Seville-residing --- Margolis as a paean to his mentor and friend, Miguel Peña Vargas "El Funi."

Funi, easily recognizable with his ever-present white scarf around his neck, sings in the festero tradition of his family from Lebrija, a well-known part of Seville. Funi and "El Izan," as Margolis' first name "Ethan" is pronounced by his Spanish friends, take "the flamenco road less traveled" on this disc, including novelties such as seguiríya rítmica, which is much faster than seguiríya is usually sung, and fandangos por soleá, which superimposes soleá guitar accompaniment onto the usual fandangos structure.

The disc includes liner notes with letras in both Spanish and English, a rarity in flamenco CDs, but one that assists flamenco students immeasurably with learning cante.

These letras are truly worth parsing and understanding. The romance that finishes the disc features a story that Margolis' Atlanta workshop host Martha SidAhmed describes as "the most terrifying thing I've ever heard in flamenco...it's like a Greek tragedy."

Less extensive but still fascinating letras abound, such as, "Eres un mueble viejo arrima'ito a la pared" ("You are like an old piece of furniture left against the wall"), meant as a term of endearment in the cantiñas of Funi's grandmother, Fernanda la Pinini. Online flamenco store Flamenco Connection describes the CD as "...raw Gitano, the guitar accompaniment by…El Izan is right on, and a crew of Flamencos from Lebrija provides a spirited accompaniment of palmas and jaleos."

Another bonus of this release is a DVD of El Funi, shot by Margolis in Lebrija, available in the European PAL format and the U.S.-friendly NTSC format. The footage runs about 20 minutes, featuring Funi in his grandparents' home with its exposed brick walls, walking down Calle Monjas, with its cobbled roadway and promenade of flower boxes, and in the Bar Bocho, having an informal juerga with Margolis, palmeros, and jaleoleros.

Presenting the quintessential flamenco tableau, the table that Funi raps with his knuckles is covered with a half-filled glass of whiskey (or it could be Manzanilla sherry), Funi's eyeglasses, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. One gets the sense that this is a glimpse of flamenco in its truest, purest form; as Funi sings in his bulerías cortas, "Lo tienes to', lo tienes to', pero a gitano te gano yo" ("You have it all, you have it all, but at being gypsy, I am better"). Don't miss this privilege to witness the unadulterated essence of gitanía on Margolis and Funi's CD and DVD.

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Spring is for alegrías By Mocha Trimier

Despite what a certain groundhog might say, when spring rolls around, I tend to think of alegrías.

Maybe it's the airy nature of the palo, the signs that Fronteras is on the way, or just cabin fever after a long winter, but out of all the palos, this cante festero seems to embody the light breezes that start to come our way towards the end of March. I would like to think that Little Bo Peep would dance an alegría to lure her sheep back, but that's just me.

Counted in twelves and generally started with the refrain "tirititrán, tran, tran…," this palo is suited to female dancers more than males, due to its fluid and flirty movements. The playful nature of the palo is evident in the juguetillos (little games) that a singer will place among the coplas of the song. For example:
 

	FLAMENCO VIDEO
	See if you can catch the juguetillos in a clip from Carlos Saura's "Flamenco" at: www.youtube.com.

Tienes los dientes,
tienes los dientes
que son granitos
de arroz con leche.

Mind your sheep, enjoy the juguetillos, and welcome back spring with a wink.

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