España Dia 4

Friday May 17

Its great to be here in Madrid once again.  Talk about threads connecting one´s life:  I´ve been staying at this piso (the one I now own) for nearly 30 years.  I have friends here I´ve know for 32 years.  Restaurants, bars, clubs I´ve been going to for 30 plus years.

In the US things change very fast:  everything, including careers, friends, relationships.  Spain´s pace is certainly not sedate.  But there does seem to be a greater permanence, more respect for things of the past.

Thursday evening I saw a wonderful flamenco show at Candela´s.  I hadn´t been there in 10 years but it was SO the same.  In the best ways.  The show featured an excellent Mexican dancer, Karen Lugo, who was creative, highly skilled, compelling.  Her percussionist, Pamuki, gave a beautiful groove to each number, and the singer,  blonde dread-locked Naike Ponce, sang emotively and true.  Guitarist Gaizka Baena stayed within his technical limits with tasteful understatement, and the violinist,  Victor Guadiana, was virtuosic.  The group used a lot of PA effect (reverb, echo) but in a way that actually enhanced their show.  I loved it!