Having Mercedes Ruíz sing you a bulerías is not a bad way to start the weekend... That's what happened today. It was at the end of our interview, which I'll be posting in the coming days. I asked her to share a favorite letra with me.
She rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment.
"Me gusta mucho la bulería de Camarón, la de... "
Then she stopped.
"Pero te la tengo que cantar?" And she smiled. No, no?"
Ha, no. Just tell me how it goes.
And she proceeded to recite the letra.
Me sale de los reaños
A mí me sale del corazón
el cante de un gitano puro
el cante de Camarón.
It comes to me from the the insides of my body
It comes to me from the heart
the singing of a pure gypsy
the singing of Camarón.
"This one is really beautiful y como la cantan es muy guay...I'll sing it so you know, but I don't know how to sing."
And then she sang it. With cool soniquete.
"Anda. ¡Yo cantando y tó!"
And she was happy. And so was I.
Anyway, today we talked about when she began flamenco, how becoming a mother changed her dancing, what it's like to work with her husband, and even frustration. Stay tuned for that.
Me gusta mucho - I really like
Pero te la tengo que cantar - But I have to sing it to you
Anda. ¡Yo cantando y tó! - Come on, me singing and everything!
And, in the Fall…
The workshops with Mercedes in Jerez are coming up!
I debated translating reaños as guts or insides of the body. Anyway, you get the picture. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you can leave them below.