By the way MadridMan I have some questions.

I understand this is the second year of this festival, do you feel it is popular with the locals? When you go to the shows are they compelety booked? How far in advance did you have to order your tickets?

Thanks

Bill

billy the man wrote: Not starstruck, no, nor was it because I was eating delicious food (but I was), but simply because he was there talking to a friend, presumably a STAR in his element and no one was bothering him so I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable/bothered by taking a photo.

laduque wrote: That's not a bad idea! Maybe it could be the start of a kind of tradition! "Flamenco with MadridMan!" - although some might find that title misleading. hehehe..

Bill from NYC wrote: At EVERY performance I've attended so far has been NEARLY, but not totally booked. They've been about 98% Spaniards as far as I could tell. These performances are part of a festival so they're more directed to those "in-the-know" than your average tourist. Maybe because the shows are not typically tourist-promoted Casa Patas, Café de Chinitas, or Corral de la Morería - although there is ONE show per each of those places too. The tickets are MUCH cheaper for these performances as well, ranging from 15-25 Euros so they're cheaper than the Typical-Tourist-Friendly-Tablaos. How far in advance did I have to order my tickets? I requested my tickets about a week before the festival started. But when I went to the José Menese concert last Saturday night there were still tickets available when I picked up my tickets. There might well be more tickets available for the later-in-the-festival shows if interested but the best seats are already gone I'm sure.

Saludos, MadridMan

I MISSED last night's show due to unforseen circumstances. ARGH!!! Tonight, I'LL CERTAINLY make it.

Saludos, MadridMan

Last night I attended the CAL, Son de la Frontera - artista invitada Martirio performance at the Teatro Albéniz at 8:30pm.

The theater was about three quarters full and was probably the least flamenco-like performance I'd seen so far. There was some good dancing by a couple of the palmeros (the guys who clap) to a few flamenco tunes but otherwise it was mainly nice guitar music and clapping. I suppone one could classify it as super-new-age-flamenco which had very little to do with classical flamenco. The performance was somewhat entertaining but must admit that if there had been an intermission that I would have strongly considered leaving. At the end the got a standing ovation - which surprised me. No photos were allowed and yet the young women next to us took about 4-photos WITH FLASH. They passed out Suma Flaneca 2007 Spanish fans to the ladies upon entering the theater.

Suma Flamenca 2007 description:
After the concert, at about 10pm, my significant other and I went to one of the nearby "Las Bravas" bars for their famed patatas bravas and also their gambas al ajillo with bread and beer. The bravas were good but I've had much better garlic shrimp before although these weren't bad. :p

Tonight at 10pm we're attending the Víctor Gorge "Serranito" classical flamenco guitar concert in the Círculo de Bellas Artes, located at the intersection of Gran Vía and Calle de Alcalá, very near the BANCO ESPAÑA metro station. I'm REALLY looking forward to that concert. Hope our seats are as good as they were the last time we were at the Círculo de Bellas Artes - THIRD ROW!

Another concert LAST night. I attended the Víctor Monge "Serranito" concert in the Círculo de Bellas Artes, 4th floor in the Sala de las Columnas.

I was really looking forward to this concert, ready for some REAL flamenco music, reading that "Serranito" was a true master at flamenco guitar. 2 of his songs, in the middle of the concert were just that, true-blue-flamenco guitar music when he played alone on stage. The first 5 songs and the last 5 songs were more flamenco-jazz fusion - definitely not what I was expecting for the evening and was a bit disappointed for this fact. But once I settled in and decided to enjoy the music for MUSIC and not for it being FLAMENCO I started to enjoy it. Lots of the tunes were energetic, lively, and full of different sounds which you don't usually hear in traditional flamenco music like the piano & synthesizer keyboard, electric bass guitar, bongo drum, cymbals, and even rattling bones. The young piano player was, I think for most in attendance, the hilight of the evening.

Suma Flamenca 2007 description:

After the show we walked back towards Atocha on the Calle del Prado and took a table outside on the terraza of the famed El Brillante. After waiting 20 minutes to be waited (1 waiter, 20 tables, and about 50 people) we went inside to the empty bar and ordered there, standing. We each had, OF COURSE, bocadillos de calamares and an order of patatas bravas along with some cold beer. Very good. On the way home it started to rain - thank goodness, it was getting hot and humid, now it's better.

Tonight's 7pm show is again at the Teatro Albéniz on Calle de la Paz near Puerta del Sol. It features Gerardo Núñez whom, ACCORDING to the Suma Flamenco description, should give us all more traditonal flamenco guitar entertainment. Looking forward to that and will detail my experience tomorrow once again.

Saludos, MadridMan

MadridMan

Did you think they we will see the release an album/CD of the live performances?

Bill

Who, the Suma Flamenca organization? If they don't, they'll miss out on an oportunity but no, I don't expect it. I'll let you know if they do, though.

Saludos, MadridMan

EXCELLENT! Last night's concert with flamenco guitar Gerardo Núñez was one of the best performances I'd seen for all of Suma Flamenca 2007. Jerezano Núñez, now living in Madrid, sat alone on stage and played to an appreciative 25% full Teatro Albéniz and received several standing ovations for his efforts.

WOW. That man can play! TWO THUMBS UP!

I'd imagined the crowd was as thin as it was because A) it was on a Sunday, and because B) the weather was threatening serious weather (which it did DURING/after the concert). Those whom attended got a wonderful show, fast fingers, and with lots of feeling.

Suma Flamenca 2007 description:

Next show is Thursday night's midnight show at Corral de la Morería with singer Terremoto. SEE THIS LINK IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPANY MADRIDMAN FOR FREE!

Saludos, MadridMan