what books about flamenco do you recomend?

[at_leo_87]

i'll be reading "the wind cried" by paul hecht soon. i'll post a review when im done. i've read duende, art of flamenco, and songs of the outcast. i highly recommend all three books.

[diago1]

for anyone who checks this thread to find out about guitar instruction books, Dennis Koster has a couple of volumes called the Keys to Flameco that I find to be very good

[tsai.hugo]

Strongly recommand this:
Flamenco Music Theory: Rhythm, Harmony, Melody, Form
by LOLA FERNANDEZ MARIN
if you like to understand the difference between the palos
this is a really good one

[ex_caeruleus]

Originally Posted by liat

i read first "song of the outcast" by robin totton - an exelant book about the rhythms of flamenco, songs, and this wonderful culture.
the second one was a nice novel - the flamenco academy by sara bird.
which books did you read? i want to extend my libary...

FYI:
For anyone looking for this book, the author's name is spelt Sarah Bird.

People and things tend to be found easier with the correct spelling. Dunno why. Life's funny that way.

[Marvin Steel]

The Wind Cried by Paul Hecht
All of D.E. Pohren's book's
F.G. Lorca His poems and books

[Marvin Steel]

Originally Posted by Payul

I checked my "flamenco library" today,

-Duende- from Jason Webster in the english language is very nice, it is quite a new book.

-Duende- from Ivo Hermans is very nice too, as far as I know only in Duch.
The writer is from belgium.

-An rather old book 1965 is -The flamencos of cadiz bay- from Gerald Howson.

-The art of flamenco- from Don Pohren is even older, 1962 but it is now in a new print, a lot info on the forms etc.

- The flamenco guitar- from David George 1966 is about the same as the art of flamenco from Pohren, only more specific for guitar

The last two books are more for info about flamenco and his forms and about the flamenco guitar, very beautiful black and white pictures.

The top three books are more a search for flamenco from the writer.

Payul

Duende portays the worst of the Gypsy culture. Jason Webster shows his own imaturity and lack of sentiment for Gypsies in his demoralizing book.

Being of mixed Sephardic Gypsy American heritage I resent Webster's negative potrayal of himself and Spanish Gypsies.

[Aurelio]

I've mentioned the following books in a previous post, but will list them again here--

Flamenco, Gypsy Dance and Music from Andalusia, edited by Claus Schreiner, Amadeus Press. Excellent guide to traditional flamenco, first published in German in 1985. The Amadeus Press is in English translation.

Queen of the Gypsies, by Paco Sevilla, Sevilla Press. A biography of Carmen Amaya that Sevilla uses as a central pillar to tell the story of flamenco, especially travelling-troupe flamenco that brought this art to the attention of a world audience, from the beginning of the 20th century to the death of Carmen Amaya in 1963. Essential reading.

Seeking Silverio, Paco Sevilla, Sevilla Press. Paco calls this a historical flamenco novel; I call it an "enhanced biography" of pivotal cantaor Don Antonio Chacon. Through his account of Chacon's coming-of-age, Sevilla tells the story of flamenco through the cafe cantante era in the 19th century to the start of the 20th century. The sound, look, smell, feel of Andalusia back when flamenco was coming of age.

Paco Sevilla is a professional flamenco guitarist and also a leading writer/historian of flamenco. Check out Flamencobooks.com by Sevilla Press

[liat]

thank's

[Aurelio]

I'd like to say "Amen" to Marvin Steel's recommendation of Donn Pohren's books. The late Donn Pohren was hugely instrumental in bringing flamenco to the attention of a whole generation of Americans and non-Spanish Europeans. He provided often the first useful English-language information about this amazing art to people, several of whom went on to become well-known flamenco guitarists. His three major flamenco books are:

The Art of Flamenco--many editions, first published in 1962. The 6th (2005) edition was extensively updated by Pohren shortly before he died, but is marred by a terrible, disgraceful number of typos, wrong fonts, and general slovenliness. But the content itself is classic Pohren.

Lives and Legends of Flamenco--1964. Many biographies and critiques of flamenco dancers, singers and guitarists from the earliest known artists up to the date of publication. All of the great legends of flamenco are here, as well as discussion of flamenco's history and evolution.

A Way of Life--1979, 1999. Pohren's most controversial book, detailing his experiences in establishing and running his Finca Espartero in Morón, beginning in the mid-1960s and ending in 1973. He has many tales of the flamencos of Morón, gathered around the legendary guitarist Diego del Gastor. Needless to say, many have challenged the accuracy of some of Pohren's tales, and also his judgments of certain characters.

But there is no denying that the importance of flamenco in the non-Spanish world would be very different had there been no Donn Pohren.