CANTE FLAMENCO DEL NORTE Vicente Griego, hails from Dixon/Embudo, NM. Vicente has devoted his life to the study of Cante Flamenco, the art of flamenco singing. Every cantaor or singer has a nickname, and Vicente's is "El Cartucho," a gun cartridge or blasting cap, because of his explosive style. In 1992, Vicente began touring the US, Canada, and Latin America with the Jose Greco II Flamenco Dance Company,

where he was mentored by Caño Roto singer, Alfonso Gabarri, “El Veneno” of Madrid, Spain. He sings for Yjastros, the American Flamenco Repertoire Company out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Griego is the lead vocalist in the Flamenco and Rumba band, ReVoZo and tours nationally and internationally year round and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Mexico. “Vicente Griego ‘El Cartucho’ is striking for his deep, sonorous wails that seem to come from a cavern, someplace deep within his soul.” Anna Poplawska, Chicago Artist’s News Photo: Vicente Griegos “El Cartucho,” Betty Haas Eloy Gonzales (guitar) began his study of Flamenco at Tierra Adentro de Nuevo México charter school in 2010. He was introduced to Flamenco dance by teachers Alisa Alba and Elena Osuna, and to the Flamenco guitar by Mario Febres. With a scholarship to the National Institute of Flamenco’s Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, he studied dance under Joaquin and Marisol Encinias, and guitar with Ricardo Anglada. Eloy studies music at the UNM and has fully dedicated himself to the Flamenco guitar. He has performed nationally in theaters and festivals such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Music in the Park festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Javier Saume Mazzei (percussion) hails from Caracas, Venezuela. He has performed with Rhonda Richmond, Cassandra Wilson, and Badi Assad. Javier has also performed and recorded with the Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-nominated Sones de Mexico Ensemble, and has been part of national and international concerts, taught master classes, and held residencies in Beijing, China, The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, to name a few. Since 2010, he has played with “Ensemble Españo,l” and tough percussion at the People’s Music School. Javier moved to Albuquerque in 2018. He is part of the “Yjastros” Dance Company at the National Institute of Flamenco.

CANTE FLAMENCO DEL NORTE "for we have endured my people, mi raza los manitos, la huerfandad, the orphaned ones whom Spain abandoned, Mexico did not adopt and the U.S. never wanted" -Levi Romero Palos de ida y vuelta y el Cante de Regreso: An Introduction (Branches of goings and comings, and the Songs of Returning) The port cities of Andalucía linked Spain to the Americas as a conduit for colonization, commerce, and culture. Many andaluces and gitanos, the people of Andalucía, travelled across the Atlantic in search of opportunities that would improve their situation back home. When they returned, they took back their favorite folk music and dance of the Americas with them and transformed it into a new branch of cante flamenco, El palo de ir y venir (the Branch of Goings and Comings. In the Caribbean, they fell in love with the Son antillano, the Guajiras, Habaneras, and Rumbas. From Colombia they brought the Colombianas, and from Argentina, the Milongas, Tangos Boleros, and Vidalitas, all of which are now part of the greater flamenco repertory. With this performance for Música del Corazón VII, renowned cantaor nuevomexicano is inaugurating Cantes de Regreso (Songs of Return), the return of the children of the colonial diaspora. This is the first step towards his new international CD compilation Entre guitarra y tombé (Between the Guitar and the Drum), a flamenco adaptation of Nuevomexicano ritual songs like the Inditas, Entriegas, Los días, and canciones like the Rancheras.

"Un tombé comanche-genízaro" - Dr. Gregorio Gonzales

1. Cantes de las cautivas, de la fragua (Songs of the Captives, from the Forge)

Herrero de Peñasco, Nuevo México - John Collier 1943

The Toná, the primordial Cante de fragua, is one of the oldest branches or palos of flamenco song, the Martinete (hammer drill song), sung to the percussive sounds of el martillo en el yunque, the hammer on the anvil. A traditional occupation of gitanos, the gypsies in Spain and beyond is metal work, from extracting it in the mines to blacksmithing and tinkering. These Cantes de la fragua are distinct from the Cantes de la mina, which we will hear in section 3. Here, Javier plays a trozo de fierro, a piece of iron to emulate them. The melodies modulate between the Ionian (major scale) mode to the Phrygian. The most ancient texts of the Tonás come from medieval Iberian ballads dating to the Reconquest (711-1492). They are named romances for the language in which they are sung - Romance - a "proto-Spanish" tongue that emerged from Latin on its way to becoming Castilian. Many romance ballads tell the stories of Christian and Moorish captives. This cante is a Toná acomanchada (Comanche style Toná), that tells the story of "La cautiva Marcelina," an iconic indita ballad from 18th century New Mexico, about a woman taken away to the plains by the Nuhmuhnuh, the tribal Comanches of the southern plains. In the Ranchos de Taos Indo-Hispano-Genízaro community, her name is also Manuela, taken from the January 1st feast day of Emmanuel there. Their most famous group is Los Comanches de la Serna. They are the extended family of our cantaor. This is the deep sound track of the flamenco tradition finding a new home in New Mexico.

"La comanchita Elena" - Miguel Gandert

La cautiva la Manuela The Captive Woman Manuela A la cautiva la Manuela, The captive woman Manuela, ya se va, ya se la llevan, is going away, they are taking her, ay, a estas tierras lejanas to those faraway lands a comer carne de yegua. to eat mare's meat. A estas tierras mentadas To these infamous lands a vivir en tierras ajenas. to live in the lands of others. Still standing, the cantaor leads into a Debla, (goddess in Caló - the Spanish / Romaní dialect of the gitanos), in the same branch as the Romances and Corríos. The Debla is sung when profound spiritual themes like truth and death emerge. Y si no es verdad, And if this isn't true, eso que te digo, that which I tell you, si no es verdad, if it isn't true, que Dios me, que Dios may God, may God me mande la muerte, send me death, si me la quiere mandar. if he wants to send it. The cantaor then sits and braces himself for the deep laments of the Seguiriyas and Cabales that descend along the same branch as the Toná. This is the cante jondo or "deep song" of flamenco, with the most tragic and emotional themes. Seguiriya, the Cante sagrado de funeral or Sacred Funereal Song is a gitano-flamenco adaptation of the classic seguidillas (string songs), a cousin of the copla (couplet) a very old kind of folk song descended from the jarcha, a bilingual lyric whose verses and choruses alternated between Arabic and "Spanish." There are as many quejíos (deep moans) as lyrics. Listen for the ornate vocalizations that surround the notes of the melody or melisma, a feature shared with Muslim and Jewish music. Cabales are the end lyrics in a set, which summarize and dignify the tragedy. In our example, the suffering of the captive woman is so profound that she prays for the earth to swallow her. Other verses relate how she saw her entire family killed.

"La cautiva ya se va, ya se la llevan" - Miguel Gandert

Seguiriyas: Seguiriyas: Ay, qué desgracia, Oh, what a disgrace, es la mía, hasta en el andar. it is mine, even as I walk. qué desgracia, what a disgrace, qué desgracia what a disgrace, es la mía, hasta en el andar. it is mine, even as I walk. qué desgracia, what a disgrace, es la mía, hasta en el andar. it is mine, even as I walk. Que los pasitos, For the little steps, que los pasos, for the steps, que los pasitos, for the little steps los pasos que yo daba the steps I made me vuelven en atrás turned me backwards que desgracia ay, what a disgrace, ay, es la mía, hasta en el andar. it is mine, even as I walk. Cabales: Cabales: Ábrame la tierra, Open for me the earth, ábrame la tierra, open for me the earth, que quiero, que quiero morir. for I want, I want to die. Que vivir como yo estaba, I want to live as I was, diciendo -no quiero vivir. saying, -I don't want to live. Ábrame la tierra Open for me the earth que me quiero morir. for I want to die.

2. Fandangos de Huelva, Jeyanas de Nuevo México y Alegrías de Cádiz (Fandangos of Huelva, Heyanas of New Mexico, and Songs of Joy of Cádiz)

"Las cautivas rescatadas" - Miguel Gandert

In the eighteenth century, the Fandango was a popular musical and dance form with Arabic and Portuguese roots. When they adapted to the flamenco tradition, they became closely associated with the different regions of Andalucía. Here Vicente sings Fandangos from Almonte, near Huelva that end with the New Mexican Comanche refrains, "je yana je yana jeya." This fandango is from the pilgrimage to the Hermitage of the Virgen del Rocío near Huelva, in southern Spain. The stunning white sanctuary there is called "Paloma Blanca" (white dove). After the area was taken back from the Moors, in 1270, king Alfonso X 'El Sabio' himself ordered that a shrine be built for the Madonna. Today, over a million pilgrims travel there every year. María's tender, loving gaze comforts and protects her Child, and all her children, including captives. Fandangos Almonte Fandangos from Almonte para la Virgen del Rocío for the Madonna of Rocío En la marisma In the marsh con la candela, with the candle, en el romero, on the pilgrimage, cantan por Huelva they sing for Huelva a la pastora to the shepherd girl los almonteños. the people of Almonte. Cantando van, They sing as they go

por el camino del Quema. on the road to Quema. Van pa' la ermita, They go to the hermitage, y olé con olé, olé y olé. and olé with olé, olé and olé. En la marisma In the marsh con la candela, with the candle, en el romero, on the pilgrimage, Huelva a la pastora, Huelva to the shepherd girl, los almonteños the people of Almonte, y el corazón and my heart se me estremece trembles deep en el alma in my soul cogí la manta I got the veil y la eché al suelo and threw it to the ground ay lereleléi. ay, lereleléi. The last verse as follows, is a little fandango in the style of Cagancho, a nod to a famous cantaor. The final chorus is a Bulería, with invitational shouts to the bailaoras (dancers) for a last joyful round, to the cries of "she, and she, and she," which blends into the "Jeyana" chorus from Ranchos de Taos, sung as a Bulería in the with lyrics from New Mexico. The ecstatic syllable singing of flamenco extends to include the vocable syllable singing of North American native music in a hybrid embrace. Both gitanos and Comanches love horses. Fandanguillos del Cagancho Little Fandangos of Cagancho Un caballo le he comprado I have bought a horse for her, a mi niña, la Manuela, for my girl, Manuela, un caballo le he comprado a horse I have bought her y está tan chiquitita and she is so small que no se puede subir en él, she can't get up on it, Y el potrillo se arrodilla. And the colt kneels Bulería gitano - comanche Bulería gypsy - Comanche Ella y la ella, y la ella, She and she, and she, ella la ella, la ella, she, she, she, ella la ella la, ella ya la, she, she, she, ella la ella, la ella, la ella. she, she, she. Ella y la ella, y la ella, She and she and she, ella la ella, la ella. she, she, she. Eyana eyana eyaya na, Heyana heyana heyaya, na, eyana enaya eyaya ella. heyana henaya heyaya,

Comentarios del cantaor - Comments by Vicente Griego "Eso a lo loco, bien está. Pa' toda la historia, bien. (This is crazy, but great. Here for all history, right). Thank you very much for coming to our concert tonight. All five of us. It is an honor to be able to do a concert in the midst a pandemic, of course taking care of each other. Lots of space, lots of air. Everybody with a mask except for me. But, I've got lots of space between people. And we are very careful. I want everybody to know that this is a moment in time. Like every second of every single minute of a person's life. But this is a special time because we're able to do what we do and just want to pray for everybody to be safe, to take care of each other, to take care of yourselves, because we're going to get through this."

Orquesta de pueblo, Chamisal, Nuevo México - John Collier 1943

Alegrías de Cádiz (Songs of Joy from Cádiz) These lively songs of joy originated in the port city of Cádiz, and are driven by a rhythm of 12 beats, emphasized on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th beats. Faster Alegrías are often accompanied with dancing and footwork, and slower ones are more reflective. Because of Coronavirus, no dancers could be present in this performance, but we will have to visualize them. The dance has several movements, a salida or entrance, a paseo or walk around the stage, followed by silencio similar to the adagio in ballet, a castellana or more upbeat "castillian" movement, zapateado or footwork, ending with Bulerías, a lively palo derived from bullería, the shouts of encouragement to the dancers, or burlería or pure fun, dancing, and flirting.

Alegrías de Cádiz Alegrías from Cádiz Bueno, bueno, bueno, bueno Good, good, good, good, que Dios te va a castigar for God will punish you cuando de lo bueno when of the good hablas de lo malo, you speak of the bad, ¿qué dirás? what will you say? Cuando de lo bueno When of the good te hablan de lo malo, they tell you of the bad, ¿qué, qué dirás? what, what will you say? Que me lo tiene que dar, She has to give it to me, que me lo tienes tú que dar you have to give it to me, El tacón de la bota, the heel of the boot, que para taconear, to do footwork, que para taconear, to be with her, que para taconear, to do footwork, que para taconear, to be with her, el tacón de la bota, ay, the heel of the boot, ay, me lo tienes que dar. you have to give it to me. Vicente ends his performance on a jubilant and ecstatic note with these lyrics, and ending with a Cádiz style Bulería, the festive palo sung and danced to uplift everyone's spirits, especially after darker and more painful palos. The Spanish word bullería (shouting, din) is often cited as the root word of the palo, since participants and onlookers alike regale the dancers with shouts of "olé, asa," and more specific cries of encouragement. This form of participation is known as jaleo. El saber no te ha valido Knowing it hasn't been worth it to you, ¿Que tú qué tienes por qué saber? And you why do you need to know? ay, el saber no te ha valido ay, knowing it hasn't been worth it, han hecho busla de ti, tonta, they have made fun of you, silly, y no, no lo has entendido, and no, you haven't understood, la Simoncita tiene un Simón, Simonita has a Simón, la Simoncita ya se casó. Simonita already got married. La Simoncita tiene un Simón, Simonita has a Simón, la Simoncita ya se casó. Simonita already got married. Olé, mira, ay. Olé, look, ay.

Bulerías de Cádiz Bulerías from Cádiz A ti te prende el Vicente Now they want you with that Vicente, el Francisco, gitana, Francisco, gypsy girl, ¿quién te enamoré? who fell in love with me? el Pascual solamente only that Pascual que ese hombre que te acalora for that man who makes you blush, eso sí que es cantar y bailar, that is what is singing and dancing, eso sí que es cantar y sentir. that is what singing and feeling mean. Tiene unos ojos pa' mí, She has these eyes for me, unos lindos ojos pa' mí, these beautiful eyes for me, ¡qué dale maraví, maraví, that is marv, marv, maraví, maravilla! marv, marvelous! Unos lindos ojos pa' mí, These lovely eyes for me, ¡qué dale maraví, maraví, that is marv, marv, que dale maraví, maraví, that is marv, marv, dale maraví, maraví, that is marv, marv, dale maraví, maraví, that is marv, marv, maraví, maravilla. marve, marvelous. Olé Olé Mi corazón volando My heart flying, se metió en tu pecho went into your heart, se metió en tu pecho went into your heart, se metió en tu pecho. went into your heart. Mi corazón volando My heart flying, se metió en tu pecho, went into your heart, se cayeron las alas, its wings fell down y se quedó dentro, and it stayed inside, se cayeron las alas, its wings fell down y se quedó dentro. and it stayed inside. Tiri tiri, tiri, tiri, tiri, ti, ti ti, tiri, tiri, tiri, tiri, ti, ti. Y si no se te quita bailando, And if you don't dance it out, dejarla que se muera y se muera. leave it until it dies, and dies. note: Many of the playful lyrics of Cádiz are adapted, flamenco style from the lyrics of the Jota, a popular dance from northern Spain.

3. Recordando Las Minas (Remembering the Mines) Vicente took the nickname "El Cartucho" (explosive charge) from his grandfather, who was a professional and wildcat miner in northern New Mexico and Colorado. As a cantaor, his mining heritage gives him a special affinity for the palos related to mining, including Martinetes and Tarantos. Here are his bilingual comments and dedications from the stage: "Muchas gracias. Last number. Ahora vamos a recordarnos de los mineros y de las familias que vienen de la tradición de los mineros, esos cantes que vienen debajo de la tierra. Mi familia, que Dios le bendiga. Se llamaba 'El Cartucho,' Flaudio Griego, el abuelo mío. Y aquí les van unos cantes de la mina, los Tarantos. This next number is dedicated to the families that come from of the mining tradition, and all of the generations of people who have worked just to move forward in life a little bit. Estos son cantes de las minas y se va a cantar por Tarantos y se va a terminar por Tangos en la tonalidad de Tarantos. Y esto va dedicado a las familias como las nuestras, como la mía, al Cartucho, que en Gloria esté y a todos los mineros que pasaron antes de todos los demás, picando debajo de la tierra. Flaudio Griego, mi abuelo, mi padre Aarón, a todos los mineros y las familias de los mineros. Aquí van unos Tarantos. Eloy, olé. Eso es." This lyric laments the story of a young man pleading to enter the scene of a mine accident, desperately looking for his gravely injured brother. The guitar plays in Phrygian mode and uses dissonance to express distress that the cantaor answers back with quejíos or desperate moans.

Mineros de berilio del Puerto de San Antonio del Embudo, Nuevo México Flaudio "El Cartucho" Griego second from left - Laura Gilpin 1953

Tarantos de la mina Tarantos from the Mine Que mal herido cayó. He fell gravely injured. -Tengo un hermano en la mina, ay, "I have a brother in the mine, ay, que malherido cayó who fell gravely injured, deja pasar por Dios, let me by for the love of God, que yerba del monte traigo, ay, for I bring herbs from the mountain, ay, que quiero curarlo yo. because I want to cure him. Que menos mal en mi casita, At least in my humble house, Jesús está. Jesus is present. Dime que sí, no me digas que no. tell me yes, don't tell me no. This set finishes with a note of hope and some Tangos de Grana (Granada) and Extremadura in a more upbeat 4/4 meter palo of the canastero type originally sung by basket weavers. The "Dime que sí, no me digas que no / Tell me yes, don't tell me no" is a playful improvisation that echoes the same playful love lyrics from New Mexico's Indo-Hispano tradition of the "Comanches de la Serna" from Ranchos de Taos. After the "yes and no" teasing, the choruses are composed of the seed syllables of the vocables.

"La comancha Corina" - Miguel Gandert

Tangos comanches Comanche Tangos Comanchita niña, de mi corazón, Comanche girl of my heart, niña que sí, comanchita no, girl yes, little Comanche girl no, comanchita, niña de mi corazón, little Comanche, girl of my heart, jeya, jeyala jeya, jeyala yo, heya, heyala heya, heyala yo, jeya, jeyana, jeya jeyana yo. heya, heyana, heya heyana yo. Ala ya... olé... Ala ya... olé... Antenoche fui a tu casa, Night before last I went to your house, vi luz en tu ventana, I saw light in your window siempre vas a ser, primita, you will always be, little cousin, lucero de mi mañana, the star of my morning, siempre vas a ser you will always be, lucero de mi mañana. the star of my morning.

¡Dale, Eloy! Go for it, Eloy! Antenoche fui a tu casa, Night before last I went to your house, y me dites de cenar, and you gave me some dinner, tortillitas chamuscadas burned tortillas y frijoles sin guisar. and badly cooked beans. Dime que sí, dime que no, Tell me yes, tell me no, comanchita, niña de mi corazón. little Comanche girl of my heart. Dime que si, comanchita no, Little Comanche girl yes, and then no, comanchita, niña de mi corazón, little Comanche, child of my heart, comanchita, niña de mi corazón, little Comanche, child of my heart, comanchita si, comanchita no, little Comanche girl yes, and then no, comanchita, niña de mi corazón, little Comanche, child of my heart, comanchita si, comanchita no. little Comanche girl yes, and then no. Jeyana, jeyana yana yo, Heyana, heyana yana yo, jeyana, jeyana yana yo. heyana, heyana yana yo. ¡Viva, muchas gracias! ¡Gracias señores, sí señores!