Dorantes "Open-piano"

Dorantes comes from one of the great flamenco families. As a child he began playing the guitar and soon developed a passion for the piano. At 10 At 10 he began studying at the Conservatory. As a teenager, Dorantes joined in the flamenco the piano , with the freedom of the discoverer, without references or standards.

His first album, Orobroy, drives him to the first row on the flamenco music scene. The flamenco community, which appreciates the technical quality and enjoys innovation, applauded.

Following his participation in 1998 at the Jazz Plaza Festival in Havana (Cuba) with artists like Jack de Johnette, Dorantes was labeled as “The Flamenco of XXI Century”. After being awarded by The Machado Foundation as Relation Artist (Award Demofilo), he toured Europe, Japan and Cuba.

Orobroy becomes the Instrumental Album of the Year (“Flamenco Hoy” award). Dorantes travel the world for 4 years and will share the stage with top names in jazz, classical music and flamenco.

On his second album, Sur (2002) the piano is accompanied by other instruments, both classic and ethnic. The compositions are more complex and reminiscent of classic romance. Dorantes traveled further around the world with South, again recognized as Instrumental Album of the Year (Prize Flamenco Hoy 2003).

Dorantes made ​​history at the Bienal de Sevilla with his album “South”. He received 4 Giraldillo awards with a single show: Best Soloist, Best Original Score, Best Show and Special Audience Giraldillo.

SIN MUROS (WITHOUT WALLS), his third album (2012), is the result of an intensive week ahead of the vanguard, from flamenco to jazz, classical music or contemporary music to free composition. SIN MUROS speak about the peaceful coexistence of peoples, of respecting difference, and guaranteeing Human Rights …

We will inform you shortly of some upcoming events of the world Dorantes, some of them very special.

synchronized swimming athletes

Flora Albaicin (National Flamenco Award)

The Spanish synchronized swimming team will compete in the Olympic Games in London representing the piece “Zapateado Flamenco”

Olympic gold is the goal of Andrea Fuentes and Ona Carbonell. Have worked great exercise with Flora-Albaicin (National Flamenco Award), with the piece ‘Zapateado Flamenco’. Andrea and Ona have learned to move his hands and body, to convey the grandeur of feeling flamenco.

Anna Tarrés, the national synchronized swimming coach, has made the synchronized swimming one of the most attractive sports that awakens in the London Olympics, it’s worth waiting to see Andrea and Ona realize its art and thus show the international judges this time they deserve to be considered the best. The art deserves a gold.

Fhotos: María Vernet
Trailer “Flamenco Olímpico“

The dancer Javier Latorre (Premio Nacional de Danza in Spain 2011) presents his show “Delicatessen” with Hugo Lopez, La Moneta and Concha Jareño.

Juan Gómez “Chicuelo” master of flamenco guitar will be joined by dancer with the program “Dialogue of the Spanish guitar and dance.”

Pastora Galván and her company will close the festival with their show “Pastora”. During these days the fans enjoy the Spanish culture, as well as performances by guitar masters and dancers world-famous photo exhibition dedicated to flamenco dancing, competitions and master classes taught by Spanish dancers. Also held a symposium of experts in flamenco.

The International Flamenco Festival “Viva Spain” is celebrated since 2000 and has international status since 2006.

On 12th May the singer Miguel Poveda will present his latest work “ArteSano” in the Flamenco Arts Festival XXIX of Catalonia. The Festival will take place in Cornella between May 4 and June 3. Within its broad program highlights the performance on Friday May 18 Ballet Flamenco Barcelona with his show “Miróterraneo” involving guest artists Antonio Canales and Carmen la Talegona.

ArteSano, Miguel Poveda

The cantaor Miguel Poveda (Barcelona 1973) has released his most awaited album “ArteSano”. This new album, the ninth in his career, features 13 tracks that span all of the flamenco “palos”. For this album Poveda has surrounded himself with the greatest guitar players in modern flamenco such as Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Isidro Muñoz, Diego del Morao, Manuel Parrilla, José Quevedo “Bolita” and Jesús Guerrero. This album also features the cantaor Rancapino. In “ArteSano” Miguel Poveda returns to his roots, traditional and orthodox flamenco following on from the copla album “Las Coplas del Querer”.

For this new album Chambao have worked in collaboration with musicians such as Carles Benavent, Chucho Valdés and Josemi Carmona.

Chambao hit the scene in 2002 with their album Flamenco Chill fusing flamenco beats with electronic music. This was followed in 2003 by the album “Endorfinas en la mente”, winner of the Premio Ondas, featuring the well-known hit “Ahí estás tú” that began the theme of a advertising campaign to promote Andalucía. This was followed by albums such as Pokito a

poko (2005),  Chambao Puro live DVD(2006),  a hits compilation album Caminando 2001-2006, Con otro aire (2007), winner of Best Fusion Albun at the National Music Awards and Chambao en el fin del mundo (2009), a live CD-DVD recorded at the Perito Moreno glacier national park in the Patagonia.

Chambao returns after 2 years without touring and 4 without having released a studio album.

As for the heel, there are different heel heights. Professionals tend to use a classic 7-centimetre heel (2.36 inches); however, if you are a beginner or are not used to wearing heels, it would be best to start using a 5-centimetre heel (2 inches). Moreover, there is also the Cuban heel, which is a little bit wider, and it gives the shoes greater stability.

Quality is very important, and it starts from the choice of material. Avoid plastic. They are cheaper, but they tear quickly; moreover, your foot will sweat profusely and they will eventually take on a bad smell.

Genuine hide is the best. It doesn’t matter what kind of tanning it has undergone. Leather tends to be more resistant, withstands use better and, with a little bit of care, the shoes will last for years. Suede is a good material as well, but the shoes last somewhat less, because they lose their shape more easily and may eventually become worn and lose colour.

If you want to be sure about the excellent quality and resistance of your shoe, the best thing to do is to get some hand-crafted shoes, made using traditional craft methods by a master shoemaker who knows how to ensure that your shoe will last forever regardless of how much taconeo (rhytmic combination of sounds made by repeatedly stepping onto the heel) you do.

Once you clearly understand all of the above, you just need to pick the model that you prefer, but we can’t offer you any advice on this point.

Minimum care that is needed to extend the life-span of your shoes
It is best to keep them somewhere fresh, with a room temperature of 18ºC. After using them, they must be left to air themselvesfor at least fifteen minutes in order for them to dry, because sweat dries out the leather or suede, and causes it to become rougher. Afterwards, the best thing to do is to keep them in a plastic bag in order to stop the hide from drying out.

In order to clean the shoes of hide that has been tanned into leather, or any form that doesn’t have any external “hair”, it is best to spread normal skin-cream for personal use, onto them. Afterwards, once the shoe has absorbed the cream, one should spread shoe cream (not shoe polish) onto them. The next step is to rub them with a cloth and to brush them. In this way, it is possible for the hide of the shoe to remain permanently hydrated, and for it not to dry out and get ruined.

For shoes made of suede, nappa or nobuk (materials which are furry), it suffices to brush them and to spray some protector for nobuk or suede, which helps to preserve them and makes them a slightly more resistant to water.

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