Sevilla Press
distributes
flamenco books and tapes created by Paco Sevilla for the English-speaking
flamenco aficionado. With an extensive background in flamenco, Paco Sevilla
writes with authority about flamenco guitar, flamenco dance, the cante
(flamenco song), Spanish Gypsies, and the history of the flamenco art. His
writings will also be of interest to lovers of Spanish music and dance history,
and to those seeking instruction in flamenco.
SEEKING SILVERIO
Twenty years in the writing, Paco Sevilla's historical novel, SEEKING
SILVERIO, is a saga of the birth of flamenco. Set in the impoverished and desperate 1880s Andalucía, a young shoemaker's son, Antonio Chacón, sets out with his friends, guitarist Javier Molina and dancer Antonio Molina, in a search for knowledge, personal recognition, and respect for his beloved
cante. During their journey, Chacón discovers many of the roots of his art and meets the legendary personalities who created what we today call flamenco. Among these often eccentric characters are:
cantaores Juan Breva, Fosforito, Salvaoriyo, Enrique el Mellizo, Curro Dulce, and the enigmatic Silverio Franconetti; guitarists Javier Molina, José Patiño, Paco el Barbero, Maestro Pérez, Juan Habichuela, and Paco de Lucena; dancers Juana la Macarrona, Fernanda and Juana Antúnez, Salud Rodríguez, Rita Ortega, and Rosario la Mejorana.
A historically accurate account that will entertain and educate the casual aficionado as well as the flamenco scholar. Learn the origins of many flamenco song forms, the surprising level of sophistication of early guitar playing, and see flamencofs most cherished song verses placed in historical context. Includes an extensive appendix that separates fact from fiction and provides sources for the information.
A traditionally bound trade paperback: 410 pages; 5½ X 8 ½.
Flamenco Dance: Secrets of the Professionals
If you desire to
be a performing or professional flamenco
bailaora, SECRETS OF THE PROFESSIONALS might be the
most valuable investment you can make in your dance future. For less
than the cost of a single private dance lesson you can own inside
information that would normally be acquired (if you are lucky) only
through years of lessons, workshops, and performing. This is the
stuff that is generally not taught in dance classes—tips and
techniques that are the keys to success. It is not so much about
planta-tacón (ball-heel) as it is about what to do
with
planta-tacón after you learn it. Although the book
was written for students, dancers of all levels should be able to
benefit from reading it.
SECRETS OF THE PROFESSIONALS should also be of interest to many aficionados
and guitarists. Although the book gets a little technical at times,
the aficionado is sure to gain insight into the dance and enhance
his pleasure in watching dance performances. Guitarists who wish to
be accompanists will find a great deal of useful information. Even
dance teachers will benefit from being reminded of what they should
be teaching in their classes.
Click here to read some of the keys to success revealed in this new book.
"Queen of the Gypsies is a new biography of Carmen [Amaya], and complete is not even an adequate word for it: I should rather say
exhaustive. That it should at the same time be eminently readable is a tribute to the
author's skill. The subtitle is
The Life and Legend of Carmen Amaya, but a better one might be
Her Life and Times, for not only Carmen herself, but her whole world is described, along with its denizens. For this reason the book will be indispensable, not merely to
Carmen's devotees, but to anyone interested in Flamenco in the 20th century. "Antonio Chacón, La Argentinita, Vicente Escudero, Manolo de Huelva, Manuel Torre, and many others (including, of course, Carmen herself) are portrayed vividly with many anecdotes. Much of the material about Sabicas (who, very properly, has a chapter to himself) was unknown to me; in the paradox of great performers, he was a shy person and would rather talk about his music than his life. There are several excellent photographs.
"Queen of the
Gypsies, 402 pages, is a very thorough job indeed, and a major contribution to the flamenco literature. It includes a glossary, a list of references, and an
index."
—
Paul Magnussen:
Classical Guitar, February 2000
"Paco
de Lucía: A New Tradition for the Flamenco Guitar
is the best book written to date about Paco de Lucía
and the evolution of modern flamenco. It was written for
flamencos by a flamenco, for guitarists by a guitarist, and
for all aficionados by the best English language writer on
the subject..."
— The Journal of Flamenco Artistry
Study
flamenco in Spain cheaply and efficiently with Paco Sevilla's Guide to Studying Flamenco in Sevilla.
This eighty-four-page book is packed with information, giving
you the best deals in lodging, dining, and shopping, as well
as a complete guide to dance, guitar, and cante instruction.
The guide is beginning to be out of date (prices, events,
etc.), but still be useful in many ways. We hope to update it
this year. It includes an extensive list of Internet cafes, hints on how
to find telephones, buses, and restrooms, and suggestions on
how to travel safely. A chapter on "Finding Your Way
Around" (complete with maps) will help you plan your trip
and save you a great deal of time and effort. Much of this
information will be found nowhere else, and it is all
explained in Paco's entertaining writing style, with lots of
extra tips. This book will save you money and make your
trip more fun.
Ritmos
Flamencos, popular for some years as an audiocassette, is now available on CD. It has been re-mastered to improve sound quality and to enable the selection of individual tracks. This program was originally intended to help student dancers learn to count and clap basic flamenco rhythms, and to give them music for practice. However, it has also proved useful to guitarists, singers, and even aficionados who wish to enhance their appreciation of the flamenco art.
There are many products on the market today that attempt to teach flamenco compás. Some are overwhelmingly comprehensive, others vague or simplistic.
Ritmos Flamencos explains in simple, easy-to-understand English the complexities of flamenco's basic rhythms. Paco Sevilla makes sense out of flamenco's poly-rhythms, explaining them in both musical and practical terms, and demonstrates clear, foolproof ways to clap them. Even more advanced students and teachers may discover new insights into counting and how to present it to their students.
Owners of this program have praised the high quality of the musical examples. There is some treatment (certainly not in-depth) of
cante styles and suggestions on how to dance them. Guitarists are given a complete guide to the chords needed to accompany the musical examples. Ritmos Flamencos includes extensive treatment of alegrías,
bulerías, fandangos de Huelva, guajiras, siguiriyas, and
soleares. There is a more abbreviated analysis of peteneras,
soleá por bulerías, tanguillos, tangos, and
tientos.
Student dancers and guitarists are often confused by the many varied rhythm
in flamenco. Often teachers do not instruct clearly on how to count the rhythms and support them with correct
palmas (handclapping). In Ritmos Flamencos, a 90-minute audio cassette,
Paco Sevilla explains each rhythm (in English), gives
many varied rhythm patterns, and provides music for practice.
Paco Sevilla is a professional flamenco guitarist with a long career as a soloist and accompanist for many of flamenco's top artists--among them the great Carmen Mora and Spain's top teacher, Manolo
Marín. He is also highly regarded as a flamencologist and teacher, and for twelve years he published and wrote for the flamenco magazine,
Jaleo. His articles have also appeared in Guitar and
Lute, The Journal of Flamenco Artistry, Flamenco International Magazine (England),
Sevilla Flamenca (Spain), and Flamenco (Germany). He also co-wrote the booklet for the CD collection,
Duende, along with Spanish flamencologist Balbino Gutierrez and flamenco record producer Ricardo
Pachon. He is now concentrating on writing books.
To read an interview with Paco Sevilla,
click
here.
