Picasso was a Fanboy: Manitas de Plata and "Toringa"

A bit of random flamenco today from Manitas de Plata, a French flamenco guitarist who flouted flamenco rhythmic conventions and achieved worldwide fame. He was born Ricardo Baliardo in 1921 in a gypsy caravan in southern France. He began his career playing in an annual gypsy pilgrimage in Carmargue, France but only agreed to play for a wider public ten years after the death of preeminent gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Pablo Picasso, on hearing him, exclaimed that Manitas de Plata was "of greater worth than I am!" He became known in the US in the 1960s, and he was father of many members of the renowned Gipsy Kings. He died in November, 2014. This song, Toringa, can be found on the 2014 album Flores de Mi Corazón.

Gipsy Travels: Gitanosoy and "Voyages"

Merry Christmas! As one who has just completed a three day car voyage from Albuquerque to Sarasota, Florida, following an eastern star toward the warm lights of Megan's family, I feel that today's song, even though it didn't come up as a Christmas song, does sum up my holiday. Gypsies, of course, are known for their their itinerant lifestyles and I think that in my idea of life as I would wish it, I too long for a freedom to travel and wander unfettered by the things that I now need to do to survive (i.e a job). If course the Gypsy wanderings are their jobs, their shackles in a way and what has made a lot of more established groups of people in Europe and the United States look at them with undeserved suspicion. Perhaps in retirement I can satisfy some of that itch, even if a nomadic lifestyle is supported by Social Security rather than a need to survive.

As we think of Christmas, we can also remember too that Jesus was himself a wanderer, moving from place to place to teach people about the relationship of God to humanity. So, a song by a Gypsy group from France, called Voyages, is not that far from the spirit of the day. Unfortunately, I don't know too much more about the band, Gitanosoy, other than that they have some connection with the Gipsy Kings. In any case, enjoy this song, Voyages, from Gitanosoy's 1996 album Gipsy Dance. And have a wonderful holiday!