Otherlands Collaboration #2
Location: Sevilla, Spain • Date: September 30, 2019
ABOUT THIS COLLABORATION
I met Javi Gómez following a tip from flamenco guitarist Yago Santos. Hearing I was headed to Seville, Yago recommended I visit Casa de la Guitarra where Javi regularly played. I reached out after seeing his performance and thankfully was able to arrange a meeting on my final afternoon before departing Seville. Javi performs six nights a week and was gracious enough to spend his free afternoon with me.
*To learn more about Javi’s music and projects, please visit his: Facebook Artist Page
While out for a stroll on the day before our meeting, I was thinking about how I needed to get in touch and confirm our time for tomorrow…and who do I run into on the street? Javi. It turns out we’re staying in his neighborhood. I really enjoy the idea of serendipity in life and and thinking back, this was a great sign for our session.
We started our meeting figuring out where my current understanding of flamenco was (quite basic), and Javi quickly and clearly explained/played the differences between soleá, bulería, alegría, and seguiriya for me. We also discussed the role of the guitar accompanying dance and voice as well as how the traditional voice/dance/guitar/percussion flamenco ensemble functions. I received a bit of clarity in different ways to feel and interpret the 12 beat flamenco rhythm, and we improvised.
Inspired recently by all the flamenco music I was listening to and trying to practice along with, I had been experimenting with twisting a traditional American fiddle tune, Elzic’s Farewell, into a bulería. Eager to hear what it could sound like with someone who really played flamenco, I showed this to Javi. It reminded him of a standard farruca guitar melody (a type of flamenco), and for the next hour or so, we made this fiddle & guitar arrangement for a lovely melding of our traditions.
CREDITS
Song: Elzic’s Farewell (Traditional)
Music Arranged by: Javi Gómez & Casey Driessen
Guitar: Javi Gómez
Fiddle & Audio/Video: Casey Driessen
To follow along the Otherlands project, please visit the Otherlands webpage, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Enjoy!
Casey
