Interesting essay! I appreciate the definition of "kitch" and the description of "decadence" to what I have called "cheese".

I have one thing I would like to point out, though. The experiences of Irish, Italians, and other non-protestant immigrants were dire back in the 1920's. However, similar experiences are indeed still being had today, mostly by undocumented workers. It's too regular that I read of migrant workers who are literally worked to death (right in here in the good 'ol US of A) in the industrial systems that allow us to live the way we do. Visit the United Farmworker's website to see for yourself.

However, the big difference between the sufferings they have today, and the suffering of their peers from generations ago is the globalization of our economy. My guess is that In order for Flamenco to exist the way it did "back in the day", it needs a long-time, non-migratory community, or at least the ability to migrate together as a familial unit. Today, the people who do the back breaking, grueling jobs that would rank right up there with the worst sufferings of the past are so separated from real community that they have no chance to develop an art, or tradition. This, and the fact that we are distracted so much by TV, radio, and so much else. Pohren got it right when he said every bar now either has a TV or way too loud of a jukebox, killing any chance of someone enjoying the venting of someones sorrows or frustrations over a guitar.

Flamenco guitar today is an art that is practiced by the privileged who can afford a guitar, lessons, or lots of time AND the requisite discipline to master such a feat. I've not yet been to Spain, so I could be just talkin' bidoodas, but it's just my guess.

I agree with an earlier post though. I feel that it's just a matter of time before we get back to basics, and realize how beauty and artistic expression need not be virtuosic to be highly valued. The film American Beauty sums this up for me, and I've found hope in a book called "The Trouble with Music" that reports that there are more guitars being constructed and sold today per capita than in a long time.

Thanks again for the essay! LOVE this foro!

An excellent essay, Adrian.

I also enjoyed all the responding posts. I have nothing to add. this is a great foro.

Lorette

I am a firm believer in the ability of guitarists to express something powerful while at the same time playing many notes. It is a question of taste and balance. Ramon Montoya's playing strikes a better balance between elegance, technique and intense feeling. His solea to me has just as much feeling as Terremoto's flourish in his siguiriyas. Obviously, this is a debate that can go on and on, but there is a just balance between expressing feeling and merely a shallow display of virtuosity. When I think of Tomatito, I definitely think of virtuosity and excitement, he is after all the pope of the Bulerias and I don't think he has ever recorded a siguiriyas let's say. But then, when I listen to his accompanying of Camaron live it is much more gitano, much more rhythm based than Paco's. To me it is the expression of the rhythm above all that brings the aire to flamenco. This is why when my playing lacked feeling, I told my teacher that I want to go back to basics. Just expressing the basic rhythm of each palo. I too am tired of trying to learn complex falsetas that somehow don't make my playing any more flamenco. A simple marking of time on one chord that is executed with the right timing and aire can be more devastating than a fast picado run, but perhaps ultimately it is a question of having both in the tool box and using the right balance of the two. This is my opinion. Someone like Nino Ricardo has a just balance, his Serranas solo playing and his accompanying as a whole to me are devastatingly full of feeling, but and this is very subjective so do not attack me too much, Sabicas to me often plays like a machine. He is capable of more, but often his playing is dry and flat out perfect. I would say Paco's playing is like this as well at times and he seems to have learned more from Sabicas than his true idol Nino Ricardo. I apologize if this has degenerated into more of a rant than a comment on your essay which I think is brilliant incidentally.

Quote: Sanlucar went on to say that the toque jondo is entirely about duende--grave, serious, deep emotions--and on the guitar it is mostly thumb-derived. In his experience of scores of guitarists, he never saw duende produced by picado, plucking, arpeggios or tremolo--an observation that left me both bewildered and intrigued.

I agree with Sanlucar's statement. Before one can understand duende they must understand some basics about the subconscious mind. It is my opinion that duende is simply hypnosis. It isn't and cannot be planned like clinical hypnosis, but rather occurs when the performers subconscious mind takes over and phrases are uttered or played that go beyond comprehension by the conscious mind. Because a thought process did not occur to reach this point, it becomes magical and cannot be explained by the conscious mind (science).

I think when playing jondo palos, the thumb offers more control and allows for profound expression that the fingers cannot. The use of downstroke and then an upstoke with the thumb at the right moment cannot be duplicated by the fingers. Ramon Montoya was a master of this. Here is my version of a falseta I took from a Ramon recording that demonstrates this. It is impossible to play this with fingers only and get the same effect.
Alzapua por Solea.mp3

There is no question in my mind that a good rasgueao is also necessary. No doubt any fast picado is going to be impressive on a technical level only, but the powerful rasgueao to me is what makes the guitar roar, and to me it is that tonal quality in the guitar that I feel in my stomach and that travels down by legs in to the earth and back. I think Sanlucar is just pointing out that guitarists of old were capable of invoking the duende with just the one finger as opposed to doing something needlessly complex. Again, it is simply a matter of the music becoming overly complex, and therefore cerebral as opposed to visceral.