She Sang it, He played it, she danced it..

We went to a Flamenco show where the passion of the artists spread to the audience and seeped through through their pores. The lights were dim, the audience was still, and the sound was just right.

The guitarist, he either looked high on drugs or high on the music. Whatever it was, he was still into it. Though he was performing in a little black box space, in front of no more than 60 people, he managed to bubble himself out of that the little space and export himself into a world where only he and his guitar existed. This sense of passion and isolation was all the singer needed to sing the romantic yet heartbroken notes that made the audience sense the same pain and passion with her. Her voice was raspy, strong and intimidating, but it was also addicting- you didn't want her to stop singing, not even to just take a drink of water.

The dancer was strong. In her dance, in her passion, in her art. She stomped hard on the floor, her steps sharp and extravagant.

Its no wonder that the people in the crowd sang a long, clapped with the singer and cheered for the dancer. And like the guitarist who managed to isolate himself from such an intimate setting, the people in the audience too were all transported to their own worlds with the sounds of Flamenco, at least for a little.

Canzion of the day: Pretty Lights : The time has come

Paco the Painter

For the past 2 weeks, my roommate and I visited a Fallas factory where artists work year round in creating the caracatures for the Fallas festival. These immensely large paper-mache statues of different sizes and colors are displayed in the streets of Valencia during the 2 weeks of festivity in March. At the end of the celebration, over thousands of these large monuments are burned to crisp. Crazy yes, but feo no. Valencians wait the year for these 2 weeks of an explosion of culture, fireworks, mazcletas, people dress in folk outfits and lots and lots of paella.

Paco is ones of the many hundred fallas creators and artists. They simply start with an idea and then turn it into a three- dimensional creation sometimes larger than buildings. A sketch turns into a paper mache model, coated with gesso, sanded down, and then painted with bright colors that leave your mouth open wide and your eyes left in amazement. Paco, however, is not the only man of the hour. Santa's little helpers have just as much importance of the process in creating a Fallas creation. With the help of Ramon, Miguel, Javi and many more, he manages to make over hundreds of littte ninots year round that are then all then worked into a cohesive whole installed into the main streets in and out of the city of Valencia.

Paco is most certainly a visual genius. His creations are a cross of live cartoons painted with finery. It boggles my r that on the 19th of March, every thing he worked on all year will be burned. Ay caray!

far from aburrida

Spain has been keeping me extremely busy. the days are becoming fuzzy though i dont want them to be.

ive already been here for 5 weeks! what? how in the world did that happen?

this week is the America's Cup in Valencia, the world's most prestigious boat race! que bueno. we've been taking advantage of the free concerts and events that this event brings.

have done some exploring of the city and out. went to Benifayo to a Fallas factory to paint some Fallas- id show you some pictures but they are top secret- so they will be released after march/

went to a flamenco show and a capoiera show- so much passion and grace in both exhibitions.

went to the sickest zoo ever- Bioparc- where rhinos were just feet away in an open space!!!! (stay tuned for sick pix)

and went to a legit Drum and Bass party where we danced till 7am. spain my darling, i am crushing on you.

canzion: Zenet: Un beso de esos