A very nice farruca and the rhino isn´t a bad dancer either

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny1qc6yQC48

Amazing what they can do with modern technology. Apparently a women danced this and was made to look like a male rhino. Might be good for teaching dance as the student wouldn't be distracted by the human dancer and the moves are easy to see here and learn.

I've seen this about twenty times in the past. The technology is amazing. The dance moves, though basic, are actually not bad at all. Yes, this was danced by a woman – Debbie Deas – then converted with Motion Capture technology. Mostly I watch it for the Farruca. It is rarely sung these days, but Farruca is one of the most beautiful cantes in all of flamenco, when it is sung right. This particular rendition is just plain terrific, one of the best I have ever heard. The cantaor is Jacinto de Almaden, and the guitarist is Antonio Arenas.

it is a fantastic version , do you know if it is available on any cds ?

I doubt if you could find this on CD. I knew who the cantaor and guitarist were because the first time I heard it I was so impressed that I did some investigating. But just now I went to YouTube and found an ancient LP that I'm sure you could not buy any more. It's the same two, but a different recording, though just as good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gdbG8xxjw

There are also several versions on YouTube where the "cantaor" if that's what he is, slaughters the cante, but I'll spare you those.

I actually found on Amazon an old LP that has him singing Farruca along with other cantes. And you can buy it for only $140 new or only $115 used. I think I'll just tape both recordings straight from YouTube, and use that same money for a couple of years supply of strings.

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Masters-Fla ... usic&qid=1

Ha ha ha ha thanks P C , looks like its going to be strings .

Thanks to Mario Bois and those great folks at Le Chant du Monde, there are several fine farrucas available on the Grands Cantaores du Flamenco series: on the Niño de Almaden disk, you can hear the same farruca, but with Pedro Soler, guitar and La Joselito, dancing. And on the Rafael Romero CD, Rafael sings with Perico, guitar.

I can´t say enough good things about the Grands Cantaores series--Mario Bois' taste is impeccable in his choices of selections. I'm slowly acquiring those that particularly appeal to me as my pocketbook permits, but the Almaden and Romero disks are especially appealing, as these two cantaors present masterly renditions of various less recorded and performed examples of both cante gitano and cante andaluz--real professionals performing and being accompanied with exceptional taste, simplicity and dignity.

Carlos

You said it, Carlos. Nobody nowadays can touch the cantaors of old. I have actually heard that Rafael Romero Farruca on YouTube, but how I can't find it. I have a lot of Rafael Romero on various anthologies, including Perico's famous one from the fifties. I have a two record all Pepe de la Matrona box set from Hispavox. Lots of Siguiriyas and Soleares, but no Farruca. He is accompanied on this set by Felix de Utrera and Manolo el Sevillano. I do have several separate Farrucas, one by Bernardo de los Lobitos. I'm sure you've seen that fabulous Siguiriyas by Rafael Romero on YouTube where he is accompanied by Perico Hijo. Fantastic singing, accompaniment by Perico that could move a rock to tears. The same two paired up in later years for Siguiriyas that was shot in color, that can also be seen.

Ramon

A palo that Niño de Almadén, Rafael Romero and Pepe el de la Matrona all share in doing to perfection is the serrana, a seldom-heard (these days) form of haunting loveliness--it reminds me of a gracefully mutated la caña. It is sometimes--not a relief: that would be too harsh a term--an easeful alternative to the Sturm und Drang of, say, a succession of Terremoto siguiriyas, to listen to these other Old Masters singing some of these lesser-heard cantes.

carlos