World music packs a punch at MERA

Julie Druker | Jul 01, 2015

Lovers of world music were treated to two special concerts that brought the sounds of far-off places to this neck of the woods.

The first concert took place on June 28 at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners, where flamenco guitarist Jorge Miguel surprised guests and appeared with stellar flamenco singer, Fernando Gallego, in tow. The two performed two generous sets of top-notch, straight from the heart music and those unfamiliar with the power of authentic flamenco were hit hard with the intensity of emotion that it is.

Miguel, who has studied with the best flamenco guitarists in Spain, de-mystified the genre for guests. He explained that the music goes back to the Druids of 3000 years ago, and is a style similar to American blues in that it is the music of the people, and relies on the interaction between singer, players and dancer.

Though the dancer who normally appears with the duo was unable to make the trip out to MERA, these two left nothing wanting in their incredible performance. Miguel's fast-flying fingers built a solid and magically full sound that followed Gallego's lead and when the seemingly shy singer first opened his mouth it was like experiencing a powerful wallop of emotion that reaches right to the heart and soul of what is meant by real flamenco. The two performed a number of original tunes composed by Miguel, from his two album releases to date, one of which took him no less than eight years to complete.

With Gallego’s vocals accentuating Miguel's extraordinarily complicated rhythms and with the latter alternately hand clapping and beating on the “cajon”, a Spanish percussion box, the two managed to bring the heart and soul of Cadiz, Spain, which is the Spanish hub of flamenco music, to the crowd. The two have been performing together for a number of years, bringing authentic flamenco in all its power, beauty, sorrow, love and humour to appreciative audiences, many of whom, like myself, have never experienced the real McCoy.