Update: August 2009

Hola Flamenco Aficionados and Friends!

Once again, thanks to all of you who came out and made the July Kristos Eastlake show a success! We've been invited out again in August, so we look forward to bringing you another great show with more new material (and, also new for August: dinner and sangria specials for the show!). Read on for details--and for more info on the other exciting events we have going on this month!

Qwest Field : August 5th, 6:00 PM

Zamani Flamenco, at the kind invitation of the Seattle Sounders FC, will be providing pre-game entertainment for the sold-out Sounders FC vs. Barcelona soccer game on the 5th of August. We'll be performing at the north pavilion, so if you're heading to the game, be sure to stop by check out the festivities (for festive they shall be!).

Qwest Field : July 12th, 2009
Time: 6:00 - 7:30

Qwest Field : 800 Occidental Ave S Seattle, WA 98134

Kristos Eastlake: August 16th, 8:00 PM

Zamani Flamenco, with guest vocalist Marta Sivertsen, will be performing a full evening of flamenco singing, dance and music at Kristos Eastlake. We'll be debuting a new feature dance and a new guitar/dance duet (and perhaps some other new stuff!), so even if you've been before, we'll have plenty of fresh material for you.

Kristos will also be offering a three-course dinner special and specials on Spanish wines and Sangria for the evening of the show. Tables are first-come-first-serve, so come early for the best spots. The balcony will be open for dining this month, so don't forget about the excellent view to be had from upstairs.

The first set starts at 8:00, a second will follow around 9:00. No cover!

Kristos Eastlake: August 16th, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Admission: Free

Kristos Eastlake: 3218 Eastlake Avenue E Seattle, WA 98102

Arts in Nature Festival: August 22nd, 7:15 PM

Zamani Flamenco will be participating in this year's Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long in West Seattle. Say the AINers: "From fire performers and string quartets to dance troupes and an outdoor museum of sound, the 2009 Arts in Nature Festival will have something for everyone. This funky and eclectic festival showcases an impressive number of locally renowned performing artists, sound artists and ensembles in the natural wooded setting of Camp Long." Sounds like fun to us!

Camp Long : August 22, 2009
Time: 7:15 PM
Admission: $5 suggested donation per person

Camp Long: 5200 35th Ave SW Seattle, WA 98126

The Blog-roll: Kristos Pics!

Check out the ZF blog for images of the most recent Kristos Eastlake show--and keep a lookout here for pics of our performance at the Sounders game. We'll also now be posting our "monthly updates" to the blog, so if you're looking for an easy link to post or forward to friends, this is the one!

Kristos Eastlake Pics

Have we ever mentioned how "blue" Kristos Eastlake is? Let us tell you about it: it's BLUE. And here be the proof: more blue than you can shake a stick at (whatever that means). These are some shots from our second show (in July), taken by the low-light loving Zamani Flamenco photographer in captivity, Tom Wallace (click on the pics for a larger view):

Marta & mantone

Zanbaka getting down
with some alegrias footwork

Dani + fan

And Marta and a hat?
Oh yes--props rock!

Zanbaka's Solea

Todos . . . and are those castanets I see?
Indeed, I believe they are!

And speaking of Kristos Eastlake, if you haven't been yet to see a show, you really should drop by. We'll be back there on the 16th of August with two brand new songs, more props, and all the blue you could ever want (and more!).

Update: July 2009

Hola Flamenco Aficionados and Friends!

First of all: Thank you to all of you who came out to see us at Kristos Eastlake in June! We had a great time and--thanks to your support--have been invited back for another show in July. We'll be rolling out some new material this month, so do be sure to come by if you enjoyed last month's performance--and if you missed the June show, here's another chance to drop in for dinner and drinks and take in an evening of flamenco music and dance.

Kristos Eastlake: July 12th, 8:00 PM

Zamani Flamenco, with guest vocalist Marta Sivertsen, will be performing a full evening of flamenco singing, dance and music at Kristos Eastlake. This will be our second date at Kristos and we're looking forward to bringing you another great show. There will be extra seating in the balcony this time around, but tables are first-come-first-serve, so come early for the best spots.

And speaking of tables: Kristos has an excellent menu--if you haven't yet been for dinner, do be sure to check out their fare. Kristos specializes in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine and has a full (and highly rated) dinner menu and a full bar.

The first set starts at 8:00, a second will follow around 9:00. No cover!

Kristos Eastlake: July 12th, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Admission: Free

Kristos Eastlake: 3218 Eastlake Avenue E Seattle, WA 98102

Update: June 2009

Hola Flamenco Aficionados and Friends!

Daniela and Zanbaka are finally back in the Pacific Northwest after their 3 month flamenco immersion in Spain and Zamani Flamenco is gearing up for a summer of festivals and shows. Now that we're back in full swing, we'll be more assiduous about updating you all on shows and events. Here's a first installment!

Kristos Eastlake: June 14th, 8:30 PM

Zamani Flamenco, with guest vocalist Marta Sivertsen, will be performing a full evening of flamenco singing, dance and music at Kristos Eastlake. This will be our first show since Daniela and Zanbaka have returned home and we hope to see many familiar faces there, so mark your calendar. Feel free to join us for some Sevillanas y Rumbas!

Kristos specializes in Greek cuisine and has a full (and highly rated) menu and a full bar--and will be offering dinner and drink specials for the show--so come hungry and thirsty! The first set starts at 8:30, a second will follow around 9:30. No cover!

Kristos Eastlake: June 14th, 2009
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Admission: Free

Kristos Eastlake: 3218 Eastlake Avenue E Seattle, WA 98102

The Zamani Flamenco Blog Lives On!

The ZF blog has been Dani and Zanbaka's sounding board (and shoe-discourse emporium) during their recent trip to Spain. The travelers have returned, but we plan to keep the blog alive with updates about flamenco in the northwest and, invariably, our very own personal goings-on. The tenor of our posts will change, but you can still check in here for your "flamenco fix" (especially if you're into shoes!).

Upcoming Summer Festivals

We're starting to get word back from many summer festivals and venues. We have begun posting upcoming shows for later in the summer on the Zamani Flamenco calendar, so do keep an eye out for updates. Unfortunately, the crippled economy is causing many festivals to cancel their live music offerings; if live music in the Northwest is important to you, be sure to get out and support local performers--we all need to show these folks that the performing arts do still matter!

La Peña Flamenca: June 27th & 28th

La Peña Flamenca de Seattle, under the direction of Rubina Carmona, was established in 1995 and features the advanced students of Carmona Flamenco. As several members of Zamani Flamenco also work with La Peña on a regular basis, we thought we had better tune you all in to this great opportunity to support local flamenco in Seattle. The Peña's annual summer show, "Fiesta del Verano," features dancers, guitarists, vocals, and percussion and runs Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of June. Showtime is 8:00 both nights.

The show takes place at the UW Ethnic Cultural Theater. Free parking is available to the public in the lot next to the theater. Tickets are available at the door or through www.brownpapertickets.com.

"Fiesta del Verano": June 27th & 29th, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Admission: $20 General; $15 Students & Seniors

UW Ethnic Cultural Theater: 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE Seattle, WA

Retro Blog Post #1: Granada

Hi Everyone,


Well, Dani and I made it back to our beloved Pacific Northwest in one piece. I'm wistful that our 3 month excursion is over, but I'm thrilled to finally be able to put everything I learned and absorbed in Spain into practice. It's great to be rehearsing as a group once again and Zamani Flamenco has an upcoming show on Sunday, June 14th at a new venue in Seattle: Kristos on Eastlake: http://kristoseastlake.com/ . This will be our first show since returning home and I hope to see many familiar faces and long lost friends there, so mark your calendar!


As you can probably tell, we neglected our blog during the last month in Spain, so over the next few weeks, keep a look out for some new posts. I thought I would rewind a few days back from Dani's last post and share some of my pictures from the 3 days spent in Granada.



Granada was enchantingly beautiful beyond my expectations. Even the train ride from Sevilla to Granada was amazing as the landscape morphed from dry and flat into moutainous and lush. Next time in Spain, I'd love to spend some more time there and also stop in some of the smaller cities along the route that we took to get there.



We found a good deal on a hotel near the top of the hill that was within walking distance to the Alhambra. As an added "thrill", there was a precarious bus route from the top of the hill to the city center on a small "short bus" that barrelled down the steep, windy, and narrow roads. This ride was especially fun when the bus was packed over capacity and half the people were standing, in which case you'd hold on to the nearest rail (or person) with a death grip. Good times!



We tried to get tickets to the Alhambra in advance, but we were a couple days short of the advance cut-off for online sales. I stopped in on a walk into town and was able to snag ticket (with only a 5 min wait) for a entrance time a couple hours later that day. I spent about 2-3 hours there, but easily could have stayed all day and night. The large crowds were kind of obnoxious, especially for taking pictures, but I was able to get some good shots with a little patience and a quick draw.




The next day I explored the city on foot and walked along the river Darro in the moorish Albaicin district, then along the main road through the Sacromonte and back. I was kicking myself for not putting my memory card back in my camera before leaving the hotel that morning. Then I walked through some rather sketchy paths back through the Albaicin higher up on the hill. I think this was the only time I felt that I really had to put my guard up for would-be muggers. I didn't see anyone else for a good 15 minutes, the buildings were kind of run down and I've heard things about that area. Thankfully, I didn't have to pull out my boot clad flamenco horse kick... which I believe could be classified as a concealed weapon!








I continued my walk down a narrow stepped and crowded street (although I can't think of the name at the moment), that was reminiscent of an old marketplace. Still wandering, I noticed that the streets were getting really crowded and then I realized that people must be fixing to watch the Semana Santa processions. So I squeezed onto the sidewalk and followed suit. In all the commotion, I erased a few of my pics of the Sacramonte as I only had space for 8 shots in my camera without the memory card. Not being of any particular religious sway, I was feeling a little non-chalant and skeptical about Semana Santa. I've seen videos and pictures, but I was quite surprised upon seeing my first procession at how overwhelming and spectacular the whole ritual is. I guess I'm a sucker for costumes, music, props, and hundreds of people in a good show. One suggestion Spain, let's do it Busby Berkeley style next year!



After the crowds dispersed, I headed over to the Cathedral. Again, kicking myself for having no memory card. Absolutely beautiful... let me see if I can round up a stock photo from the web....
















Later on that early evening, Dani and I met at San Nicholas for the sunset, which is a viewpoint in the Albaicin that overlooks the Alhambra and parts of the city from across the river. It was a neo-hippie haven, but we managed to enjoy ourselves despite the air being saturated by b.o. and patchouli. (Think NW Folklife Festival x 10). Afterwards, we headed down to the city center to see some more Semana Santa processions, before heading off to Almeria in the morning.


Speaking of ways in which people like to adorn (or not adorn) themselves, such as with soap or lack thereof, hairstyle, jewelry, and CLOTHING. I feel I must warn you all about the big fashion PANDEMIC sweeping through Spain (and quite possibly the rest of Europe) that is very serious and I hope it is not contagious. I am talking about pants... very ugly, unflattering on everyone, nasty, nasty, nasty looking pants! If you see a friend or loved one wearing these pants, please stage an intervention. Don't think to youself, "but think of all the storage!" or "it's a fanny pack and pants in one!". It is not. These pants are an abomination, unless you're wearing them under a caftan or as part of a costume. Enough said, discuss amongst yourselves!

Semana Santa Refugees

Sevilla is in full swing with Semana Santa as Rachel and I return to our home away from home. Though our taxi driver had to drop us several blocks from our piso due to multiple road closures and crowds of people, we arrived no worse for the wear and happy to be "home". Our flat this week (temporary relocation - Semana Santa refugees), is on c/Fería and we were welcomed with a street full of nazarenos, a marching band, plumes of incense smoke, and a large, gold and silver paso carrying an adorned and bejeweled virgin from a neighborhood church passing below our balcony. We have a nice, newly remodeled flat for the next several days, though we are both horrified (given our propensity for spills and affinity for red wine and coffee) at the WHITENESS of it! White sofa, white duvets, flat white wall paint, white tiles, white towels, etc... I predict if one returns here in a year, most of the white will have been replaced with a more renter friendly palette!

Semana Santa is an enormous production and an amazing spectacle! It is the result of weeks of preparation and hundreds of years of tradition. The rites can be traced back to the 14th century though it took its present form in about the 17th century. Each day from Palm Sunday through Good Friday seven or eight hermanidades (brotherhoods representing various churches in the city) leave their church in the afternoon carrying lavishly decorated pasos (platforms) and accompanied by a large procession of nazarenos and musicians. There are a few more on Saturday afternoon, and the final procession begins in the wee hours of Easter Sunday morning. Each hermanidad has two pasos. The first bears a statue of Christ, crucified or a scene from the passion. The second carries the image of the Virgin. Each paso is carried by a team of about 40 men called costaleros, who work in relays as the pasos are extremely heavy. The pasos sway back and forth to the rhythm of the brass and drum bands as the costaleros walk through the streets of the city to the Seville Cathedral. It's amazing to see them start and stop, each time lowering and lifting the paso in unison to the commands of the capataz (leader). Each procession begins at its parish church (la salida) follows a given route, files through the Cathedral and then returns to the church (la entrada). Some of the processions last more than 12 hours. The climax of the week was last night (well really this morning) - "la madrugada" or early morning hours of Good Friday. This is when the most respected and popular hermanidades begin their processions. These begin at midnight and start with the oldest, El Silencio, followed by Jesús del Gran Poder, La Macarena, El Calvario, Esperanza de Triana, and finally at dawn, Los Gitanos.

Our piso is located along a prime route for several processions. As we were having an after dinner coffee at our favorite pizzería (it's not the pizza, it's the cute, friendly waiters) at about 1 am this morning, we heard the procession begin down our street so hurried to pay our cuenta and get back to our balcony which overlooks the procession route for the La Macarena. Well, little did we know, there was really no need to hurry since this is the largest of the hermanidades and consists of more than 2500 nazarenos. Nazarenos are the costumed followers of the pasos. Many of them wear tall Ku Klux Klan-like capes. The idea is to conceal the identity of the person wearing them so that, apart from God, no one will recognize them (a use infamously usurped by the KKK). Most of the nazarenos carry candles about five feet long while others carry crosses. The most penitent of them walk barefoot through the streets. The processions start and stop each time the pasos stop to rest or change costaleros, so hundreds of nazarenos passed below our balcony while we anticipated the arrival of the pasos. There were also hundreds of spectators in the street below and lining the neighboring balconies. It's a little like a baseball game after awhile as part of the event is just waiting for something to happen and being entertained by the crowd and the spectacle of it all. We got a little more entertainment than we bargained for when we looked across the street to see that our neighbor was providing us with a free peep show...yes we got more than a glimpse of the beans and weenie, the sugar lumps, the...wang chung! Rachel made sure he knew that we saw the goods when he emerged (fully dressed by now) onto his balcony. After downloading Wang Chung from iTunes and amusing ourselves at his expense for awhile, we managed to refocus our attention on the procession filing through the street below.

It was after 3 am when the paso bearing La Virgen Esperanza Macarena passed our balcony to the cheers of her admirers yelling "guapa". We hurried off to try to catch the El Silencio procession as it left the Cathedral. The streets were so full of people, it was hard to know where we were at times, but miraculously, we ended up in just the right place to watch this solemn procession which passes in complete silence. It was a miracle in itself that so many Spaniards in one place could be so quiet. Well, there were a few cell phones ringing, one guy talking on his, another one chomping loudly on sunflower seeds and a few other indiscretions, but all in all, pretty damn quiet for about an hour.

We headed home for a little sleep at around 5:30 this morning. At 9:30 we were awakened by the La Macarena procession returning to the basilica. The entrada (return to the church) was scheduled for 2 pm today - 14 hours after they began.

Next week things should be back to normal for a couple of weeks...then the Festivals de Primavera continue with the Fería de Abril. Sevilla, que maravilla!

Sevilla, City of Sinister Sidewalks

To pick up where Dani left off, it’s true…. I broke our “no falls” record (and I suspect the “viejo’s” precious small bag on the train to Sevilla was filled with nothing but extra dentures!), but thankfully there hasn’t been any further falling since then, I wish I could say the same for “no spills”. Yikes… our last blog post was on Mar. 18th , and now it’s the 6th of April. In our defense of this latest tardy blog post, our internet access has been hit and miss since we got to Sevilla.

We’ve spent the week after the Jerez festival in rest and relaxation mode, along with getting our bearings in our new temporary host city and settled into our new abode. The air here seems like it’s even more saturated with the smell of orange blossoms than Jerez. It’s so nice to have our own kitchen now. We ate a lot of salad our first few days here…. cured jamon and meat overseasoned with salt gets a tad tiresome. No thank you, Gout!

Dani did a great job with booking our flat, which is near Pumarejo Plaza in the Macarena neighborhood. We’re near many bus lines, Basilica Macarena, the old Moorish Wall, and are within hoofing distance to many locales. Pumarejo Plaza is very colorful. It’s an odd mix of tent city, backpackers, locals, families, and the occasional Flamenco pick up group… almost like a tamer, friendlier Pioneer Square Needle Park, for you Seattleites. We’ve been treated to a couple nights of lovely impromptu flamenco jams in the plaza.

(Pets of Sevilla... Dani attempting to liberate an inmate at the Doggie Correctional Facility; Neighbor cat with "catwalk" that goes from balconey to rooftop)

We’ve also been fortunate enough to see practices for Semana Santa from our balconey, which I was able to catch on my camera.

We’ve been studying with Alicia Marquez in Sevilla. Her studio is within walking distance of our flat, near the Alameda de Hercules. Her classes include some arm and thigh burning technique drills and a really great Alegrias choreography. You can see more of Alicia here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM1TK4EnMUo

We made the trek to Cordoba for a day trip our first week in Sevilla and went to Carmona a few days before we left for Granada and Almeria… stay tuned for more! And hopefully not without such a long wait between posts next time. ~Rachel

(Cordoba)