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2012年4月24日 星期二

La Feria




Last Saturday was unlike any other Saturday. I won a free ticket in my Spanish class to go to "La Feria", a festival of Spanish songs, dance, tapas, cheese, ham and wine at the Jockey Club in Happy Valley, organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. This year, they did something special. They invited various Spanish companies to join in in an event for "sampling" and "tasting" their best "jamon" (ham) from Spain. They call it "museo de Jamon" (ham museum!). We had ham which has been seasoned less than a year to three years. They were simply delicious, so rich in flavor and so tender that they literally melt in one's mouth. And of course, we had wine tasting. I tasted an "El Nido 2008 made with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon from a 30 year old vineyard in Jumilia and with 30% Monastrell from a 65 year old vineyard, basket pressed,and with fermentation in French and American oak barrels. It was very fruity. I like it. I got plenty of chance to taste their cheese as well.

Not only did I have good tapas, wine and other Spanish food, I had fun watching flamenco songs and dance. The music was provided by a group called "Sol y Flamenco" first formed in the HK in 2010 and is now the only purely flamenco band here.The guitarist Peeny Wong played really well. Later I learned that he graduated from the Fundación de Cristina Heerren de Arte Flamenco in Seville after three years and studied under such masters as Pedro Sierra, NIño de Pura, Paco Carte and Eduardo Rebollar. He played with fire and grace but above all, with soul. It also has a Japanese flamenco dancer Reina Tamaki who went to the same school and has been performing in Hong Kong since 2009. The drums and percussion was provided by De Kai, born in St. Louis, trained as a classical musician at the Northwestern University in Chicago and then went on to learn the "cajon" ( a kind of stool-like wooden sound box with a plywood front used as a drum in Spain, Central and South America and originated by black African slaves working in Peru who wanted to play African rhythms but must disguise their drum as a "stool" to avoid detection by their Spanish masters) and is now engaged in all kinds of fusion music. Finally we had Ingrid Sera-Gillet, a French lady born in Lyon, a ballet dancer and actress who first learned the flamenco "jondo" (deep song) and dancing in Paris in 1999 and then in New York and now teaches at the HK Academy of Performing Arts




The band singing with guest guitarists.




A guitar duet by the guest guitarists.





Flamenco singing. Not a solo affair. It requires a lot of mutual musical and emotional support from the group members from time to time.




The double bass player. I have seen him numerous times playing in various jazz bands. But this is the first time I saw him with a flamenco band.






The guitarist concentrating on his rasguaedo.




Ingrid sings with passion. Here sorrow.







Here, joy.




The flamenco bird folding its wings.




Opening up





Spreading out its wings.




Swinging her shawl




Ingrid sings another song after a short break and a change of clothes.




She dances.




She taps her feet




She gathers her hands above her head before the explosion








She twists her hands and arms




She gathers them to one side of her body



She reaches out her hands




After all the songs and dances, she needs a drink




The audience was invited to join in dancing a "Castellana". The photographer beside me went up stage. She's enjoying herself.




Some children watching what's going on on the stage.




Some were asked to join in making some Spanish tapas! The children sure had lots of fun kneading the dough etc. So did I watching them.




And some Spanish students preparing for the International Baccalauriat in a famous Shatin school sure didn't want to miss the fun, the food, the drinks , the songs and dance.



15 則留言:

  1. Seems a great show.
    [版主回覆04/26/2012 02:59:55]It was great fun to be there.

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  2. Lucky you. And good shots too. You should have included some photos of the food and drinks as well. Anyway, thanks for sharing
    [版主回覆04/26/2012 03:01:52]Not much good visually. They look pretty "ordinary" but taste exquisite.

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  3. Great sharing and good to see your photos again after a break! Thank you mate!
    [版主回覆04/26/2012 03:04:06]It's a relief to be able to post photos again, not with the former ease though. But still, it's better than not being able to do so at all!

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  4. What a wonderful day u have
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 12:34:33]Yes, I had a good time there. Thanks for visiting.

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  5. 域 流亦詩 Louis Rick2012年4月30日 凌晨1:18

    It's fantastic
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 12:34:53]Not bad at all!

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  6. oh, don't know Spanish Chamber of Commerce would organize such kind of fun event.
    I always think that they only organize business-related event such as seminar or dinner gathering.....
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 13:41:18]I believe it's an annual event.

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  7. I don't know you know Spanish also. I sort of envy you having such fascinating life style. The food and drinks must be exquisite .
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 21:49:26]I started to learn Spanish about 4 years ago and am still continuing. You may like to look at my translation of some Spanish poetry in some earlier blogs, if it interest you at all.
    Yes, the wines, the hams, the cheeses, the tapas, the songs, the guitar music, the compas, the palmas and the dances are good.

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  8. Wow, 盡口福之美, 極視聽之娛, 羨慕呀!
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 21:56:41]Some people say life in HK is dull. It can be dull of course, if we do not bestir ourselves to find events that lift us from such dullness. Perhaps, the dullness they talk about is a reflection of the dullness of their own mind, the passivity of their own temperament and habits. Perhaps of their laziness or their lack of curiosity. If we look a little harder, we'll always find something interesting.

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  9. ∩0∩ 赤柱呀 ? Elzorro 有冇上台跳呀 ? 哈哈
    [版主回覆04/30/2012 22:12:08]No. Happy Valley! I'd love to but then, if so, no photos!

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  10. ( ̄▽ ̄)今日放假 Elzorro 再去跳過啦
    [版主回覆05/03/2012 00:22:16]No band !

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  11. Referring to your response to a blogger's comment, I agree that life is how we make it. There are many who spend every minute of the day seeking amusement only to find themselves getting more and more bored with each passing day. There are indeed a lot of interesting places in Hong Kong if we care to search for them. And, Zorro, you have always impressed me with your interest in everything you see happening around you. Even a tiny blade of grass can be the target of your camera. You sure live life to its fullest.
    [版主回覆05/05/2012 16:03:03]I just try a little harder than most to make my own life less dull.

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  12. ⊙︿⊙ 過兩日又星期六 又可以band過 Elzorro !
    [版主回覆05/05/2012 16:04:45]Time to find out something about your half of the world!

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  13. 感謝您的分享!母親節快樂!
    [版主回覆05/05/2012 16:09:30]Same to you!

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  14. (¯`♥´¯)Elzorro 出0左遊呀 ? 星期六笑話 又到啦 ??? 甩稿
    [版主回覆05/05/2012 16:10:54]Yes, in Washington! But don't worry, you'll have your jokes!

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  15. 看來這個繽紛嘉年華會很熱鬧 , 中西交流 , 很好啊 !
    [版主回覆05/06/2012 08:34:23]Really fun!

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