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This analytical history traces representations of flamenco dance in Spain and abroad from the twentieth century to the present, using histories, film, accounts of live performances, and practitioner interviews. Beginning with an analysis of flamenco historiography, the text examines images of the female dancer in films by Luis Bunuel, Carlos Saura, and Antonio Gades; stereotypes of flamenco bodies and Andalusian culture in Prosper Merimee's Carmen; and the ways in which contemporary flamenco dancers like Belen Maya and Rocio Molina negotiate the stereotype of Carmen and an idealized Spanish feminine that pervades "traditional" flamenco. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
Written by a group of dedicated flamenco enthusiasts, this book traces the history and development of the art of flamenco, that proud, soulful, stirring folk music and dance created by the gypsies of the Andalusian region of Spain in the 19th century. The essays examine the musical, artistic, and spiritual aspects of flamenco as well as its social context and history. The great performers both past and present are identified and discussed.
Jazz has had a peculiar and fascinating history in Germany. The influential but controversial German writer, broadcaster, and record producer, Joachim-Ernst Berendt (1922–2000), author of the world’s best-selling jazz book, labored to legitimize jazz in West Germany after its ideological renunciation during the Nazi era. German musicians began, in a highly productive way, to question their all-too-eager adoption of American culture and how they sought to make valid artistic statements reflecting their identity as Europeans. This book explores the significance of some of Berendt’s most important writings and record productions. Particular attention is given to the “Jazz Meets the World” encounters that he engineered with musicians from Japan, Tunisia, Brazil, Indonesia, and India. This proto-“world music” demonstrates how some West Germans went about creating a post-nationalist identity after the Third Reich. Berendt’s powerful role as the West German “Jazz Pope” is explored, as is the groundswell of criticism directed at him in the wake of 1968.
Flamenco dance and bullfighting are parallel arts with shared traditions, performance conventions and vocabularies of movement. This volume introduces readers to an ongoing discussion in Spanish scholarship about the links between these two quintessentially Spanish arts. The author--a dancer and a student of bullfighting--describes the informal practice of both arts in private settings and their emergence as formal public rituals in the bullfighting arena and on the flamenco stage. Key bullfighting techniques and their influence on flamenco dance style are discussed in the context of understanding the worldview and kinesthetic culture of Spain.
This literary work of non-fiction is based on the author's personal journeys alone. He backpacked to the coasts of the country, across the American continent, to London, England, Paris, France and Schwarzwald, Germany. And also to Andalusia, Spain, and Siberia, Russia. Above all, he cannot forget the simple-hearted pilgrimage to Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. He journeyed alone, sometimes meditating on writing, and sometimes on the journey itself. He saw and felt flamenco through his journey into Andalusia, and stepped on the snow-covered birch forest in Siberia that he longed for. Writing this book, JOURNEY INTO DEEP LANSCAPES, he recalled a few of words of Annie Dillard: “Write a...
Australians have been transported to an imaginary Spain from at least the 1830s, when cachuchas were first danced on the Sydney stage. In Take Me to Spain John Whiteoak explores the rich tapestry of Australians’ fascination with all thing Spanish, from the voluptuous sensuality of Lola Montez to operas featuring señoritas, toreadors and Gypsies, and from evocative silent and later Spain-themed Hollywood movies to the dazzlingly creative artistry of the flamenco dancers and guitarists who toured Australia in the 1960s and ’70s. Examining the diverse ways that Spanish music and dance have been mediated or hybridised to cater for Australian popular taste, this landmark study reveals how Hispanic traditions have become integral to the cultural history of the nation.
Sound disc contains: songs performed by Rara bands.
Persecuted, banned, and exiled, the legendary Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa made South America's dictators tremble in the 1970s. Nicknamed "The Voice of the Voiceless", Sosa became an icon of democracy and a much-loved mother of Latin America. Mercedes Sosa - The Voice of Hope charts Sosa's remarkable life and career and offers a psychological profile that reveals the secret behind Sosa's enormous impact. Besides being a personal profile of the artist and a chronicle of Latin American music, history, and politics, the author explores the scientific underpinnings of how her profound connection with Sosa and Sosa's music changed her life. By doing so, Christensen opens an avenue to personal transformation that is accessible to anyone. Sosa's extraordinary example, coupled with Christensen's inspiring discoveries will enable the reader to use life's challenges as a stepping stone for growth. This narrative calls out for the best in all of us - for authenticity, empathy, and compassion.
Song & Social Change in Latin America offers seven essays from a diverse group of scholars on the topic of music as a reflection of the many social-political upheavals throughout Latin America from the 20th century to the present. Topics covered include: the Tropicália movement in Brazil, the Nueva Canción in Central America, Rock in Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru, the Vallenato in Colombia, Trova in Cuba, and urban music of Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century. The collection also includes five interviews from prominent and up-and-coming musicians —Ruben Blades, Roy Brown, Habana Abierta, Ana Tijoux, and Mare— representing a variety of musical genres and political issues in Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and Mexico.
The Argentine folk singer and social activist, Mercedes Sosa, was a world-class performer, whose influence went far beyond the borders of music. Blacklisted as being one the most dangerous people to the regime in Argentina in the 1970s, she became the underground reference point for the poor and oppressed, and an icon of democracy who fought South America’s dictators with her voice. Nicknamed, “The Voice of the Voiceless,” Sosa emerged as a legend and a much-loved mother of Latin America. With her powerful voice and compelling stage presence, the Argentine folk singer, Mercedes Sosa, was a world-class performer, whose influence went far beyond the borders of music. Blacklisted as being...